Translate this site |
||
 |
 |
Sign up for our newsletter!
Make the most of your time away with our latest info, help and advice for year abroad students...
It's so simple, you can even use your Facebook account! Share your worries in our forum, get the latest offers and discounts, receive our monthly newsletter and create your own online guidebook of your favourite places to go! So what are you waiting for? Join the TYA community now!
Come September, most of you will have landed in your chosen destination, making sense of foreign tongues, weird signposts and being somewhere totally different. It can, and will, be overwhelming at first; for some, it will kick in as soon as your parents leave, for others, it might take a week or so for you to realise you’re actually away from what you’re used to.
Homesickness, or a feeling of worry, stress and anguish is not uncommon. Going abroad really is a big deal, it’s all different and you don’t have your friends back home (in most cases) to turn to, if you’ve had a bad day.
Anyone who has embarked on a study abroad programme will tell you it was the best semester/year of their life that they’re stronger for the experience and have returned home with a ton of amazing memories. But coming back home can be as tough as your first few weeks away.
It is completely natural for you to worry about your little ones as they jet off to the other side of the world. With limited communication methods and foreign office guidelines sending you up the wall with panic, you have nightmares of kidnappings and muggings and no way of reaching your baby to keep them safe and sound, as well as keeping you abreast with their new life out there. Or maybe they haven't actually got round to planning anything yet and you're fretting that – horror of horrors - they'll end up living at home for the next year.
Some of these may sound basic, but after many a silly story heard from Year Abroad Grads, we thought we’d give you a heads up on what to do:
1. Take note of important telephone numbers—this roughly translates as home (and if applicable, foreign) universities, organisations (British Council, Erasmus, host company etc...), your home GP, your bank’s stolen cards line and insurance claims hotline.
1. Take note of important telephone numbers—this roughly translates as home (and if applicable, foreign) universities, organisations (British Council, Erasmus, host company etc...), your home GP, your bank’s stolen cards line and insurance claims hotline.
You’ve packed your bag full of clothes, you’ve got your swimsuit and suncream (or overcoat depending on where you’re going), laptop and favourite DVDs, your camera and your passport. You’re all ready for your year abroad. But you feel something may be missing... You still need to pack your books. From proper bookworms to casual readers of the latest best-seller, everyone likes to take a book with them when they go away. I love travel, and I love books, so here are my top 5 books that are about travelling, or that I discovered while on my year abroad...
