reesezpiecez103

I actually was shocked when I went abroad this past year and discovered that the vast majority of students I studied with hadn't brought a converter of some sort to charge/plug in computers. For some strange reason, that isn't something that seems to occur to a lot of people.

Also I will admit that I am completely guilty of not knowing how to drive stick-shift - that almost bit me in the a** - but at least I knew that it would probably happen, haha. This article isn't terrible - but there are a lot of other, more important things that you should know, such as health insurance information and whether or not you'll have any contact with people at home (we had no phone and internet was ridiculously expensive).

travelcraze

Ya, I agree that the article's points only brush the surface. Also, how often do study abroad students start fires and drive cars? While those skills may occasionally come in handy, the article should have focused on other aspects of pre-study abroad preparation. For instance, making money either by working or taking out loans is required for some students; knowing the laws and judicial system in international places is crucial (http://www.gooverseas.com/study-abro...s-and-safety); and what to look for in a program provider. Again, while USA Today covers the basics, by no means should prospective study abroaders stop at this article.

romnickhudges

Those are just common sense things knowledge that everyone should know right from the start. Anyways, the article is useful but there are more infos still that someone can research on and read.

Nin10dude317

More like understand religious customs, forbidden gestures, visa application, how to contact your embassy, how to withdraw money, essential phrases, purchasing transit passes, and how to school advisors.

And even those are pretty obvious.

saman42

midwstmom, tell me about it. I'm currently in Brazil, and I went to go buy a pair of Havaianas flip flops, and the biggest size they had was an American size 9. I'm 11.5-12, nothing unusual here, but the store clerk was looking at me like I had asked for clown shoes.

BLACKSTAR7

Language may be a problem.