This document provides guidance and tips for students studying abroad on various aspects of daily life while overseas. It discusses important items like mandatory orientations, communicating with family back home, using local transportation, living with roommates, shopping for groceries and meals, and engaging with the local community and culture through activities and excursions. The document emphasizes maintaining open communication, respecting cultural differences and roommate preferences, exploring safely, and making the most of the overseas experience through goal setting and challenge seeking.

1. Part 6: While Abroad

2. Part 6: While Abroad
• Your arrival in your host country
• Calling home
• Meals
• Local transportation
• Travel
• Information technology
• Tips for daily life
• Activities and excursions
• Service
• The Office of Global Studies 8
Rules for Success Abroad
We’ve told you all about the steps
you need to take before your
semester abroad begins, but what
about life after you actually get
there?

3. While Abroad: Mandatory Orientations
All on-site orientation activities are mandatory!
• If you miss an orientation activity, you will be put on probation for the
remainder of the program – it’s that important!

4. While Abroad: Calling Home
• Make sure you set up a communication plan with
friends and family. Discuss how, and approximately
how frequently, you will call them. You may not be
able to call every day and it’s important to manage the
communication expectations to avoid unnecessary
worry and concern.
• Most importantly, make sure to call your loved ones
to let them know that you arrived safely at your
destination!
While abroad, it may be more difficult to find time to
keep contact with friends & family back home. But
even with the time zone differences and busy
schedules, you can and should still keep in touch.
Here are some basics to remember:

5. Arrival: Calling Home
International Dialing Tutorial
• Calling from the U.S.
– Dial 011 for international access
– Follow with country code:
• http://www.countrycallingcodes.com/
• Italy: +39
• France: +33
• Spain: +34
– City/area code
• Calling to the U.S.
– Dial 001 for international access/country code, followed by the area code and
number
• Don’t forget about time differences
• Be aware of high international calling rates!

6. While Abroad: Living with Roommates
For many students, studying abroad will be their first time living with
a roommate. Even if you’ve had roommates before, living abroad
with your fellow travelers can bring new stresses (and new
excitement!) to the roommate experience. Here are a few tips for
the inexperienced:
• Being a roommate requires honesty about the things that matter
to you, but also a willingness to compromise.
• Remember that everyone’s pretty much in the same situation –
and utilize your program leaders when you feel you need help
working out an issue.
• If you have a concern, address it early on. Roommate issues
are usually much easier to deal with if you don’t let them escalate.

7. While Abroad: Common Roommate Issues
• Personality Issues
– Being roommates doesn’t have to mean being best friends.
– There are many different types of personalities and many types of
roommate relationships.
– Roommates who want to find a way to get along almost always will,
as long as they’re respectful and considerate.
• Pet Peeves
– Do you need absolute quiet when you’re studying? Lights out at
midnight? Hate it when people touch your stuff or sit on your bed?
Everyone has pet peeves, but they’re often only magnified when
you’re abroad and living with new people.
– Be honest about your pet peeves. Set boundaries. Compromise.
These are the keys to successful roommate relationships.

8. Residence Life Guidelines
• Read all the residence rules that apply to students living in a university
residence at your host school. Consult your on-site exchange program
staff if you have any questions.
• It’s important to speak with your roommates at the beginning of the
semester and discuss any ground rules or requests you might have.
Remember, it’s okay to have pet peeves, but your roommates won’t
know yours unless you share them!
• Because you’re in a study abroad program, it’s much more difficult to
accommodate roommate changes. That means it’s even more
important to try to find an amicable solution to disputes.

9. Living Abroad: Local Transportation
• You will be given more detailed information about local metro services at each of
the on-site orientations.
• Use public transportation whenever possible
– Planes, trains, and NO automobiles – take the bus!
• More Americans are injured in traffic accidents abroad than by any other
incident. Make sure that you stay alert!
You will be responsible for local transportation.
Be sure to budget!
Doing and seeing all of the incredible things you set out to on your
abroad experience will most likely require you to do some, well,
traveling. It’s kind of unavoidable – we just ask that you remember to
be smart and safe about the way you do it. The good news is that, in
most of our locations, that’s pretty easy.

10. While Abroad: Tips for Daily Life
• Grocery stores, department stores, and restaurants – may be available in each
of the cities you’ll be studying in, but they may not keep the hours you’re used
to, so plan your shopping
(and meals) accordingly.
• Find out the hours and days of
operation for local restaurants
and shops when you arrive.
• Be polite! Many businesses are
family-owned. Walking into a shop
can be just like walking
into someone’s home. Introduce
yourself in the local language!
• Use non-verbal communication when necessary. Most business owners will be
more than happy to try to work with you when there’s a language barrier – as
long as you’re friendly and polite!

11. The OGS 8
The Office of Global Studies 8 Rules for Success Abroad
1. Learn – It’s study abroad (‘nuff said). And get to know your
professors – they have a ton of different and fascinating experiences.
2. Serve – Service is the core of SJU’s Vincentian mission. Get to know
the people and the culture by giving back and giving of yourself.
3. Speak – Learn 10 words in each language you encounter. Start with
“hello,” “please,” and “thank you”
• Extra Credit: Make it 10 phrases! (“How are you?” “Nice to meet
you”)
4. Eat – Try at least 5 new foods in every country, even if you start
simple – a new flavor of potato chips. And don’t be afraid of escargot –
it’s delicious!

12. The OGS 8
The Office of Global Studies 8 Rules for Success Abroad
5. Befriend – Talk to the locals. Make it a point to have at least a 5-
minute conversation with someone from each city.
6. Get Lost – Guidebooks and websites are great, but why not come up
with your own places to recommend? Get lost in a safe part of town
and truly explore. Let us know what you discover!!
7. Expect “different” – Abroad is different. But different does not mean
worse or inferior, though you may feel like that sometimes. Try to
cherish those opportunities to learn and expand your comfort zone.
8. Plan – It goes quickly. Be sure to set goals for your time away, then
take steps to actually meet them.