Studying Abroad: Here's what you NEED to know in 2025

1. Choose your destination 🌎

So you know you want to study abroad, but you're not sure where, or you maybe have a couple of ideas, but need to flesh it out a bit more? No problem! Take a gander and see if you're vibing with any of these:

1. Australia 
2. United Kingdom
3. United States of America
4. Canada
5. Netherlands

Maybe they're not for you, that's okay, there are some amazing programs in Germany, Italy, Japan and France too! The world is literally your oyster and it's about finding the country and program that works for you!

2. Passport / Visa / Documentation 🧑‍✈️

Lets get the most important items sorted first! Check the expiry date of your passport, if it's within 6 months of your expected arrival, best get that renewed, immigration officers may turn away travellers with less than 6 months before expiry. Depending on your destination and your nationality, it's likely that you're going to need to apply for a VISA to study abroad, so it's time to start researching the requirements for your country and p.s. this isn't a last minute job (hence why it's number 2 on the list).

It's a good idea to make copies of your passport and VISA, in the rare event that they get lost, we would also recommend keeping electronic copies, on a USB or HDD, and a little pro-tip is to email yourself a copy so you can always have this on hand 🙌

3. Housing 🏠

This is another biggie and one you need to stick right at the top of the to-do list! Lots of questions you need to ask yourself and research required! 

• "What is my budget?"
• "Am I going to live by myself or with others"
• "Should I live in the city or a quieter neighbourhood further away?"

The main options available to you when studying abroad are:

1. Student Halls
2. Shared Housing / Apartments
3. Private Housing / Apartments
4. Homestay Abroad
5. Dormitory

It's likely that your University will partner with private student halls or the might even have their own accommodation available for students, so start there and speak with the University advisor for more information. You also have the option of arranging your study abroad with a third party who can also sort out your living accommodation in the country. If you're going for private or shared accommodation, you can try online house listings and social media groups, but be mindful of scams and confirm the legitimacy of the group. 

4. Booking Flights & Travel Insurance ✈️

We're all on the search for those illusive cheap airline tickets, it's a mixture of luck and booking at the right time, it'll be worth having a look at flights after you've picked up your results and decided on a destination, the further in advance you book, the better the chance you'll save some money! You can also set up flight alerts for specific flights and destinations, which will ping you when a great deal rears its' head. 

Time to think of worst case scenarios, the airline lose your checked bag, your flight is delayed or even cancelled, or while you're abroad, you fall ill! Travel insurance is a must for students, so lets talk about it. Typically student insurance will cover:

• Emergency Medical Treatment
• Lost, Stolen or Damaged Luggage
• Delayed or Cancelled Flights
• Holiday Cancellation

Some common exclusions are:

• Paid Work
• Claims that took place whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Your destination has been issued a warning against travel

If you're planning to work while you're abroad you're going to notify your travel insurance provider, work that's deemed risky (manual labour), may not be covered and you may require an extra to make sure you're protected. Ultimately the most important reason to have student travel insurance is to cover you for any urgent healthcare you may need, without travel cover, situations such as these could end up costing thousands!

5. Packing & Sending Your Personal Effects 📦

Packing can be one of the most frustrating aspects of travelling, historically you'd need to make sacrifices and decide what you couldn't take, could you imagine also trying to stay inside your airline's student baggage allowance and not be frugal! 🤯 But not anymore, the times are a-changing and you can send your luggage straight to the destination, so it's waiting at your University for your arrival. 

Send My Bag has been delivering student luggage to universities since 2006, whether it's a porters lodge in Oxford or the receptionist in Sydney, the universities are now well versed in our service and know how it works. It means you can pack more, bringing your essentials but also your sentimental items along for the journey, so your home away from home, really feels like home. 

Your items are collected from your address and bonus, if you live in Northern Ireland and Dublin you can select our 'Premium Collection Slot' which gives you a 1hr collection slot, an any floor collection and the driver will also check your labels, giving you peace of mind as your items begin their journey on the network! 

Your items are then delivered to your destination address, for Universities our pro-tip is to make sure your collections / deliveries are to a central area (reception, post room or porters lodge). The staff at the University can then keep this safe and you don't need to make yourself available on the date of delivery, you can just pick it up at your convenience and unpacking your goods, ready for your big year abroad! 🤗

6. Research the Area

It's vital to scout the local area, so you can quickly find your favourite spots and your go-to espresso after a late one from the night before, along with this, it's important to understand the etiquette of your destination country. Some people will naturally give you the benefit of the doubt as you're a guest in their country, but some things that you wouldn't give a second thought about are banned or frowned upon and could result in significant fines!

Depending on your living circumstances, if you're off campus it's a good idea to research your travel arrangements to your classes, how far is it to the nearest bus stop or train station, maybe you need to arrange a daily taxi. It's worth planning out ahead of time so you know what to expect when you land in the country. 

7. Friends & Family Back Home

This is it, you're off on your new adventure, but you're feeling homesick, it's completely natural, but the great news is that there are lots of ways to keep in contact with your friends and family members back home, sharing your experience with them and letting them know you're safe.

• Create a shared photo album
• The family group chat
• Frequent FaceTime / Zoom calls
• Movie Nights

Keeping in contact with your loved ones back home is a natural remedy for homesickness, but it's about more than that, their lives are continuing back home while you're living your best life and it's important to be there for them too. You'll be fit to burst with all of the stories you have share when you hop on the call, but remember to ask how they're doing, they'll want to share their news with you and it'll help balance out the conversation and allow both parties to cherish these conversations. 

There's a lot to think about when you're considering studying in another country, but the steps we’ve put together will help you get started and make the right call for you. 

So whether you're thinking of heading down under to Australia, to soak up the sun and get a world class education, or the UK, with top unis and loads of career options after you graduate. Perhaps, the USA is a good fit for you, where you shape your course the way you want and potentially land a job in Silicon Valley! Maybe the lure of Canada might win you over with cheaper tuition fees and insane natural views, or maybe it’s the Netherlands, with their innovative teaching methods and affordable cost of living.

Wherever you decide to go, we wish you the best of luck on your new adventure and look forward to helping you arrive at your destination stress free with your luggage waiting for you upon your arrival ✈️