Research and Lists: How to Set Yourself up for a Fun Study Abroad Experience

Studying abroad has always been a family dream in my household — my sister couldn’t because of her class schedules and my brother tried, but was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, when I got the acceptance email to IES Abroad's Italy Today program in Milan, not only was I ecstatic but my family was too. As the third kid and first one in my family to study abroad, it’s super exciting but also extremely nerve wracking. I’ve always had footsteps to follow. Now, this is completely my own journey. 

Going into study abroad preparations, I felt overwhelmed because I had no idea where to start — it can be an overwhelming process to navigate alone as there are so many forms, deadlines, and materials to worry about as well as make sure you have before you leave. To help, I created a checklist based off of the IES Abroad Predeparture Guide of things I needed to get done, buy, or save up for leading up to the start of the program. This is something that I highly recommend anyone studying abroad to do right away and continue to add to throughout the pre-departure process as it’ll keep you organized and set you up for a strong start going into your program. 

Another component of study abroad that was a bit stressful for me too was figuring out the finances of living abroad. Luckily for me, in the IES Abroad Predeparture Guide, there is a budgeting section that outlines the prices of activities and necessities in Milan. This helped me figure out what I was willing to spend on when I’m abroad, how much I’m going to be spending on a weekly basis, and the amount I needed to save up. 

A key tip for those who don’t know how much to save: take the amount you’ll be spending on a weekly basis, multiply it by the amount of weeks you’ll be abroad, and then add about $2,000 to it. You’ll want to make sure that you have enough money either for emergencies or for some extra fun. 

Studying abroad is meant to be a fun growing experience, but your safety and wellbeing should be at the forefront when making the decision of where to go. Checking in with what support resources the study abroad program offers is important too in case of any emergencies as well as researching on whether or not the place you want to study abroad is safe for you. As an Asian-American, queer-identifying person I made sure to research how receptive Milan is to the LGBTQIA+ community and Asian diaspora. Luckily for me, I found that Milan is home to one of the largest Asian diasporic communities in Europe and that it’s recognized as a gay-friendly destination.  

It’s important to be practical when preparing for study abroad as you don’t want to forget any essentials or miss deadlines. For me, I’ve been really honed in making sure my living abroad finances are in line and that I have enough saved. In the beginning of the process, I became tunnel-visioned in checking things off my pre-departure list that I started not looking forward to going because the process became too much of a chore. 

So, to combat this, I started creating another, more fun list — a bucket list. In this I’ve marked places I want to travel to, activities I want to participate in, and other goals like becoming friends with local students. Not only has this brought back the excitement of studying abroad for me, but it’ll also help me make the most of my experience. However, as I’ve learned from my pre-departure preparations, don’t be stuck in the list! I can’t perfectly outline the best study abroad experience because I don’t know what to expect! So, yes, create the lists and do the research, but also be open to spontaneity and changes.