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One Step at a Time: Preparing for Life Abroad

As the days and weeks pass by quickly, I can’t help but feel unprepared to travel and live abroad next semester. My mind is scattered, distracted with the growing checklists and concerns. Some days I am more than excited for the opportunity to explore and experience life in another country, and other days I am overwhelmed and sad about being so far away from the places and people I love. In conversations with friends who are also studying abroad this upcoming semester, I have discovered I am not alone in this feeling. 

6 Lesser Known Pre-Departure Tips

It’s happening!! After months of preparation, my VISA application is en route to Chicago and the wheels are starting to turn. So now… I wait. 

In preparing for my January departure, I know I want to hit the ground running in Milan and become a part of the local mosaic ASAP. While packing and pre-departure resources are plentiful in the study abroad universe, here are the not so obvious tips that will help you squeeze out the most of your experience.

  1. Reach out to past-abroad students on campus. 

Students are able to receive letter-sized mail to the IES Abroad Center. Packages larger than that will not be accepted. If you are shipping a debit or credit card, we recommend that you disguise it as regular mail (i.e., put it in a birthday card or use a cardboard FedEx or UPS envelope). While you are free to receive mail addressed to you at the IES Abroad Center, it is best to receive letters and packages to your assigned housing address. There are staff available 24/7 at Beckett House to receive post. Post and packages are held at reception and can be collected at your convenience. Beckett...
Meeting Local People Making friends in the local community is often a main priority for students. It’s not always easy to meet people, especially people your own age—doing so will likely require initiative on your part and also courage and perseverance. Never hesitate to ask the staff at the Center for guidance—they will be glad to help you. Think about how you get involved at your home campus and seek out opportunities to do something similar while abroad—this is just one way you might meet people. Here are some examples of how previous students got involved in the local community (along with...
Estimated on-site expenses *All prices below are depicted in euros (€). Food & Drink Groceries per week, if you cook every meal at home 65 Breakfast at a restaurant 8 Lunch at a restaurant 10-15 Dinner at a restaurant 15-20 Soft drink 2.50-3 Coffee 3-4 Meal at a university dining facility 7 Housing Extra Linens (IES ABROAD Dublin provides one set for free) 25 - 30 Toiletries per Month 10-20 Laundry per load 5-6 per load; an average of 4 loads per month Social Activity & Entertainment Movie 8-10 Theater performance 10-60 Museum entry fee 0-25 Fitness club membership per MONTH 25-40 Dance club...
Currency The Irish monetary unit is the euro (€). For more information on the euro and related topics, visit the European Commission website. Handling Money Abroad Before departing, you should exchange about USD$200 into euros in order to cover immediate expenses. Euros can be purchased at large US banks, American Express offices, and at most international airports in the United States and abroad. In case of an emergency, however, you should have more than one way to access funds. The following guidelines will help you plan for financial management abroad. ATM When accessing a bank account...
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