Lock-In for Study Abroad Prep

“Are you excited to go abroad??”

“Omg, you must be counting the days until you get to go.”

“You are going to have so much fun!”

While all of these are true, there is so much to do before I even think about getting on the plane to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. There is an endless stream of paperwork, planning, and research before getting ready to set off on a semester abroad (and there will be even more after getting to Aotearoa)! Even though it may feel daunting, all of the prep will be worth it to take advantage of the amazing abroad experience.

Here I share my experience with some of the most important preparation steps for going abroad to Aotearoa along with a tip that can hopefully save you some time:

Passports & Visas

Surprisingly and amazingly the visa process for Aotearoa is about as easy as it gets. The visa application process is entirely online meaning you don’t need to visit any embassy or consulate. Luckily, my passport was already valid for at least six months after the end of the Tāmaki program. However, it is important to ensure you renew your passport ASAP if needed because, trust me, it can take a long time.

After completing my application, I received my Approved Student Visa within a week. However, it is still best to follow the recommendation of submitting at least three months before you leave the country. Be prepared, since the University of Auckland begins school in July, you should plan to apply for your visa in April (before the end of most U.S. school years).

Paperwork (IES Abroad & Home University)

I spent the last week of this past semester finishing finals, hanging out with friends, and celebrating the end of another school year before I headed off to Aotearoa. However, the ending of the school year and the start of summer didn’t mean the work was over. Not only did I need to worry about completing all my IES Abroad forms, but my home university also required a list of documentation and confirmation regarding my time abroad.

I learned it is extremely important to keep tabs on all the forms you need to submit to IES Abroad and your home university. Sometimes, due dates might change, or new forms may be added without notice, so make sure to keep tabs on what is due! Additionally, some requirements may take longer than expected so 1) read through all the instructions for each document as soon as possible and 2) start early! Getting everything done as soon as possible allows for ample time to fix any errors later on.

Lastly, make sure to budget additional time to communicate with your IES Abroad advisor as you may need to wait several days for a response, especially during busy times of the year. Be transparent with your IES Abroad advisor if you are running late on a document or if you need some assistance. There were several times I needed to submit a document late and all I needed to do was let my advisor know I needed some extra time, and I was set.

Financial Planning

Depending on your university and/or scholarships, going abroad can mean losing some of your funding for school. As a low-income student, it was extremely important for me to look into any funding opportunities available. There are many competitive study abroad scholarships, therefore, it is important to apply for additional funding ahead of time.

The IES Abroad scholarship provides great, immediate financial aid. Outside of IES Abroad, there are many scholarship programs that support studying abroad. Some examples are the Gilman Scholarship (for U.S. citizens), APIA Scholars (for Asian/Pacific Islander students), Point Foundation (for LGBTQ+ students), and more. A few Hawaiʻi specific scholarships are Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, Pauahi Foundation, and many of the local banks.

Many scholarship deadlines are during March-April, and possibly sooner in the year. So make sure to start your applications early!

Abroad Itinerary & Research

Planning all the fun activities to do while abroad is possibly one of the most fun but most overwhelming preparation tasks. While studying abroad, you don’t just have the opportunity to explore the city of your university but also the rest of the country, and possibly neighboring countries as well!

There are countless travel recommendations available online. However, it is important to remember the biased lens that many tourist experiences enforce. Especially for native and indigenous peoples, tourism can be damaging to their culture, land, rights, identity, and more. It is important to not just research the fun activities you will do, but also the history and culture of the local and indigenous communities.

I hope you can learn from my experience (and mistakes) and hopefully have a smoother preparation process as you go abroad. Although the to-do list may get overwhelming, it is important to remind yourself to have fun. You are about to have an experience of a lifetime after all!

Now I must go and figure out how I’m going to fit an entire sleeping bag and hiking gear in my suitcase. Aloha!