With a different culture, lots of administrative procedures, and in some cases a whole new language to contend with, the first few weeks of your exchange or placement can often be the most challenging. The more research you do in advance, the more prepared you'll be for those initial few weeks, and the easier you'll find it to adapt your lifestyle to suit your new environment.
This section covers some key aspects that you should research and directs you to resources where you can find more information about each of them.
Good sources of information for all the following topics are:
- Your host institution’s website and fact sheet
- Guide books for anything from practical information about what kind of clothing to pack, through to must see sights and experiences
- Other students – connect with students who have been away before on our Go Abroad Facebook group or read our student exchanges blogs. For students going on an exchange you can connect with your peers through the Discord channel.
Visit our Go Abroad Facebook group
Read our student exchanges blog
You'll find lots more detailed information about particular pre-departure planning elsewhere on these pages.
Administrative and government processes may not function the way you are used to in the UK. In some places, registering and making appointments for various things may take much longer than you're used to. This can be frustrating, but ultimately there isn't usually much you can do to speed things up. Try to accept this, and build in more time.
Make sure you bring multiple photocopies of all important documents and forms of identification, and keep electronic/scanned files of these for ease of access. You may also want to bring a few passport-sized photographs, as you may need these to apply/register for things that you wouldn't need them for at home!
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Living in country guides is a helpful starting point for this information.
View the Living in country guides
Key questions:
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Is there a formal registration process when I move to the city/country where I am on exchange?
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Do I need a residents'/registration number before I can open a bank account?
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Do I need a bank account before I can apply for accommodation?
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How do I matriculate at my host institution?
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What documents do I need to take with me?
Finding and arranging accommodation is your responsibility. Where you choose to live is your decision and you should do as much research as you can, as early as you can, to avoid stress on arrival.
Key questions:
- What accommodation options are available in my destination? (ie. university halls, shared room, flat share, host family)
- How much should I expect to pay for bills and rent, on average, in my destination? (also see the ‘Cost of living’ section below)
- When should I start looking for accommodation?
- For students on exchanges, am I required to stay in university halls?
- Is university housing available? If so, is it competitive? When and how should I apply?
- Does accommodation in my destination usually come furnished? What exactly does ‘furnished’ mean?
- Are bills usually included in rent?
- What amount of deposit is expected?
Costs may vary quite a bit from what you are used to in Edinburgh, and you may find yourself spending more money on certain things than you normally would in the UK. It may be crucial to have some savings to help with this so the sooner you know, the more time you’ll have to save.
The Numbeo cost living website is a good starting point to research this for your destination. It's an online tool to help you see and compare the cost of living in different places around the world:
Visit the Numbeo cost of living website
Key questions:
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What are costs like compared to Edinburgh?
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What is the average rent?
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What are travel costs like? (for a regular commute and for trips)
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How much is food? (Both in restaurants and in supermarkets)
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Is clothing expensive?
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Will I need to buy specific clothing for the weather conditions?
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Will I need to adapt my lifestyle to fit my budget in this country?
Depending on how long you’re away, and if you’re on exchange or a placement, there are different options for accessing money while abroad. You may decide to use your existing bank account abroad, get a pre-paid travel card, open an account in your host country or all of the above!
Key questions:
- Do I need to tell my UK bank I’m going abroad?
- How much will overseas transactions and cash withdrawals cost from my existing bank account?
- If an existing bank card expires while I’m abroad, should I order a new one before I go?
- Will I be able to access my online banking from abroad?
- How can I contact my bank whilst abroad if I need to report a lost or stolen bank card?
- Should I get a pre-paid travel card?
- If going abroad for more than one semester, should I open a bank account in my host country?
- Do I need to have a bank account in my host country in order to get accommodation, be paid or access other benefits?
Cultural norms around timekeeping differ from country to country. In some countries, you may be expected to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early for appointments/social events/ classes while in others, start times are more flexible. Banks, government offices, university buildings, etc. may also have very different hours than you are used to.
Key questions:
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How timely are people in the country I am going to?
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Do my courses start much earlier/go much later than in Edinburgh?
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When are banks/university offices/grocery stores/etc. open?
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When do people normally eat?
Challenge your preconceived ideas of the weather where you’re going. It’s a good idea to find out what it will really be like at the time of year you'll be there, and how this might change as the months go on.
Daylight hours (or lack of them) can also affect mood, which is something to keep in mind particularly during the winter.
Key questions:
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When does the sun rise and set? How much does this change with the seasons?
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What is the average forecast while I’m there?
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Is there likely to be extreme weather? What should I pack for this?
How you intend to communicate whilst abroad is something worth thinking about in advance. Even in such a connected world, you still need to think about how best to keep in contact cost effectively while abroad. It’s especially important you’re able to call local numbers and home in an emergency, and not just rely on internet access.
When you are abroad, situations may arise in which you will need to contact or access services quickly. To make this as stress-free as possible, save a list of important numbers and contacts such as the UoE emergency number, the insurer's contacts, the emergency services in your host destination, your host institution key contacts, as well as, the number for your bank in case of lost/stolen bank cards.
Using your phone abroad - things to consider:
- Will I be able to use the data on my phone/tablet for internet access and how much will this cost? (in destination and if doing further travel)
- How can I ensure I’m able to call local numbers and home in an emergency?
- Should I get a local SIM card or plan?
- Is my current handset locked to a network? How can I unlock it?
Staying in touch:
As well as ‘how’ you plan to stay connected, you should also consider ‘when.’
Whilst overseas you will remain a fully matriculated student at UoE and will need to stay up-to-date with communication.
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Aim to check your UoE student email at least twice per week– this will be the main source of communication with you whilst abroad both from your school and from SWAY.
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Be aware of points in the year that you may have administrative tasks for UoE such as matriculation at the start of the academic year and course selection processes for when you return. It is worth checking this with your school prior to going abroad.
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Staying in touch with friends and family will also be an important source of support, it can be easy to lose frequent communication when immersing yourself in your year abroad but try to maintain a balance by scheduling check-ins or times to call home.
Remember that you can still access support services at the University of Edinburgh while abroad, so please let us know as soon as possible if you are in need of any help. If you’re on exchange, you may be able to access support from your host institution too.
Key questions:
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What services does my host institution or employer offer (e.g. counselling service, disability service, additional support with exams)
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How do I access these?
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Do I have to register?
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Is there a long waiting list?
The teaching style and organisation of your host institution may be very different from what you are used to, particularly the amount of coursework and contact hours you'll have. Classes and/or exams may be arranged on a more ad-hoc basis and attendance rules may be stricter. You should also bear in mind special circumstances procedures / support services may not be as comprehensive as at Edinburgh and they may have more limited office hours.
Key questions:
- Will the main methods of teaching and assessment at my host institution suit my learning style?
- How many hours of class should I expect to have per week?
- How do assessments work (ie. continual assessment, exams)? Will they be written or verbal?
- Are there any academic areas I want (or need) to focus on specifically? Can I access these areas as an exchange student?
- Is there a sufficient number of suitable courses and back-up courses at my host institution?
- Are the courses I am planning to take in the correct language and at the correct level of study?
- For research students, what is the process about intellectual property at my host institution?