How to Prepare for a Study Trip Abroad – 5 great tips!

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” ― Mark Twain

The ‘study trip’ is a relatively new concept in the field of education and only a few educational institutions recognize it officially to be of value to the students and teachers. Those students and teachers who’ve ever been to a study trip abroad have a lot of positive things to share about their experiences. Trips abroad provide students an opportunity to the students to take their learning out of the classroom and to some extent apply that learning in real world. For example, architecture students may plan a trip to Dubai and get a chance to see the world famous modern architecture sites such as Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab and The World – an artificial archipelago made to resemble a world map.

First thing that anyone needs before they begin to plan any trip abroad (whether educational or leisure) is the expanses, permissions and some other complicated formalities. So, it’s not an easy affair that you can carry out without any planning. Sometimes, such trips are organized by universities and students join the program en masse. Such a setting enables the organizers to lower the expenses and sometimes, even to get the subsidies by the government.

Planning Your Trip Abroad

Planning beforehand is the best bet for any trip or vacation and study trip abroad. Many colleges and educational institutes may come up with deadlines and programs for the students to prepare for the study trips like they do to get help with assignments; others may publish recommendations online. But unlike assignments, planning for a trip abroad should begin well ahead of time, i.e. a year or a semester. This gives time to the student to complete all the forms, understand the requirements of being in that country, study the culture and history of the country that is planned for the visit and to take any language course that might be required or prove very helpful in getting the best out of their trip.

Knowing Your Destination

Even if you have started your preparation on the basis of a list handed to you by your school or college, it is better you start making a secondary list of things on your own. There are many things that may be going on in a country that can affect your travel and living plans such as a natural disaster, political upheaval and terrorism. Most of the governments publish travel notices which can prove helpful in knowing the status of your destination.

Knowing the Consular information

The Consulate provides you the details related to travel regulations, criminal laws that you should be aware of, and details related to consulates and consular agencies.

Registering with the Embassy

It is important that you register with the nearest embassy as it will make your location and presence known to the embassy. You may be contacted by your embassy in case it is important to connect with you, i.e. in a case of emergency.

Knowing What is Offered

It is also important that you study carefully what is written in the forms that your school or college want you to sign. The institutions offer guidance and knowledge related to work permissions, study hours and timings. Get information from your school or student advisor related to any offers of remission in travel, living or study expenses.