Preparing for Freiburg

         Preparing for Freiburg

        Congrats! If you’re reading this, you're most likely traveling abroad! Pat on the back and an Instagram story to celebrate. My name is Jonathan, and for most of my life I have lived in Brooklyn, New York. Yet I have always dreamed of traveling; two years of college and countless internships, conferences in big cities, and Instagram highlights later, and I’m at the point of boarding a huge iron bird into the sky to land in Germany. More than likely, you’ll be in a huge steel bird soon. Here’s how I navigated this reality and how you can make it through this step in life too!

Step 1: Have an awesome Spotify playlist!

• Create a pre-departure study abroad playlist!
• Create a playlist for the travel to the IES Center
• Share your playlist with friends!

I wish I was kidding. A playlist can help you every step of the way. As much as it can sound silly, having a playlist to help you be present in the moment can offer peace of mind. I’ve been listening to Steve Lacy's “Oh Yeah?” following a web-swinging movie viewing. It’s helped me enjoy my time in New York as I anticipate my travel to Freiburg. Create a playlist that brings whimsy and peace as you await your travel; soak in the moments with family, friends, and places in your hometown. Take in every breath, every night in bed, and every sunrise and sunset. 

Step 2: Create a packing list!

• Create a template to help ground you before traveling abroad! 
• You can use my Excel Spreadsheet as a template (if you don’t have Excel, you can copy it and use it for Google Sheets or the Numbers app)
• Link to my easy-to-use template: Packing List Template

Having trouble packing? Real. I get it; when packing, I wanted to ensure I didn’t overpack or limit myself. I highly recommend reading your pre-departure guide to ensure you know what comes with your housing, and to reach out to your advisor with IES Abroad to get more details on what comes with housing so you can pack accordingly. Additionally, create a list of items to pack, the necessity of items, and where to pack or purchase them. Most definitely reference my template to create your own or use mine as your guide. It is worth having a look at this so you can save space and potentially cash. It’s never too late to consider your list abroad.

Step 3: Read the Student Blogs!

• Look up your city, topic, and author of choice
• Totally read all my cool and awesome blogs
• Create your own journals

        Student blogs have been the most helpful to my experience when preparing to go abroad. As cheesy as it may seem, they really helped me get an idea of the study abroad program, and they offer more insight than any other source from IES Abroad. While orientations, guides, and YouTube videos are helpful, nothing is more insightful than the voice of the students! They really helped me get an idea of life over there and what to prepare for prior to my arrival in Freiburg. Now, if you are still reading this, then congrats, you are on the right track!

Welp. I can’t offer any more steps, as everyone has unique circumstances, whether it is budgeting, visa applications, course credits, and so forth. What I can offer is assurance: IES Abroad does its best to support and assisting in your journey. From scholarships to next steps, I believe you can make it out on top. I wish you a smooth experience leading up to departure. You’ll likely encounter hurdles: a missed email, last-minute shopping, forgetting something, regardless of what you face. I can assure you that you’ll be fine. If you made it this far in your study abroad journey, you more than likely will make it further out as the days lead up to departure. I hope you tag along on my journey; let’s make the most of this brand new day.