Post-Arrival Checklist To Follow Upon Reaching Your Study Abroad Destination

Once you have landed in your study-abroad destination, there are a set of checklists which you should follow at the airport and when arriving at your student accommodation. Each checklist serves a purpose that will go on to enhance your study abroad experience; thus, ensure all of them are ticked off accordingly. Here are the details:

Things to do Upon Arrival- Airport Edition

1. Contact your Family: Once you’ve landed at the airport, use the airport Wi-Fi to connect with your friends and family to let them know that you have landed safely and reached your destination.
   
   
2. Convert your money: It is important to exchange your currency with the local currency. There are multiple foreign money exchange booths available in the airport to assist you in this matter. You will require this money when travelling to your accommodation or buying anything in this new country (food, books, etc). You should preferably have conducted this task pre-departure, but in an emergency, you could use the airport exchange services as well.
   
   
3. Have your documents in hand: Always have your documents in hand, such as your visa, passport, university enrollment letter, etc., in case the immigration officials enquire for the same.
   
   
4. Choose a transport facility: You will have to seek the assistance of a transport facility to reach your university/accommodation. There are multiple options to choose from, such as hailing a taxi, cabs, airport buses and shuttles. At times, a few universities also arrange for a pick-up facility for international students upon request. (Examples include the University of Melbourne, Queen Mary University of London, RMIT University, etc.).
   
   

Things to do Upon Arrival- University Edition

1. Arrive at your student accommodation: Upon reaching your university, check into your accommodation. Set up your space accordingly and analyse if anything else is required to be bought by you (examples include extra bedsheets, bathroom facilities, etc.).
   
   
2. Attend the academic induction session: The university will have an academic induction session to welcome international students. This session aims to help overseas students learn better about the university, understand their class schedule, learn about the educational facilities, etc.
   
   
3. Attend the International student clearance session: Most study-abroad destinations will require students to schedule an international student clearance session where the latter will be asked to submit certain documents such as passport, etc. In the UK, this is a mandatory post-arrival action to conduct. Upon completion of this, students will receive other university-related materials such as ID cards, etc.
   
   
4. Collect your ID card: Ensure you collect your ID card as soon as you start your academic sessions. Your ID card serves a bigger purpose, such as getting discounts when travelling on public transport, access to rent library books, etc.
   
   
5. Purchase any related expenses: Check your university and accommodation needs. Make a list of anything that is required to be purchased before your classes start. This includes buying an extra sweater, additional notebooks, etc.
   
   
6. Join student groups/communities: Participating in extra-curricular activities is important as it enhances your learning experience outside the four walls of a classroom, too. On-campus you will find multiple student groups, clubs and communities which you can join to enhance your overall learning experience at your chosen university.
   
   
7. Take a tour of the campus: Once you’re on-campus, take the time to explore the same. See how the classroom setup is, where are the student support services department, and what academic amenities the university provides, such as library spaces, well-equipped laboratories, etc.
   
   
8. Apply for a part-time job: You will need additional income to survive at your new university. You will have a few academic and personal expenses to cater to. Thus, it is advised to apply for part-time jobs. Please keep in mind that you can only apply for the latter once your academic sessions start.
   
   

Apart from the above, there are a few generic checklists which you need to keep in mind as you kickstart your new academic journey in a new country.

1. Buy a local sim: Purchase a local sim and an internet pack to make communication easy between your friends there and family back at home. You can avail of the local sim by submitting a valid ID card.
   
   
2. Open a bank account: International students should create a bank account to make it easy to store money digitally. With this bank account, you can receive money from different sources, such as money received from your parent or via part-time jobs. Ensure you also apply for a debit card to conduct all your purchases abroad.
   
   
3. Explore your new location frequently: Take a tour of your locality to understand where you can find the following: nearest medical stores, hospitals, local shops to purchase essential items, restaurants, etc.
   
   
4. Learn the local language: Learn the local language as it can benefit you in two ways, one being easy communication with the local residents and second being learning a new language can enhance your resume and let you apply to companies there without worrying about language restrictions.
   
   
5. Be open to living with new cultures: You will be surrounded by a diversity of cultures when pursuing your academic studies abroad. It is wise to have an open mind when engaging with them and put in efforts to learn about their culture.
   
   
6. Safeguard your important documents: As an international student, you will have multiple documents that you need to safeguard. This includes student visa proof, study abroad admit documents, letters of approval of the admission officer, international student clearance documents and many more. It is better to store these documents in a file and keep it in a safe place. Apart from having a physical copy of these documents, ensure you also have a soft copy in your email to avoid any mishaps.
   
   
7. Keep a financial/expense journal: You will have multiple expenses to cater to, such as food, groceries, transport, book materials, and many more. It is always better to have a financial journal to analyse where your money is going so that arranging finances for your expenses becomes easy. This also helps align your expenses in a way where all necessary costs are being catered to timely. Regularly updating this journal helps eliminate unwanted expenses and frames your financial expense structure better.
   
   
8. Breathe through the process: You will face homesickness and find it difficult to adjust to the culture shock. Learn to breathe when the situation gets tough. Always remember why you made the decision to enter a new country. Adjusting to any new place will take time, but what makes it easy is the friends you make and your decision to be open-minded to learn new things.
   
   
9. Keep a list of emergency contacts: Being safe in a new country is important. It is always better that students keep a list of emergency contacts in case of any situation. This could include the local police, ambulance, university care team or equivalent. Students can access these emergency contacts via the university’s official website.