Pre-Departure Checklist | Best guide for a smooth transition

It goes without saying – you are a hard worker, considering you managed to get enrolled at a university abroad in these COVID times! However, the last thing you want ruining this beautiful experience is some niggling little detail. But have no fear, as we are here to assist you with a pre-departure checklist!

Keep reading to discover a complete pre-departure checklist for you that handles everything from ticketing to medical forms! Read on!

The tickets! 

• Buy the ticket. Remember to not delay this for any reason after you book your visa interview and avail your I-20. If you have enrolled in the college/university already, then the visa interview is mostly just a formality. 
• If this is your first visit abroad to study, you will get homesick, so remember to also book return tickets coinciding with your college break. Trust me, lonely winter nights in Europe or America will make you yearn for home, and impromptu tickets cost a bomb!

No point in having the wrong clothes for the right weather

• This is the fun part of the pre-departure checklist. You must choose (or buy) the right clothes for where you are headed.
  • If you are studying in Europe or America, it may be a lot colder than what you imagine, but that’s just the outside. Virtually every place is centrally heated and the temperature is ambient year-round.
  • Thus, concentrate on just enough warm wear for your journey between places. Your everyday clothes will suffice, along with some good woolen clothes and a heavy-duty coat. 
  • And here is the rub&you are better off buying the coat in the country you land in rather than the country you are leaving from. 

Invest in spices 

• You will miss food from back home faster than you will miss your family. And this is a deal breaker like no other. This is not to say that where you go, the food isn’t great, but nothing beats home food.
• Also, pack a few ready-made foods that will tide you over in the first few days while you get used to a new land and its quirks. 
• The easy step is just a few kilos’ worth of ready-made foodstuffs, spice mixes, and the like. This is a cheat code for the departure checklist. All you have to do is pack, which takes us to our next point.  

Greed isn’t good, especially when you end up paying for it! 

• Even though you would like to take your entire household along with you, the sad fact is that airlines have a weight limit, which makes this difficult to achieve.
  • Check-in baggage is usually around 40-45 lbs. 
  • Hand baggage is in the 10-15 lbs range.
  • Each extra kilo that is beyond the limits, you will pay for and it won’t be a small amount either. 
• Study the weight limit of your chosen airline carefully, as this is an important component of the departure checklist. 
• Buy yourself a dedicated traveling suitcase; do not rely on the relics your parents would want you to have.

End gadget bigotry! 

• There are a variety of different plug points with varying charges that each nation possesses. 
• Prepare for this by carrying adapters for ALL your electronic equipment or you will have to spend an exorbitant amount for it in the new country. 

Health is wealth, and cheaper at home than abroad! 

• Immunize yourself- Each foreign nation, as well as university, will have a list of immunizations that you must take. This list is mandatory, and though you will be provided with the immunizations, do not forget the ones that your university expects of you either. 
• Full body checkup- Go the whole nine yards with this and don’t forget a dental check-up either (Usually full body doesn’t cover that). It is much cheaper to afford healthcare at home than abroad. 
• First aid kit- Make a basic kit of medicines to combat fever, pain, indigestion, allergies, etc. Getting prescription meds abroad is difficult, and subscription for medicine is important.  

It’s all about the money! 

This is arguably one of the most important factors to keep in mind- how much money are you carrying? 

• Set up a FOREX account and start loading the FOREX cards at least two weeks before your departure. 
• Also, carry emergency money with you in the currency of the country you are going to. 

The last day 

These items listed below are a must for you to tick off on your departure checklist. All fun apart, even missing out on one of these documents can seriously dent your plans to travel. 

• FOR TRAVEL
  • Passport + photocopy 
  • Visa + photocopy 
  • Air Tickets + photocopy 
  • Immunization Documentation + photocopy
• FOR EDUCATION
  • Original mark sheets 
  • Attested mark sheets 
  • Degree certificate 
  • Final year project report 
  • Recommendation letters 
  • GRE and TOEFL mark sheet 
  • University-specific letters like admits, aid, forms. 
  • Original transcripts 
  • I-20 
  • Syllabus copies 
  • SEVIS fee receipt
• FOR SURVIVAL
  • Forex Cards
  • Hard Cash 
  • Health Insurance papers 
  • Medicine kit  

The last few hours 

• Eat healthy home-cooked food. 
• Go through the pre-departure checklist again. 
• Spend dedicated time with each family member and pet. 
• Have a look around to see if you have missed anything.
• Go through the pre-departure checklist yet again. 

The last minute 

• Know you have engineered this success for yourself. 
• Believe yourself capable of withstanding any challenges you may face 
• Relax, you made it! 

We hope you found this blog informative. Don’t forget to comment below and share your thoughts! You can also get in touch with us if you have any doubts. 

Liked this blog? Read: How to study abroad | A complete checklist for international students

FAQs 

1. Will COVID-19 affect my travel plans? 

Answer- Considering that we are now in the third & weakest wave of COVID and that most of the world population has been inoculated, there is a slight possibility of COVID-19 hampering travel plans as it did in 2020-21. Just take the precautions asked of you, wear a mask, don’t be an anti-vaxxer and you should be fine!

2. Will the vaccines I have taken in the US hold for other nations?

Answer- They most certainly will. 

3. What are the chances that I may get infected with COVID in the nation I am going to? 

Answer- The same as your chances of contracting COVID at home. Take the same precautions as you would at home, be smart and avoid crowds, don’t be taken in with the freedom you will experience, and listen to all the COVID rules of your host country. You will be fine.

WRITTEN BY

Aastha

Study Abroad Expert

Aastha Arya is a Senior Content Writer at iSchoolConnect who writes about topics covering study abroad trends, exclusive news updates and prolific college courses. She has a 4-year of experience in this field and also likes to keep tabs on recent events, visa policy changes, and many other concerns that affect international students.

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