Checklist: Things to Do During Your First Week Abroad

You made it!

You successfully packed up most of your life, your flight connections all connected, and you are in your new home!

Now you can’t wait to visit local cafes, stroll the streets, and meet new friends.

There is also a good possibility that you are feeling wonderful (if not a little jet-lagged), and you can’t wait for your adventures to begin.

What you do during your first few days abroad will be the foundation of a successful experience in your new home.

Here are the things that you should do during your first week abroad.

Contact your family

You probably will do this before you arrive at the gate while you are still on the plane in your host country.  However, this is a nice reminder that your family and friends all have a vested interest in hearing that you arrived safely.

Spend at least four hours alone

Many students study abroad with friends, but it is important to remember that your study abroad experience is exactly that – your experience.  How you define “four hours alone” is up to you.

I do encourage it to be free of social media and full of true interaction with your host city.

Take a walk around the block, read at a café, go to an art gallery, gorge yourself on a dessert of your choosing – it doesn’t matter what the activity is, but make sure that you are okay being with you in your new surroundings.

(Keep in mind – I didn’t say that you should walk alone at night, go someplace without telling anyone, drink by yourself in a closet, or other not so great ideas.)

Speaking of telling people where you are going, you should…

Get to know your roommates

No matter who your roommates are – yourself, a host family, a literal roommate (yay limited personal space), or housemates – you should spend some time in the first week getting to know them.  

Think of this as freshman year all over again.  

You might find new travel partners, and if you live with a host family, you have some people who can show you their city!

Either way, these are the people who are going to be there during your really great days and during your really down days.  

Who knows, they might be there to bail you out if you lose your debit card.

Situate your room

The first week of any new situation is a blur – there are meetings and requirements and pretty soon your brain is exhausted.  What is more exhausting than coming back to your room and seeing all of your worldly possessions still in a suitcase?

Depending on your arrival time, it might be beneficial to power through your jet lag and make your room feel like home.  And, after making your bed, you can nap if you need to, just as long as you…

Attend all orientation events

If your program offers orientation activities and events, attend them.  Plain and simple.  There will likely be information about your upcoming semester, housing, a tour of the neighborhood, a safety presentation, the emergency contact number for an administrator, and more.  

Yes, you will be jet-lagged.  

Yes, you will probably want to skip it.  

No, you shouldn’t miss it.

Finalize your residency

This will not apply to all countries, nor will it apply to all students.  For many countries (some if you’re staying more than 90 days, some if you’re staying at all), you will have to work with local government agencies to get a temporary residency permit or a visa.  

It is your responsibility to research if you will need a permit; depending on your type of program, your host university study abroad advisor or program provider might help you obtain this permit.

Locate important places in relation to your housing

In addition to locating the important places, make sure you know the contact information of each place as well.  Now is a great time to know and memorize the emergency number for your area!  

Examples of important places that you should know within the first week: U.S. Embassy (or the embassy of your home country), local police station, a health clinic (for non-emergencies), a hospital, a grocery store, a bank with an ATM, a pharmacy, public transportation, your university.  

Notice I didn’t say anything about bars or restaurants.  Trust me, you will find them without trying too hard.

Meet at least five new people

Now that you have already gotten to know your roommates, expand your social circle!  Talk to some people about how their travels were.  Ask what they are studying.  See if anyone else has a hankering to visit that food truck on the street.  This is the time that you should also…

Meet at least one person not from your country

This is really important.  While it is helpful to get to know others who came from your home country, the point of studying abroad is to meet others with differing backgrounds and perspectives (oh, and attending classes… Please attend your classes).

If you meet someone from your host city, great!  If you meet someone from a different country, even better!  Have some meaningful interactions, and pretty soon you will be able to add another place to visit to your list (with the hope that they will then come and visit you back at home).

Explore your city

Grab a friend, a map, a camera, and set out!  This is your new city – play tourist for a day (or two).  If you have an entire weekend free once you arrive, take advantage of delving into the city beneath its exterior.

Wander down side streets.

Meander through markets.

Tour some museums.

Visit local religious sites (dressed appropriately, of course).

Just see what there is to see in your city.  Who knows what new adventures await?

What did you do during your first week abroad?  Share in the comments below!

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Related:
4 Mistakes to Avoid While Traveling
An Open Letter to Students Departing for Study Abroad
The “What the Hell Have I Done” Moment
Study Abroad Guide: Prepare for Anything
15 Truths of Studying Abroad