It’s no secret that a study abroad experience can have many advantages for your personal and career development. However, very few students actually understand how to turn that experience into a success formula. We believe that it starts with a good preparation. Take a look at the 5 tips below which can help you take full advantage of your study abroad experience.

Learn the language

Although you might be attending your classes in English and hanging out with all English speaking students, it’s worth knowing a bit of the local language. Not only does it help you when going to the supermarket, but you can consider including it in your CV – provided you have a basic knowledge.

Keep a journal

Whether you choose to write an old school style diary, or write a blog; or even post tweets about your good and not so good moments, it will be helpful to keep track of your activities during your study abroad period. You might think that having to move and look for a new room in the middle of a semester would be an insignificant experience for your future. Depending on how you deal with it, even moving houses could be translated into skills such as adaptability to change, organisational skills, good analytical skills, and multi-tasking.

Learn about the culture

Some cultures have long lunches; others grab a quick sandwich for lunch. In some countries, it is customary to bow when you meet someone, while there are also those who give three kisses on the cheek. Getting to know the culture beforehand can give you an image of what to expect. It is important to realise that these differences are not just nice-to-know, but can in fact boost your career prospects. In what way did you ask? Well culture differences do not just occur in social interactions, but will also be relevant to a day-to-day business setting.

Bring your own culture

The first thing you need to know before you learn another culture is to be aware of your own culture. It will be easier for you to understand cultural differences once you realise that the way you think and behave might be culture-bound. Take your own culture with you and use your study abroad experience as a chance to introduce your own country and culture to your host country. Be the brand ambassador that your country and university can be proud of.

Keep an open mind

Even with all the preparation above, you will still encounter situations you did not expect. But hey, that is part of the study abroad experience. Take it all in and try to look at it from a different perspective. Learn from it and use it to develop your skills, so you can proudly say that you have successfully translated your study abroad experience into a success formula for the global job market.

Selene Siregar – ELM

featured image source: CareerProfessor

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