Tips and Tricks

Finding a Program

I had debated through many programs as I was unsure of where exactly I wanted to go. Quite frankly, destination is not the only factor that comes into choosing a program.

The duration and time of the year had come into play. If I had attended in the fall, there would have been fewer tourists, cooler weather, and cheaper costs, and I would have been able to celebrate my birthday in Italy! However, I chose to go during the spring. Although I wasn't able to celebrate my birthday in Italy, I was able to live in Italy with a significantly low number of tourists and stay there longer for longer with a slightly higher cost.

Do not think just because it's Italy that it doesn't get cold there. Almost during the entire month of January, it rained in Verona. It was very cold and I had brought mostly summer clothes. The nice thing about going for the spring semester is that it does eventually warm up! A nice attribute about staying in the spring is that summer is right after the last day, so if you want to stay longer, your tourist visa will automatically kick in!

Cost is always one of the most important factors when choosing a program. The program I eventually ended up choosing was the USAC Verona program. A few years ago, I vacationed in Italy and visited Verona. I loved the size of the city, the local history, and that it wasn't as much of a tourist destination. Since there are fewer tourists, the costs of living there are slightly lower than if I were to go to Rome.

Another important aspect was accessibility to travel, Verona had its own airport, and since I was in the northern part of the country, I was able to visit neighboring countries such as Germany and Austria via train.

The University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) was the company I had decided to go through because it was affordable, was in a great location for side travel, and there weren't as many tourists! USAC also offers many other programs in many different countries! The staff are kind and very helpful to help you get to your dream study abroad destination. Click here to search what USAC has to offer!

Funding

Studying abroad is and can get very expensive! Here are some simple tips on helping to earn and when to save and splurge money!

Earn

Scholarships are a great way to earn money that can be used towards tuition, housing, or personal spending! A scholarship I earned was the Gilman Scholarship, which helped me pay for my housing and utilities! Click here to learn more about it!
Fundraising is a great opportunity to gain donations or make money on products, such as selling art, bake sales, garage sales, etc.
Working or getting a summer job to help gain your own money towards your study abroad.

Save vs. Splurge

Shopping, especially in European countries, is very tempting and it's okay to spend money on those types of things! I bought clothes, souvenirs, and other random objects. However, it's important to remember that you have limited space in your suitcase! I knew I was going to buy clothes and a bunch of souvenirs, so I took clothes that were still nice looking but knew that is wouldn't wear them back home or didn't care enough to bring them back home. A major saving tip (in my opinion) to help save money is not buying tours when visiting cities. If you're like me who likes to take your time and go at your own pace, tours will not be for you. The only time to spend money on a tour is when a place is not specifically open or it is busy. For example, some friends and I went to Rome for Easter, but the Saturday before, the Vatican and Colosseum were closed as they were preparing for celebrations. I was not too bothered by not going in since I had seen these sites, but a couple of my friends bought tours and they were able to go inside and see these sites, but their tours were 100 euros for each person.

Student Visa

A student visa is a government-issued document that is granted by a consulate or embassy. A student visa was one of the hardest steps of studying abroad as there are multiple documents required and the process takes time. Here are some tips to help you obtain your student visa without going through the complications I had to go through!

Make your appointment/send your materials to your designated consulate at least two months before your departure date. Two months allows for processing time as well and if there are any mistakes in your application, you have time to fix them and send the materials back. The visa issuing process takes a couple of weeks which is why it's nice to have a "cushion" of time.
Make multiple copies of the documents required! Usually, the consulate will ask for 2 copies of each document, but I made three or four just in case, as well as a copy for my family in case anything happened and took a copy with me!
If you have an in-person appointment, dress and act professionally.
Mail-in applications can also be possible if you have an honorary consulate in your state! This was the process I went through and it was rather simple!
Triple-check your application! The consulate can decline your application for any simple mistake. I got mine sent back as I forgot to sign the very last page of my application.
Check with your university's study abroad office if they have any resources or tips they can give you to ensure your visa application process goes smoothly!
Your visa is like a sticker in your passport. It is very important to keep your passport or a copy of it and the visa with you in case you are questioned for any reason.

Resources:

Where to Apply for a Schengen Visa

How to Apply for a Schengen Visa

Los Angeles Consulate for Italy: Homepage

Los Angeles Consulate for Italy: Schengen Visa for Study

Packing

Packing can be a bit stressful as there are so many things that you think you need to take! Maybe this can be a guide for what to and what not to take!

Italy may seem like summer all the time, but it can actually get very cold! I recommend taking a couple of sweatshirts and a trench coat (Mostly fall/winter travel).
Clothing that is easy to layer.
A couple of pairs of jeans, a swimsuit, and basic clothes you can wear with multiple different outfits.
Business casual clothing.
To lighten your load for when you are coming back, take clothes and shoes that you don't mind leaving behind!
Socks, socks, socks! Underwear, underwear, underwear! Washing clothes is a lot different there and often takes a day or two to dry your clothes as many places do not have dryers!
If you like nightlife, take cute night outfits! European clubs and bars are large social events and you'll never know who you'll meet!
You will not be traveling all the time! Comfortable clothes, such as t-shirts, sweatpants, and shorts are perfect to take when you are hanging around your residence.
Try not to take or wear out expensive jewelry. Petty theft is very common in high tourist areas and it is not worth losing a piece that's expensive or meaningful.
Do NOT take heels! Cobblestone streets tend to have large gaps. Instead, take a nice pair of tennis shoes and a pair of boots (black combat boots are perfect).
Electric outlets are different! Take multiple converters and prepare for the outlets to change when going to different countries as well (ex. England).
Crossbody bags, smaller purses, and fanny packs are very helpful! You want to make sure that the bag is close enough to your body to prevent theft.
You do NOT need to pack full-sized toiletries! They sell most of the same products there!
Take your favorite foods from home! American snacks will come in helpful when you're missing home!
Books. I recommend taking one or two. You'll mostly be reading in downtime or when traveling.
A water bottle. You'll be thirsty. Trust me.

For shopping, fair warning, European sizes tend to be smaller so pack appropriately if you tend to wear bigger sizes! I am an XL and it was rare to find clothes my size!

Filling your suitcase up with things you'll use, such as food, medications, or things you use daily and throw out will be helpful for when you're coming back as you'll have room to bring back souvenirs and other things you bought there!

Taking Care of Family While Abroad

Your family is going to miss you while you're away, so you have to make sure to take into consideration their feelings and emotions, but you also don't want them to text and call all the time! Try these out:

Discuss with your parents a schedule to call. For me, I would video call my parents every Friday.
Sending a picture a day to show them that you're okay! It also allows them to see the sites you're seeing.
Share your location! You don't have to share it all the time, but sharing it when you're traveling outside of your program city will ensure you're parents that you're okay!

Side Travel

Europe is a great place to visit other cities and countries as they tend to be fairly close! Along with close proximity, traveling around Europe can actually be fairly cheap! With these available resources, I was able to visit England, Greece, Germany, and Austria! Below are different sites that make traveling around Europe easier!

Skyscanner (flight)

Ryanair (flight)

Wizz Air (flight)

Air Dolomiti (flight)

Lufthansa (flight)

Flixbus (bus)

Omio (train, bus, flight, and ferry)

Rome2Rio (train, bus, flight, and ferry)

Trenitalia (train; specific to Italy)

Airbnb (place to stay)

Most of these sites have apps! Downloading the apps makes for easier travel and keeps your tickets safe. When I traveled, the apps I most commonly used were Luftansa (which also operates under United Airlines), Omio, Trenitalia, and Airbnb!

Solo Travel

Solo traveling is a great experience and really allows growth of independence and responsibility. It also allows you to go on all the adventures you want to go on in a specific place! The place I traveled to alone was Venice. Although Venice is not far from Verona, I thought it was a perfect solo trip because of the distance and I went during Carnival time so there were more tourists and activities to do. Using the Trenitalia and Airbnb apps made my trip easier as train tickets tend to get more expensive the longer you wait and booking a place to stay was easier instead of booking through a hotel.

Being Abroad and a Student

While studying abroad is fun, like going out and visiting other places, you are still a student, and the grades will matter! Depending on what university you decide to attend, the grading system may differ. With my school, it ran on an American grading scale. However, some classes barely had assignments and the only grade that really counted was midterm and final. Because of this, attendance is pretty important, so try not to miss too much class!

Try to stay organized! This was the biggest help when keeping up with my studies. Try to also not procrastinate! If you do your work beforehand, you can travel more or have more free time to discover your program city. Your schooling is always first!

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