By Mashum Mollah
Studying abroad is the experience of a lifetime. Setting down roots for a short time in an entirely new country and inviting a unique cultural perspective into your life is transformative. However, if you haven’t prepared well, you might find yourself too bogged down by stress and anxiety to enjoy the adventure you’re on.
Luckily, technology can help you settle some of your worries, whether you’re bad at budgeting or aren’t sure how to read a menu in a different language. If you’re studying abroad, here are seven must-have tools for the traveling student.
1. A virtual mailbox
As a student, you don’t live in one place for long. When you’re constantly moving between homes located abroad, continually changing your mailing address to keep up with your nomadic lifestyle can be a headache. With a virtual mailbox in your digital toolkit, you’ll never need to worry about missing any packages or pieces of mail.
You’ll be able to view and manage high-priority mail stored in your mailbox from anywhere around the world, so long as you have an internet connection. With a virtual mailbox, you can also forward your mail and packages to any location of your choosing, allowing you to maintain a consistent mailing address no matter where you call home.
2. Web-based instant messaging apps
Staying in touch with friends and family is of the utmost importance when you’re living away from them. Unfortunately, when you move to a new country, it can be hard to communicate with people back home.
International calls will quickly drain your bank account and leave expensive surcharges on your loved ones’ cell phone bills.
However, with internet connectivity everywhere in the modern world, you can download web-based messaging apps to keep up with people back home for free. There are many apps to choose from, including Facebook Messenger, WeChat, WhatsApp, Signal, Viber, and many more.
3. Language learning tools
If you’re planning to study abroad in a country that doesn’t speak English as a primary language, it’s time to brush up on your foreign languages. It’s both helpful and respectful to learn how to say basic phrases in your new home’s native tongue.
Downloading an app like Duolingo or investing in a dictionary-like WordReference can help you develop basic language skills. If you’re not able to take intensive language lessons, having an app like Word Lens can help you read menus and road signs while on the go.
4. Travel apps
While studying abroad, you’ll likely want to explore the country you’re studying abroad in or check out neighboring countries as well. Finding cheap plane and train tickets and booking accommodations is much easier with digital tools you can download to your phone. Hostelworld can help you find cheap rooms to stay in, and with Kayak, you can monitor the price of flights to your dream destinations.
5. A currency calculator
Budgeting is already a challenging skill for many people to master, but adding a different currency into the mix can make an already tricky task feel impossible. Downloading a currency calculator can aid you in keeping track of your spending and help you better understand how much everything costs. A currency app will also keep you up-to-date on exchange rates, allowing you to budget no matter where you travel.
6. GPS and navigation apps
Navigating a brand new neighborhood in a foreign country is challenging without the help of a map. However, pulling out a paper map in the middle of the street will only expose you as an out-of-towner, making you an easy target for pickpockets and other thieves. Using apps like Google Maps or Citymapper can help you get to your destination quickly and even help you navigate public transportation.
7. Meet-up apps
While studying abroad is an exhilarating experience, moving to a new country can be very lonely at first. If you want to meet locals or other ex-pats, try using a social networking tool like Meetup or Facebook Local. Pretty soon, you’ll be making new friends in no time and finding kindred souls that share the same interests as you.
The bottom line
While moving to a new country to study can feel overwhelming, being prepared can help you navigate this exciting time in your life smoothly and ease your anxieties. Before boarding your flight, make sure you have all the resources you need to succeed abroad and enjoy your new adventure.
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