Pre-departure planning

Your initiative is vital to a successful study abroad program – how involved you become in planning and preparing for your time abroad will directly influence how much you achieve the personal and academic goals you have set for yourself.

There are many ways to prepare for your journey. Visit Web sites and read books about the history, geography and customs of the countries you are visiting; study maps; read newspapers with good international news coverage; and watch videos of the places you'll visit. Check out Web sites to access daily issues of foreign newspapers and for helpful information and advice. Visit the Office of Study Abroad Resource Room where you'll find program evaluations written by previous participants. The International Center Library (in the lobby of the International Center) has a collection of the Let’s Go series and excellent CultureGrams – summary sheets on such topics as the people, customs and courtesies, and lifestyles of countries around the world. The Department of State publishes Background Notes on 170 countries worldwide. These are brief, factual pamphlets with information on each country's people, history, geography, economy, government, and current political situation. MSU’s Global Access Website is a portal to a wealth of information about most countries in the world. Talking with returned study abroad students or international students from the countries you'll visit can provide invaluable insights. Check out the international travel sections of bookstores and purchase one or two good student guides such as Let's Go, Lonely Planet, Berkeley Guides, or Rough Guides. Finally, if you don’t speak the language, learn some key words and phrases. Everyone likes to hear even simple words or phrases in their native tongue.