Hey everyone! As you may or may not know - I moved to another country for Uni, yay! Iām currently living in a dorm and since a few weeks have passed by, I think I could give you some of my first impressions and tips on how to survive that period! Iāll be doing a new masterpost in the future solely on LIVING ABROAD (yikes.) but for now Iāll focus just on the ~*college expirience*~
Note: I am describing my experience abroad but Iām certain that many of you that study in a different town will definitely benefit from this post!
Public transport - okay so wherever you live, your city probably has an app that shows you a map of local bus/tram/train stations. + this for example but you can just enter ā(your city) public transportā into the app store and find what you need
Trip advisor - you donāt have to be a tourist to have this. Itās super useful for finding new places to hang out at, find the closest Italian restaurant, etc. [android + iOS]
Wallet - money managing app, super useful, it letās you set up different accounts - for example your debit card, cash or savings account. This way you get a nice overview on how much you spend and what you spend it on. [android + iOS]
Net Banking - your bank probably has this feature already, so make use of it! Just send an email to your bank assistant and ask about it.
Her - If you are a queer lady like myself, this app can be really useful to meet other queer girls and talk to them and ask for tips how to get around the town if you are not sure how safe it is. You donāt even have to use it as a dating app, thereās an option to say you are in a relationship. [android + iOS]
Tinder - Okay so I know Tinder has a pretty bad rep, but honestly, Iāve met some pretty cool locals on here in a first couple of weeks who stayed friends with me. I didnāt know anyone and this was a really quick way to get to know more people and practice the language while Iām at home! Just make your intentions clear to them and please, stay safe! [android + iOS]
HelloTalk - Iāve talked about this in my german masterpost under the useful apps section so check it out! [android + iOS]
Dictionary - Canāt think of a word but youāre too lazy to google it? Just make sure to install an offline version so you donāt have to always waste your data plan!
Geocaching - A really fun real world treasure hunt (basically pokemon go but more fun). You are given locations all around the town and have to find hidden logs by solving riddles! A great way to discover a new city in ways you wouldnāt usually do. [android + iOS]
Have a budget - Seriously. Have. A. Budget. Before you even arrive to the country where you will be studying, mAKE AN EXCEL SHEET. I cannot stress this enough. Divide your expenses into categories such as: groceries, school, going out, transportation, misc, etc. Determine how much money you plan to spend per MONTH, and then track your expenses per WEEK. Make your first week an experimental one where you try to optimise your spendings but donāt be cheap!! You want to see the average amount you could be spending per week. After that first week - make assessments. Figure out what could be organised better, what was unnecessary, what could be find somewhere else for a lower price, etc. Write everything down and DO THIS EVERY WEEK!!
Scholarships - ask around for scholarships, if you are an international student, ask in your home country as well.
Student job - find out if you need a working permit and ask about every legal detail of it. It could get you into a big trouble if you miss out on something!
Bank savings account if you plan on staying longer than 5 years (otherwise it doesnāt really pay off)
Donāt always eat out, cook - Not only is this a necessary life skill, but it could save you a few bucks as well.
Get your groceries at the flee market. Compare prices as soon as you arrive, donāt be surprised if you have to go to a few shops for a one shopping trip, it could really pay off in the long run.
Make a bank account, donāt keep everything in cash. 1. Itās not safe, 2. Itās too much of a hassle. You can probably get a free bank account for students anywhere (in Europe at least)
Living in a dorm quick tips:
So the thing with a college dorm is - itās not like in the films, but it COULD be pretty fun.
If you are in Europe, your dorm is pretty much going to be like a normal apartment building with students living in it so donāt expect the āopen doorā policy
Your roommate doesnāt have to be your best friend. You donāt even have to be friends. Being civil and human is more than enough. Sometimes it is better to have a relationship that consists of mutual respect and nothing else, rather than forcing it into an emotional mess if you two arenāt compatible. And I donāt even have to mention it - do. not. hook up. with. your. rooommate.
Dorm parties are fun, but being safe and healthy is even better.
Try finding facebook groups of your dorm, they probably have this for organisational purposes. Scroll down the group members and politely ask someone about the place. You have a right to ask this stuff if you are planning to apply for a room, especially since you mostly canāt manage to visit these places before moving in if you will be moving abroad.
Get a student health insurance, in most places in Europe it is about 70e per month
I know itās exciting to finally be able to do it without tiptoeing around your parents but donāt let this make you forget about protecting yourself against STIās and unwanted pregnancy. Here is a useful link. Also here.
Make your own little medicine cabinet BEFORE you get sick. There is nothing worse than having to crawl on your knees to the closest pharmacy
Socialisation - seriously. TALK TO PEOPLE. Talk as much as you can before the harsh reality of college hits you in the face and next thing you know, you donāt have the time to learn funny local idioms with strangers at 3am while eating pizza in front of a museum (this actually happened. best time of my life. also, the pizza was free)
If you are studying in a foreign language, email your professors asking them to send you powerpoint presentations of the lectures that they will be teaching during the first few weeks. Go through them before each lecture. This will not only help you learn the material, but also give you a neat start so you donāt sit in the middle of your Chemistry 01 Lecture wondering what the fuck does die Qualle mean. (hint: it meant jellyfish. the professor made a pun and I spent 10 minutes agonizing about a pun)
Did I mention socialisation?
Try to move 2 weeks before your lectures begin. This way you can explore the city stress free and meet new people!
TALK. TO. PEOPLE. I donāt care if you are shy, just do it! You wonāt regret it I promise.
Make the best of this experience. After all, how many people can say they got the experience of studying abroad?Ā
Go out alone. This video could give you some tips and convince you it is not such a bad thing (btw DamonAndJo are awesome check them out!)
Write down your experience
Take photos! Document as much as you can!
Go to semester opening parties, even if they seem boring, just stay safe!
And most important of all, try to have fun. Donāt stress it too much. It is a once in a lifetime experience and trust me, you will be so happy that you did it!
