5 Tips to Help You Stay Safe Abroad

By Debora Aberastury on July 17, 2017

Whether it is your first time abroad or your fifth time, it never hurts to be too prepared for any and all possible circumstances. Life can be unpredictable — travel can be unpredictable, so the first step is to accept that.

Take each change and obstacle in front of you as part of the journey. Know that with every situation, there is always a solution. Now, take a deep breath, crack your knuckles and let’s get ready, shall we?

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1. Before you leave, get a binder together

Make copies of your flight itineraries, passport, insurance cards, and any and all credit cards/debit cards you are taking with you. Any information you receive from your study abroad school, whether it be pages of important contacts or class schedules, make copies as well. Write down all logins and passwords someone might need of yours — bank logins, emails, school accounts. And put it all in a binder.

It sounds funny, putting all that critical information in one place, but as long as you leave it with a secure person — whether it be a parent, close family member, or friend who you can easily contact at any time — it can be a lifesaver. Let’s say, hypothetically, you lose your passport or no one hears from you for days — your contact back home can help you out, as well as have multiple ways to contact you for any reason.

Also, when you decide to take a weekend trip or a fall/spring break, email your contact back home your itinerary, including flights and hostels, and have them include it in the binder.

2. Make copies of everything

Your passport is your lifeline when abroad. Without it, you can’t get into your study abroad country or back home. You might get into trouble, go to jail, or worse. The good thing is that the Embassy is there for you if you ever need a replacement. You don’t necessarily need a copy of your passport, but it does make the process a million times quicker.

So, before you leave, make sure to make copies of your passport. Hide one in your wallet, another in your suitcase, and another in your underwear drawer.

Also, make copies of your flight itinerary. Make copies of any and all papers your study abroad college gives to you — yes, even if you have it in your email or on your phone. You never know when you’ll need it on paper because either Wi-Fi is non-existent or worse, you have to pay for Wi-Fi. Or you might have even a worse situation — no battery and no way to charge.

Having paper copies of things like your study abroad college is super essential when you first arrive– you’ll be jet lagged and internet will be a hassle to log into at the airport. You’ll find it much easier to just point to where you have to go, rather than trying to explain where you’re trying to go. Not everyone knows everywhere, even cab drivers in big cities (trust me).

3. Stay connected with your classmates

You don’t have to be BFFs with them, not at all. But if you’re planning to head out on your own, let your roommate know that you’re leaving and about what time you plan to come back (they don’t have to know where you’re going if you don’t want to — but it might be nice). Don’t know where they are? Leave them a note.

The buddy system is essential to safety abroad. You don’t have to like them, but you do have to help keep each other safe. If you’re headed out with a group, make sure someone back on campus knows about what time you’re headed back. If you’re headed out of the country or on a day trip, ask a campus representative what the protocol is. A lot of the time there will be someone to either tell or email.

While it might seem so demeaning to tell others where you’re going and when you’re getting back, these days it’s essential for your safety. You never know what might happen and where. It’s best to know before unnecessary worry happens.

4. Dress the part & act the part

Even if you’re clueless about your target language, do research before you leave the fashion of your new home. Don’t go out with sweats and baggy shirts if you can help it — save it for when you’re on campus. Don’t wear anything touristy, and especially don’t wear anything too revealing.

The best thing you can do is to stick with solid colored clothes, simple patterns, and colors that aren’t too bright. Clothes should fit well, but not too well. And while you can go with jeans and tennis shoes, make sure they’re both clean and tidy. You don’t want to look like a tourist, and at least if you do look like a tourist, you should at least look like a stylish one that doesn’t stand out. In other words, keep your floral and highlight colored shirts, as well as your fanny packs, at home.

Also, if you get lost, don’t ever look like you are lost. Stop at a nearby coffee shop or grocery store and ask for directions if needed. Or take out a map when you’re in a store – never out in the street, and especially not in the middle of the street, please! Keep your belongings close at all times. And always walk with your head up high and with full confidence. Stay on well-lit streets and crowded ones, rather than empty ones.

5. When in doubt, ask your campus coordinators & trust your gut

That’s what they are there for! Do you have a concern or a question about the protocol that they didn’t go over during orientation? Ask them. Either stop them in the halls or send them a message. If you don’t get a message from them, your professors are great resources as well. You are likely not the first or last study abroad student they’ve had.

And always, always trust the gut. If something doesn’t feel right or you’re not sure about it, trust your gut and do what does feel right. Because whether you realize it or not, we all have these internal instincts and they come about when we most need them.

Stay safe out there, but most of all — have fun!

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