Although I have only been in Manchester for about four days, I already have good information that could be useful to potential study abroad travelers and/or family.

The first thing I would like to address is the initial feeling when you finally arrive to wherever you are studying abroad. It can be super overwhelming and nerve-wracking, but do not feel discouraged if you arrive and have a feeling of doubt and panic. Every international student I have spoken to including myself has said that the second they were in their rooms for the first time they had a small “breakdown” from initial nerves and even exhaustion from their travel. However, at least for me and the individuals I have spoken to, as soon as you meet people living around you and other international students that feeling goes away. This is in no way trying to discourage anyone from studying abroad; in fact, just the opposite. I want people to know that it is completely normal to feel like that when you first arrive. In pre-departure meetings, we are warned about getting homesick after a few weeks but no one really mentions the initial shock of being in a new place alone for the first time.

One piece of advice I suggest is to say yes to everyone and everything (within reason) when you first arrive. Not only saying yes to others but asking other people to sit with them or hang out with them or take a look around the city with you. This is so important because if you don’t you won’t feel at home because you won’t have people to interact with. Even if you don’t initially “vibe” with someone, it can still lead to an opportunity to meet other people. The first friends that I made here in Manchester were made because I asked a group of girls if I could join them for dinner and then they invited me to hang out with them later that night. Another one was made through Instagram’s direct messaging from another girl who was an exchange student from Australia that was also living in my accommodation. A couple of days later, I asked if she wanted to walk to the city center with me. When we got there we met up with other exchange students that she had already met and had lunch/went shopping. While these might seem like really small things, this helped me go from knowing absolutely no one to several different groups in just a few days!

Secondly, something that I found super helpful was paying for an international plan on your home cell service provider for at least a few days. I know it can add up if you keep it for the whole time you are abroad, but the last thing I wanted to do on my first day was search for a phone company. It was super easy to communicate with my parents back home and allowed me to use my data to find stores and other places I needed to get to. That being said, I definitely suggest getting a new SIM card if you are staying for a semester or year abroad. At least here in Manchester, they have really good student plans for a very reasonable price. Having a phone that will still completely work for at least a few days while you get settled in makes life so much less stressful!

The last piece of advice I would give is to have a small fund ready for initial expenses. I had some money set aside for bedding, towels, transportation, a SIM card, etc. I figured there would most likely be a lot of initial payments I would need to be making. This helps you feel secure about funds for the rest of your time abroad; instead of feeling like I was taking money out of my “travel/fun/everyday” money, I already had the funds set aside for the first week of larger payments. Going along with that, I suggest making a budget for the semester that way you know when you are overspending and need to hold back or if you can make a trip somewhere you always wanted to visit without feeling stressed about finances.

Most of what I said above might feel like common sense but they are things I either completely forgot to thing about or just didn’t seem like a big deal until all of a sudden I was here. All of that being said, I know I’ve only been here for a short time but I am loving every second of it! Even the parts where things haven’t gone my way or at least the way I was hoping they would; they are just opportunities to learn something new.

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: University of Manchester: Exchange