Top 3 Study-Abroad Tips

From Lauren Bailey:
Having spent about three months in London studying abroad my last semester senior year and then another three months traveling Europe solo, I learned a lot of helpful hints.  Many are detailed in my first few entries of my blog, 6 Months in Europe, but I will try to lay out a few here.  Also, feel free to check out that blog which goes into depth about many places I visited, the must-sees and the eh-it's-okays, as well as some fabulous photographs.

1) The Phone Dilemma: International calls - I left my cell phone at home.  Instead, I set up a skype account and for a very low price purchased skype unlimited US and Canada calling for a 6 month period (also comes in shorter periods).  This allowed me to call from my computer to any US or Canada land line OR cell phone without any cost to the receivers and no extra cost other than the $20 or something I paid for the 6 mo. subscription. 

Furthermore, I also purchased another low priced deal through skype (about $12) for a US phone number - this would allow people to call me back at that number.  If my computer was on, I'd hear it ring and pick it up (sort to speak) like a phone.  If my computer was not on, they could leave a voice mail. 

But a computer is rather bulky to carry around right?  Not anymore.  I purchased an eeePC asus netbook that weighed less than 2 lbs and which I carried with me all over the place.  (Obviously not on day trips from my flat, but if I was ever staying in a hostel and felt worried about its safety, it wasn't a problem to stick it in my bag).  And, it was less than $300 and that was 2 years ago.

Local phone - While in London, I stopped by a Virgin store and purchased a cheap phone that you could add money to online or at any store.  I'm assuming you could do this at a similar outlet anywhere in Europe.  All the people in my program got one which allowed us to keep in touch with each other just to say "meet me at such and such a place at noon."  It would also make international calls (though using up a good bit of the prepaid money) which was good for emergencies.  When my wallet was stolen while I was at a soccer game, I called home to ask my parents to cancel my cards.

2) Couchsurfing - Once I left London I joined the couchsurfing network on couchsurfing.org which allows travelers to stay with locals (on their spare bed or couch) for free in exchange for cultural exchanges and a good time.  I know, this seems very sketchy - but the review system which allows people to leave references for both guests and hosts cannot be deleted and the more positive reviews, the more you can trust your host (or guest).  I did this alone for three months after leaving London.  HOWEVER, the cool thing about this is even if you have somewhere to stay, you can use the network to meet up with locals and see things you never would have seen before.  Or, just meet for coffee and have a real cultural experience with a local. Through different CS groups, you can post a notice like "I'm going to the Louvre tomorrow - anyone want to join?"  One time in France, a guy from Morocco who was in film school in Paris made my friend and me an amazing Moroccan dinner after we met him near the Louvre and had tea with him earlier in the day.

CS will ensure that if you don't want to be alone on an adventure or even for lunch, you don't have to be.  I made lifelong friends through CS and it was one of the best leaps of faith I've ever made.  Even my mother (who is VERY paranoid) got on board after a little while.

3) Explore on your own - pretty self-explanatory, but there is something to be said for figuring out the trains, the streets and the communication on your own.  You will often see things and meet people that an all-American buffer will never allow you.  Foreigners are also much more receptive to lone Americans and I never once felt the disdain that others have said they felt at the hands of American-loathing Europeans.