A Survival Guide to Studying Abroad (part 1)
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Making the decision to study abroad is easy. You have the excitement and expectation on your side. But actually, leaving your home town, saying goodbye to friends and family, checking everything out on your todo list, making sure that you are not missing on any important documents, and adapting to a new culture and potentially learning a new language, well, this is the hard part.
Fortunately, I am here to take the guessing away in this survival guide on doing your mobility in Romania. In the first part we will talk about the preparation: the ideal mindset to have, a checklist for your move abroad, finding housing in Romania, expectations versus reality. In the second part we will touch subjects such as how to adjust to the Romanian culture, how to meet new people, tips on how to study and keep on top of things, plus some practical tips on learning the language. Most of the tips are aimed at moving to Romania, but you could use this guide at any time you will go and study abroad. Let’s start!
1. Your Ideal Mindset
You made it! You took the decision to study abroad, chose the destination, university, already applied, got your answer and now you’re here. Congratulations! You might be feeling overwhelmed and excited for this new challenging adventure, or even anxious and worried. It’s normal. The most important part is to take things easy, one at a time. Become familiar with your new environment, go for walks, call your family and friends, buy some things for your new home.
I know you want to go out there and become friends with everyone from the first day, stay on top of all the study material, and don’t miss out on anything. But you have plenty of time for everything! Adjust, relax and take in every day as it comes.
2. The Ultimate Checklist
If you are an organized person, this will come very easy for you. Make a checklist with everything you need before your moving abroad, and in the first weeks. Here are some examples:
academical documents, such as admissions letters, diploma, a copy of your ID, photos that you might need for your new student ID a copy of your school curriculum travel tickets to Romania --> make sure to check out this discussion topic about travelling by train in Romania (travel insurance + medical records (any prescribed medication if you need) essentials for your new place studying necessities (notebooks, pens, laptop) you signed up with your OLS account - if you are here, this step is completed!
3. How to Find Housing
Usually, students choose to live in a student dorm which is often arranged through the university. Alternatively, there are student houses, where a group of students will share the cost of a flat and live together. Here’s a more in depth blog post to finding accommodation as an Erasmus student in Romania.
4. Expectations vs Reality
You’ll miss home
Reality - you will miss home a little, but you will probably be too excited for this new opportunity. Time moves fast and, before you know, you will be back home.
Making a lot of international friends
The truth is, in the beginning, you will mostly hang out with people from your geographical area that you have things in common with. Give it some time and you will expand your circle! You can use the tips in this blog article on How to make friends during your mobility in Romania.
Learning and mastering the local language instantly
Unless you are a linguistic expert, becoming fluent in a new language takes time. Here, on OLS, we give you the resources to make your Romanian language learning journey easier and more enjoyable, so don’t miss out on the courses, forums and participating in the discussion topics! Remember, practice makes perfect, and engaging in forum discussions is exactly the practice you need!
I will be traveling every weekend and exploring everything
Reality: you will need time to adjust to your new home. Studying abroad could be overwhelming and you exhausting at times. Your daily routine will look something like going to classes, buying groceries, studying, cleaning, meeting friends and so on. This doesn’t mean you will never have time! Usually, students take some time to travel at the end of the semester and you might even find a nice group of people to go with. There are also public holidays that you could take advantage of and travel somewhere new for 2-3 days.
If you want some more inspiration for your wanderlust, here is a blog post for you: The Ultimate Romanian Bucket List.
There it is - your survival guide to moving abroad! Hope it was helpful and stay tuned for part 2 where we will touch subjects such as how to adjust to the new culture, how to meet new people, studying tips and some practical tips on learning Romanian.
Roxana, OLS Community Manager – Romanian
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