1. Study Abroad Orientation
For Students studying abroad spring 2019

2. Pre-Departure

3. Before Leaving Campus Contact your advisor
Make plans to apply for graduation
Settle financial aid/scholarship details
Make arrangements for housing upon return
Make plans for enrollment for the following semester
Substitutions and approvals

4. Before leaving the U.S. Do you have a valid passport?
Is it valid the entire time you are abroad?
Do you have a visa (if applicable)?
Did you make a copy of your passport and visa?
Leave a copy at home too!
Did you read and understand all information provided by the CIEA office?

5. Before leaving the U.S.
Did you return all required forms to the CIEA office and the host institution?
Did you make a list of credit card numbers and phone numbers in case you lose your information or it is stolen?
Did you enroll in STEP?

6. What is STEP? Smart Traveler Enrollment Program
STEP is a free service to allow U.S. citizens traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
Benefits
Receive info from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country
Help your family and friends be able to get in touch with you incase of emergency
step.state.gov

7. Health Abroad

8. Medical/safety issues
Consult your physician prior to departure
Obey the laws of the host country
Do not do drugs!! Jail or other consequences are a hefty price to pay
Beware and be smart with alcohol consumption!

9. Medical/safety issues
Did you carefully read the information provided by the State Department and the CDC?
Make sure to take with you sufficient amounts of prescription medicine
Carry your prescriptions with you
Make sure all of your vaccinations are up to date

10. Medical/safety issues
Protection
Play safe!
Birth control
Safe sex
Sexual behavior accepted in the U.S. is not necessarily accepted in other countries
You are now a grown up, with much greater freedom and responsibilities
If you are lucky enough to click with someone, be prepared! Make sure one of you is wearing something—and we don’t mean socks…

11. Tips for Your Time Abroad

12. Useful tips Read about the country you are visiting in advance
Learn basics about local customs
Attempt to blend in with the culture
Avoid acting too “American” (avoid white socks, bright colors, baggy jeans, etc)
Travel light—practice packing and carrying!
Space bags
Layer clothes
What should you bring?
Hiking backpack for weekend trips
Tough shoes

13. Useful tips Do not carry anything for anybody
Do not ever leave baggage unattended
Cell phone: check with your provider!
Emergency phone numbers
Avoid spending all of your time with fellow American students

14. Useful tips
Diversify your money (ATM cards, credit cards, small amounts of cash)
Credit card is usually best
Best to bring 2 cards just incase
Don’t flash the cash
Write down credit card number and bank phone numbers, incase they need to be cancelled
Also leave a copy of this at home
Electricity is on a different system
Buy adaptors
Buy in country
Use common sense!

15. Academic information
You are participating in an academic program, you are not on vacation!
Bargain airfares are not an excuse to miss class!
Grades are transferred into your GPA
Pass/Fail must be requested within the first month of your program as detailed in the Truman catalog

16. Academic information
If courses you signed up for are not offered, do not panic! Contact the CIEA Office
Keep an open mind. There are different academic systems and ways of learning
Relationships between teachers and students are not the same abroad
Textbooks are rarely required

17. Once you have arrived Call home! Tell your family where you are!
Make sure they know you are safe!
The CIEA office will be checking in on you to see how you are adjusting. Please reply honestly!
Beware of pickpockets
Acquaint yourself with your new surroundings and have a great time!
Ask about doing a Snapchat takeover to show others around your city!

18. Arriving and Returning Home
Culture shock
1. Application Anxiety
New opportunity
Under and overestimate potential adjustment problems
2. Selection/Arrival Fascination
High expectations
Activity heavy
3. Initial Culture Shock
Changes in sleeping habits
Disorientation
Meeting people from other cultures
Foreign language comprehension

19. 4. Surface Adjustment
Settling in
Language basics improve
Meet new friends, learn the area with them
5. Mental Isolation
Frustration
Lack of motivation
6. Integration/ Acceptance
Comfortable with class style and friends
Create a new “home” in this place
7. Return Anxiety
Not wanting to leave new “home”, new friends
Fear those at home will not understand, guilt
8. Shock/Reintegration
Adjusting back to home/Truman life
Not able to accurately describe depth of their experience to friends
Use experience to your advantage in your “new” home life

20. Contact info
– CIEA Office
– State Department
– CDS