Since the start of this year, my internet browser has been taken over by anything and everything having to do with my upcoming semester abroad in London—visa requirements, average daily temperatures, and even the Tesco website. As my program start date creeps up on me, I'm consumed with a to-do list, filled with tasks pertinent to my departure. While pre-departure seems complex, I’m managing well so far, so let’s go through the list… 

Early Steps

The first—and most essential—thing I did as soon as I even thought of going abroad was checking my passport. Even though I already had a passport, I needed to ensure that it wasn’t going to expire within six months of my program, and of course, my passport was very close to its expiry date. So months before I even applied to my program, I checked off step one: renewing my passport.

Within that same overhead of borders and paperwork, I checked visa requirements. While my passport was sufficient enough for just a semester of classes in the U.K., I needed a student visa if I wanted to intern. A visa wasn’t something that I could do right away, so it got added to my checklist.

Among the other urgent matters on my checklist was academics. After all, the study in study abroad was why I was going to London! As I was researching various study abroad programs, I was in contact with my academic advisor and my university’s study abroad advisor to make sure I was meeting all my academic requirements to graduate on time. 

Admittedly, this was probably the most challenging part of the process. I was easily overwhelmed by all the requirements my courses needed to meet and the paperwork to approve courses, all the while finding classes that I was genuinely excited about.

Something I found helpful to manage all deadlines involved in the study abroad pre-departure process was calendaring important dates and writing out all of my action items in a spreadsheet. As someone who is very Type A and ritualistically bound to a Google Calendar, I literally felt so much lighter having all of my stress regarding time-sensitive to-dos expelled out of my brain and displayed on a screen.

Research, Research, Research!

With housekeeping out of the way, I began to explore London while still in Texas. To get a sense of London, I read blogs, watched videos, and talked to friends and classmates who have already been there. 

Creating a budget and sticking to it was a priority of mine, so—back to the spreadsheet—I estimated various costs that I would run into, from the necessities of groceries and transportation to the adventures of possible weekend trips and shopping. Although listing out all of my possible expenses made me overwhelmed again because of how expensive everything looked when typed up, that was just an estimate, and it gave me a good idea of how much to save in the months leading up to my program. 

Another financial issue lies not in the amount of money, but rather the type of money. Of course, conversion rates apply, but credit cards often charge an additional foreign exchange fee. Even if a card does not have that additional fee, the card company might not be widely accepted in the UK and Europe. 

Money is not the only difference between London and my hometown; the weather is drastically different. While Houston can be as wet as London at times, my friends and family have not failed to remind me of the English cold; I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been told that I need a jacket and tons of layers. I’m prepping for the cold by packing warm and layer-able clothes, but honestly, dealing with Texas heatwaves this summer has me craving whatever frigidness awaits me across the pond. 

Something I’ve noticed about this pre-departure process is how many small things begin to add up. SIM cards, time zones, toiletries—the list doesn’t get any shorter. Having a catch-all place, like the Notes app or a spreadsheet, to jot down the random thoughts and tasks that cross my mind helps manage everything. However, despite all this, I’m happy and privileged to worry about this because it means that London is within reach.

So, the most important task on my to-do list right now? Getting thrilled for a new journey!