Do you fancy studying abroad but not sure where to start? 
Travelling abroad for the first time can be challenging for most people… even for the most adventurous! So here we give you some useful tips to help you on this new adventure:

· Make sure you have insurance; to cover any emergency medical problems. What’s more, don’t forget your medicines as they might not even exist in the country you’re travelling to.

· Familiarize yourself with local laws and customs of the country you’ll be travelling to. Some behaviors might be seen as unruly and remember, that while you’re in a foreign country, you are subject to its laws!

· Be open to different cultural behaviors as every country has its peculiarities!. For example, in Spain they greet each other with two kisses and this can be surprising for northern Europeans!

· Before you go, look into setting up a bank account that doesn’t have international ATM fees. Also try to arrive with some of the currency of the country just in case you encounter any problems

· Figure out the cheapest way to call your parents and friends back home. Free services e.g. Skype and Whatsapp are probably the best options. However, you’ll want to be able to communicate without internet connection too, so either buy a cheap prepaid phone or figure out an abroad phone plan with your current provider.

· Don’t bring EVERYTHING you need from back home, you can buy stuff in your new country (and sometimes you can get things cheaper than in your own country anyway!)

· Make your flight home flexible. Why would you limit your stay at the end of your course? You might not feel like this to begin with… but once you’re finished, there might things you’ve discovered along the way that you’d love to do before you go home.

· Try to hang out with people who ARE NOT from your home country. This can be especially difficult for some people… But the only way to truly get out of your comfort zone is to make friends from all around the world!

· Make a valid attempt to learn the language of the country and, if you have the chance, get to know the locals. They might not be as eager to know you as the international students, but remember you are in their city and no one knows it better than the locals themselves!

· Take risks (not too many!) and say YES to every opportunity. You don’t know when you’ll be repeating this amazing experience again so make the most of it. The biggest risk is not taking the risk to begin with.

· If you want to find out more about internship opportunities in Valencia then click here to take a look at our Internship programs.

Or if you need some guidance on how to choose the right internship? Check out our blog. (How to Choose the Right Internship Abroad?)