StudyAbroadPre-DepartureGuide

TheCenterforGlobalInitiatives

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Congratulations!

Studyabroadisoneofthemostchallenging,exciting,andrewardingexperiencesastudentcanhaveduringtheirtimeincollege.Bychoosingtostudyabroad,youaredemonstratingthatyouarewillingtoleaveyourcomfortzoneandembarkonnewadventures.Wehopethatyou’llcontinuetochallengeyourselfandtakeadvantageoftheopportunitiesthatpresentthemselvestoyouwhileabroad.Asuccessfulinternationalexperiencerequiresmuchplanningandpreparation.ThestaffofTheCenterforGlobalInitiativesisavailabletoassistyoutomakethemostofyourstudyabroadexperienceandhavepreparedthisguidetogivesomegeneralinformationthatmaybeofassistanceasyouprepare.Yourprogramsponsorwillalsoprovideyouwithinformationspecifictoyourstudyabroadsite.Safetravelsandhaveawonderfultrip!

TableofContentsI. PassportandVisaInformation……………………………………………………………………………………p.3II. D’YouvilleFormsandMandatoryHealthInsurance……………………………………………………..p.4III. Academics(Policies,Grades,Credits,Registering)……………………………………………………….p.4IV. TuitionandFinancialAid……………………………………………………………………………………………p.5V. Managingyourmoneyabroad……………………………………………………………………………………p.5VI. Bookingyourflight…………………………………………………………………………………………………….p.7VII. PackingandLuggage………………………………………………………………………………………………….p.7VIII. Housing…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….p.9IX. Meals………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...p.10X. TravelwhileAbroad………………………………………………………………………………………………….p.10XI. HealthandSafety………………………………………………………………………………………………………p.11XII. USEmbassy/ConsulateContactInformation………………………………………………………………..p.12XIII. CrimePrevention…………………………………………………………………………………………………………p.13XIV. Stayingintouch………………………………………………………………………………………………………..p.16XV. Miscellaneous…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..p.17XVI. D’YouvilleImportantContactInformation…………………………………………………………………..p.18

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I.PASSPORTANDVISAINFORMATIONPassports:Bypre-departureorientation,allstudentsshouldhaveobtainedapassportandinitiatedthevisaprocess,ifapplicable.Ifyouhavenotappliedforyourpassport,pleasedosoimmediately!Itcantakeaslittleas4weeksoraslongasafewmonthstoreceive.Expeditedservicecanstilltakeupto2weeksandaddsadditionalcosts.Newapplicantsmustsubmittheirmaterialsinpersontoapassportacceptanceagency.ThereareseveralintheBuffaloarea.

Ifyoualreadyownapassportfromprevioustripsabroad,makesureitisvalidforatleast6monthsafteryourreturn.Detailedpassportapplicationinstructions,materials,currentprocessingtimes,andacceptanceagencylocationscanbefoundattheU.S.StateDepartment:http://travel.state.gov/passport/

Onceyoureceiveyourpassport:

• Signitinink.• Makeseveralcolorcopiesoftheofficialdatapage,thismakesreplacingiteasieriflost

orstolen.• KeepacopyatyourhomeaddressandoneattheCenterforGlobalInitiatives.• Whileabroad,keepacopyonyouatalltimesandkeeptheoriginalinasafeplace.

Ifyourpassportislostorstolenwhileabroad:

• Don’tpanic!Itispossibletoobtainareplacementpassportabroad.• ReportlossortheftimmediatelytothelocalpoliceandtheUSEmbassyorConsulatein

yourhostcountry.• Onceapassportisreportedlostorstolen,itcannotbere-validatedandcannolonger

beusedfortravel,evenifyourecoverit.• ContactyourlocalCAPAstaff(orhostuniversity)ifyouneedassistance.

Visas:Manycountrieswillrequireyoutohaveavisatostayorstudyinthecountryforanextendedlengthoftime.IfyouaregoingabroadonaCAPAprogram,CAPAwillprovideyouwithimportantlinksandinformationaboutthevisaprocess,butneitherCAPAnorTheCenterforGlobalInitiativeswillobtainthevisaforyou!Itisyourresponsibilitytoplanaheadandapplyfortheappropriatevisa.

• TheConsulateofyourhostcountrycaninformyouofthevisarequirements,ifany,alongwiththeapplicationprocess.Seehttp://www.projectvisa.comforlistofconsulates.

• Notethateverycountryhasdifferentvisarequirementsandmayrequirelengthydocumentation,soitiscriticaltofindoutthisinformationassoonaspossibleandfollowrequirementsclosely.Embassiescanrefusetoreviewincompleteapplications.

• Processingtimeforvisaswilldiffer,andyourpassportmayhavetobemailedout.

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II.FORMSANDMANDATORYHEALTHINSURANCE

InyourstudyabroadacceptancepacketyoureceivedachecklistofformsthatneededtobesubmittedtotheInternationalStudentOffice,alongwithdeadlinedatesforsubmission.Beforeleaving,makesureyouhavedoubledcheckedthislistandhavereturnedallrequireddocuments.Theseinclude:

• CourseApprovalForm• MedicalReportForm• ReleaseandIndemnificationForm• CodeofConductForm• HealthInsuranceRegistration*• EmergencyContactInformation• FinancialLiabilityForm• AnythingelsedocumentedontheStudyAbroadDocumentChecklist!

*HealthInsurance:ItismandatoryforallDYCStudyAbroadstudentstohavecoveragethroughHTHWorldwidewww.hthstudents.com.Onceyouhavesubmittedyourregistration,TheCenterforGlobalInitiativeswillenrollyouinthehealthinsuranceprogramandwille-maileachstudentwhentheirIDcardandinsurancepacketsareavailableforpickup.Inadditiontohealthcare,thisinsurancewillcoveryouforpoliticalevacuationaswellasrepatriation.III.ACADEMICPOLICIESYouwillremainamatriculatedstudentatD’YouvilleCollegeevenwhileyouareabroad.Ifyouhavenotalready,youmustmeetwithDr.JohnAbbarno,theStudyAbroadAcademicCoordinator,togetyourcoursesapprovedbeforeleaving,andhavethecourseapprovalformsignedbyyouracademicadvisor.Youwillregisterforyourclassesduringyourregularclassregistrationtime.Pleasenote:

• Ifabroadforasemester,youmustremainafulltimestudentwithaminimumof12credithourspersemesterandupto15credits.

• Forsummerprograms,studentsmustregisterfor6-9credits.• Allstudentswillberegisteredforazerocreditspecialtopicscoursethatindicatestheir

studyabroadlocation.• Youmaynottakepass/failforanystudyabroadclass.

Thingstokeepinmindwhileyouareabroad:

• Don’tforgettoregisterforclassesforthesemesteryoureturntoD’Youville!Eventhoughyouwillbeabroad,youwillstillneedtoregisterforyourfollowingsemestercoursesasusual.Beincontactwithyouracademicadvisorforassistance.

• GradesreceivedforyourcoursesabroadwillcounttowardsyouroverallGPA,sohavefun,butdon’tforgettokeepontopofyourschoolwork!

• Ifyouareenrolledinadirectexchangewithauniversitythatdoesnotgivelettergrades,yourgradeswillbeconvertedandwillstillcounttoyourGPA.

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• Saveallcoursematerials.Thiswillfacilitatethetransferofcreditshouldtherebeanyquestions.

• MakesuretocheckyourD’Youvilleemailregularly.Yourdepartment,advisor,financialaid,housingorTheCenterforGlobalInitiativesmaycontactyouwithimportantinformationorquestionsthatrequireatimelyresponse.

IV.TUITIONANDFINANCIALAIDIfyouaregoingabroadthroughtheD’YouvilleaffiliationagreementwithCAPA,theStudentAccountsofficeatD’Youvillewillbillyoufortuition,fees,mandatorystudyabroadhealthinsurance,roomdeposit(whichwillbereturnediftherearenodamages)andthestudyabroadfee.

ScholarshipsandwaiverswillbedeductedaccordingtotheDYCFinancialPolicyforStudyAbroad.Forfallandspringsemesterprograms,allfinancialaidwilltypicallybeapplicabletoyourprogram,butpleasemakeanappointmentwithJamesNowak,AssistantDirectorofFinancialAid,toensuretheapplicabilityofyourloans/grantsandtoclarifyanyquestions:

JamesNowak,AssociateDirector,FinancialAid716-829-7500,nowakj@dyc.eduKoesslerAdministrationBuilding,Room201

• Pleasenotethatifyouarereceivinganemployeewaiver,itwillnotbeapplied.• Yourfinancialaidpackagewillberecalculatedbasedonthestudyabroadprogramcosts.It

ispossiblethatyouraidmaydramaticallyincreaseortheremaybenochangeatall.Ifyouhavebeenacommuter,youraidwillbecalculatedasaresidentwhileyouareabroad,soyoumaybeeligibleformore.

• Itispossiblethatyoumayneedtoturntoprivateorparentplusloansinordertocovertheprogramandprovideyouwiththenecessaryspendingmoney.Youmayapplyforadditionalloansthroughourfinancialaidofficeorthroughaprivateprovider.

• AlistofindependentscholarshipsforstudentsstudyingabroadcanbefoundontheDYCstudyabroadwebsite:https://www.dyc.edu/academics/study-abroad/

• Ifyouneedtowithdrawfromstudyabroadforanyreason,makesuretonotifyTheCenterforGlobalInitiativesandrefertotheprogramcontractforrefundinformation.

• Summerprograms:Financialaidisusuallydividedupamongfallandspringsemesters.Ifyouaregoingabroadoverthesummer,youwillhavetoapplyforadditionalaidandneedtobeenrolledinatleast6credits.Pleasenotethataidforsummerprogramscanbeverydifficulttoobtain.

V.MANAGINGYOURMONEYABROADManagingyourfinancesabroadcaninitiallyseemabitdaunting,but,afterafewdaysofnavigatingthesysteminyourhostcountry,youwillfeelalotmorecomfortable.TherearesomeimportantthingstodoandtokeepinmindbeforeyouleaveandwhileyouareabroadthatwillhelpeasethetransitionfromU.S.toforeigncurrency.Wehavelistedthem,alongwithsomegeneraltipsinthissection.

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Todobeforeyouleave:

• ContactyourbankandCreditCardCompanyandletthemknowthatyouwillbeabroadforanextendedamountoftime.Ifthisisnotdone,thebankmaythinktheinternationalusesarefraudulentandlockyouraccount!

• EnsurethatyourATMcardandpinwillworkabroad,andrequestanadditionalATMcard,ifdesired.

• Itisagoodideatogotoyourhostcountrywithasmallamountoflocalcurrency.Dependingonthetimeyouarrive,localbanksmaybeclosed.Althoughmajorairportshavecurrencyexchanges,theyusuallyofferpoorexchangerates.AAAandsomebanksdistributeforeigncurrency,somakesuretochecktherebeforeyouleave.

• Checkwithyourbanktoseewhatkindofcharges,ifany,mayapplywhenusingyourATMcardabroad.Ifthereisacharge,checktoseeifyourbankispartneredwithanyoverseasbankthatdoesnothaveone.

• Stronglyconsiderbringingamajorcreditcardwithyouincaseofemergencies.Ifnotplanningonusingitdaily,keepitinaseparatesafeplacefromyourATM/checkcard.

• CheckwithyourcreditcardcompanytoseeifyouwillbechargedafeeforconvertingtoUSdollars(Usually1%-3%ofyourpurchaseprice).

• Ifbringingacreditcard,knowhowyouwillaccessyourstatementandpayyourmonthlybillbeforeyourdeparture.

• Keepthecontactphonenumbersandcardnumbersforyourbanksandleavewithyourparents/guardians.Ifyourcardsarestolenorlost,thisinformationwillbeimportant.

Whileyouareabroad:

• WhenexchangingAmericancurrency,youwillbechargedapercentcommission.Onceinyourhostcountry,researchthecommissionratesatbanksand“ChangeBureaus”toensurethebestrate.

• Sitessuchashttp://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/andhttp://www.x-rates.com/calculator.htmlcanhelpyouunderstandthemostrecentU.S.dollartoforeigncurrencyexchangerates.

• Inmostcountries,youcannotexchangemoneywithoutshowingyourpassportasidentification.

• ATMstypicallyofferthebestexchangerate,butyourbankmayhaveextrafees.• IfyourbankchargesanextraATMfeefortakingoutmoneyabroad,remembertokeep

thatinmindandminimizeyournumberofvisitsperweek.• ATMsoftenhaveadailylimitof$200-300,soplanaccordingly.

Tipsonbudgetingyourmoney:

• Makeaweekly/dailybudgetbasedonyourtimeabroadandsticktoit.Thiswillsaveyoufrombeinglowoncashduringyourlastmonthortwoabroad.

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• Setasidemoneyinthebeginningifyouareplanningontakingabunchofsidetripsoronebigtrip.

• Rememberallthelittlethingsaddupquickly:taxis,eatingout,personalitems,groceries,etc.

• Trytomakeahabitofcookingforyourselfinsteadofeatingouteveryday.Sharingcookingresponsibilitieswithotherstudentsinyourapartmentcanalsosavemoney.

• Takeadvantageoffreelocalorschool-sponsoredevents.• Shoparoundandcomparepricesatstreetmarketsaswellassmallandlargechain

stores.

VI.BOOKINGYOURFLIGHTDependingonyourprogramtheremaybeagroupflight,butinmostcasesitisyourresponsibilitytogetyourselftoyourhostcountry.CAPAstudentsareresponsibleforbookingtheirownflights.Onceyouhaveconfirmedyourarrival/departuredatesandarecommittedtogoing,startresearchingticketpricestoensurethecheapestoption.

• ForthosetravellingonCAPAprograms,CAPAandTheCenterforGlobalInitiativesatD’Youvillewille-mailyouwiththeexactdateonwhichyouneedtoarrive.YouwillnotbeabletogetintoCAPAhousingearly.Ifyouplantoarriveearlyorleavelater,youwillneedtomakeotherhousingarrangementsonyourown.

• Therearemanydealsforstudentsfortickets,anditisadvisedthatyousearchafewdifferentsitesbeforepurchasingyourticket.Nositeisextremelycheaperthananother,butyoushouldstillshoparoundforthebestprice.Someusefulsitesare:

• STATravel–www.statravel.com• StudentUniverse–www.studentuniverse.com• TravelCuts–https://www.travelcuts.com/• BookingBuddy–www.bookingbuddy.com

• ConsidercoordinatingyourflightwithotherD’Youvillestudentsonthesameprogram,ifleavingfromthesamelocation.YouwillmeettheseindividualsatthePre-departureOrientationandcanexchangeinformation.Travelingwithanotherstudentcansometimeshelpthetripgofasterandmoresmoothly.

VII.PACKINGANDLUGGAGEWhenpackingforyourtrip,therearetwoimportantguidelinestoremember:Don’tover-packanddon’tbringanythingthatyouwouldhatetolose–leaveexpensivejewelryandothervaluablesathome!Otherrecommendationsinclude:

• Makesureyoupacknomorethanyoucancarryyourself!Youwillbecarryingyourluggagearoundairports,intaxis,metros,upanddownstairs,etc..Trytolimityourselftoonesuitcasethatisundertheweightlimitforyourairline,onecarryon,andonepersonalitem.

• Thinkaboutwhereyouwillbestudyingwhenpackingandwhatkindofsituationsyouwillbein.(Whatwilltheweatherbe?Willyouhaveaninternship?Whatislocaldresslikeand

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howwelldoyouwanttofitin?ManycountriesdressmoreformallyorconservativelythantheU.S..)

• Makesureyouhaveallthebasics,butdon’tworryaboutbringingenoughtoiletriesforyourentiretrip.Theytakeupweightinyoursuitcaseandcanbepurchasedoverseas.

• Someimportantitemsnottoforget:• Afewphotosoffamily,friends,andwhereyoulive-manyofthepeopleyouwill

meethaveneverbeentotheUSandwouldenjoyseeingpicturesofyourdailylife.• Backpackorlargetoteforday/weekendtrips-candoubleasyourcarry-on• Comfortablewalkingshoes• Smallitemtobringasgiftifstayingwithahostfamily(regionalgiftsarecustomary)• Flipflopsforshoweringindorms/hostels• Practicalandcomfortableclothingthathasmultipleuses(i.e.itemsyoucanlayer)• Smallsewingkit• Journal• SmallFirstAidkit• Waterproofjacket/umbrella• Smallphrasebook/dictionaryiftravellinginacountrywhereEnglishisnotthe

primarylanguage• Letterofadmissiontohostuniversity/program• Stashoffeminineproducts,over-the-countermedicine(pain-reliever,upset

stomach)• sunscreen,sunglasses• Alock(thiswillcomeinhandyifstayinginhostels)• AlistofimportantcontactinformationforbothD’Youvilleandyourhostprogram• Driver’sLicenseandotherpictureIDs(toproveyouridentityifpassportislost)• CheckwithyourDr.toseeifhe/shewillgiveyouaprescriptiontocoverthe

durationofyourstay.Forcustom’sreasons,keepallmedicineinitsoriginallabeledcontainerandbringtheprescription)withyou.Checkwiththeconsulateofyourhostcountrytoensureyourprescriptionislegaltobringintothecountry.

• Contactlenses/glassesandacopyofyoureyeglassprescription.

Forinternationalflights,airlineswilltypicallyallowyoutocheckonepieceofluggageweighingupto50lbsandnobiggerthan62”insizefreeofcharge.Contactyourairlinetoseewhatyourallowanceis.Youwilltypicallybeallowedanadditionalpersonalitemandcarry-onitem–onmostflightsyourcarry-onluggagecanweighupto40lbsandnotexceed45”insize.

Itemsrecommendedforyourcarry-oninclude:

• Passport• Cash/BankCards/Travelers’Checks• Programacceptanceletter,itinerary,insurancecardsandother

importanttraveldocuments.• Allmedication(pleaseseeaboveforhowtoproperlytravelwithmedication.)• Oneextrasetofclothing

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• Afewsmalltoiletries(Checkwithyourairlinetoseehowtoproperlytravelwiththeseitems)

Notethatanyextraluggageorluggageweighingmorethanyourlimitwillbeveryexpensivetoputontheplaneortoshiphome,somakesuretoweighandmeasureyourluggagebeforeyouleavefortheairport.

Ifyouareplanningonbringinglargerelectricalappliances(i.e.cameracharger,hairiron,laptop,blowdryer,etc)youwillmostlikelyneedavoltageconverterinordertooperatethemabroad.

• Knowwhatkindofvoltageyouwillneedtoconverttoandobtainpropertransformers,adaptersorconverters.Ifyouattempttooperateanappliancewithouttheappropriateconverter,youcouldblowafuse,orevenruinyourappliance!

• Beawarethatmanyconvertersdonotworkwellwithhairappliances.Sometimesitiseasiertobuyitems(blowdryer,curlingiron)inyourhostcountry.It’sanadditionalexpense,butyouwillnothavetoworryaboutblowingafuse.

• Electricityisoftenexpensiveinothercountriesandpeoplearemoreconsciousoftheirenergyusage.Whenyouleavearoom,makesureyouturnthelightsoff.Ifyoudoneedtouseanelectricalappliance,unplugthemwhenyouaredone,especiallyifusingalaptop.

IMPORTANTTIPSforInternationaltravelwithluggage:

• Ifyoudonothaveadirectflighttoyourhostcountry,youmayneedtopickupyourluggageinyourlayovercityatthebaggageclaimandensurethatitmovesthroughcustomsand/orgetstoyournextflight.Askairlinerepresentativesifyouareunsureifthisisyourcase.

• Customdeclarationformsaredistributedonplanesandshouldbepreparedinadvanceofyourarrivalforpresentationtotheimmigrationcustominspectors.Whetherornotyouhaveanythingtodeclare,youmustfilloutatleasttheidentificationsectionoftheform.

• Uponentryyoumustshowyourpassport,turninyourcustomsdeclarationform,andpassthroughthebaggagecheck.Entryprocedureswillvarybycountry.

• Clearlylabelyourluggagebothinsideandoutwithyourname,address,andphonenumber.• Ifyourluggageisaneutralcolorsuchasblackornavy,usingcolorfulluggagetagsorastripof

coloredtape/ribbonwillhelpyouidentifyitamongsimilarbaggage.• Beforeyouleave,makeaninventoryofalloftheitemsinyourcheckedluggageincaseitislost

andyouneedtomakeaclaim.

VIII.HOUSINGBynow,youshouldknowifyouhavesignedupforahomestayorsharedstudenthousing.Dependingonyourlocation,sharedstudenthousingmaybeinadormoncampusorinapartmentswithincommutingdistanceofyouracademiccenter.Eachoptionhasitsprosandconsanditisuptoyoutodecidewhichthebestisforyou.

Beforeyouleave:

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• Onceyouhaveit,leaveyourinternationaladdressandphonenumberwiththeCenterforGlobalInitiatives.

• Learnwhatthepolicyisforvisitorswhereyouarestaying.Itmaybeagainstyourprogram’sregulationstohavevisitorsinyourhomeorapartment.MostCAPAprogramsdonotallowovernightguestsinhomestays,dormitoriesorapartments.

Afteryoumovein:• Youmayormaynothaveinternetaccessinyourhome.Ifnot,internetcafésaretypically

readilyavailable.Youruniversity/programcenterwillhaveinternetaswell.• Beawarethatdependingonwhereyouliveinrelationtoyourschool,youmayhavea

lengthycommutetoclass.Thisisnormalforindividualsinothercountriesorlargecitiesandyoumaybesurprisedathowquicklyyouadjust.

• Ifyouhaveanyproblemswithyourhousingarrangement,pleasecontactyourlocalResidentDirectorfirst,theycanhelpyouresolveroommateconflicts.Ifyoufeelatallunsafeinyourhousing,leaveimmediatelyforasecurelocation.NotifyyourlocalResidentDirectorimmediately.

• Beflexibleandpatient,ittakestimetogetusedtonewsettings,customs,schedules,etc.• Talkopenlywithyourhostfamilyorroommatesifthereisaproblem.

IX.MEALS

• Yourhousingarrangementwilldeterminehowyoureceiveyourmeals.• MostuniversitiesabroadhavefewerdiningoptionsthanU.S.universities.• Ifyouarelivingoncampus,youmayhaveakitcheninyourdormtocookmeals.Theremayalsobea

dininghall/cafeteria,somakesuretomakeuseofthosespaces.• Homestayswillprovideyouwithtwomealsaday(usuallybreakfastanddinner).• Ifyouliveinanapartmentwithotherstudentsyouwillbeexpectedtoprovidemealsforyourself. • Askyourprogramstaffforrecommendationsonwheretogetthebestlocalcuisine,anddon’tbe

afraidtotrysomethingnew!

X.TRAVELWHILEABROAD

Studentswhostudyabroadregularlytaketheopportunitytoexplorenotonlytheirhostcitybutalsosurroundingcitiesandevenothernearbycountries.Therearemanyresourcestohelpyoudothisinthecheapest,safest,andmostefficientway.Afewgeneralrulesinclude:

• Alwaysleaveyouritinerarywithyourhostfamilyorafriendsotheyknowwhereyouwillbeandwhenyouareexpectedtoreturn.Studentsarediscouragedfromtravelingalone.

• You’vehearditbefore,buthitchhikingisNEVERrecommended.• IflivinginEurope,aEurailPasscanbeagooddealifyouareplanningondoingalotof

traveling.Therearedifferentpackagesandratessodoyourresearchbeforepurchasing!Note:AEurailPasscanonlybemailedtoyourhomeaddressintheU.S.,soplanahead!

• Inmanycases,thebestwaytotravel,especiallyinEurope,iswithbudgetairlines.Oftenyoucanflycheaperthantakingatrain.

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• Theairfarewithmanyofthesesitesisgenerallyverycheap,buttheydonotalwaysflytothemajorairports;therefore,youmighthavetopayasmallfeeforataxiorbustogettothecitycenter.

• Somebudgetairlinesinclude:• EasyJet–www.easyjet.com• RyanAir–www.ryanair.com• BMI–www.flybmi.com

• Whenbookingthroughthebudgetairlines,beflexiblewithdatesandtimesoftravel.Itisnormallymoreexpensivetoflyduringtheweekendsandonholidays.

• Beorganizedandplanasmuchofyoursemestertravelearlytogetthebestdeals.• Hostelsaregenerallythemostinexpensiveaccommodationoptionfortravel.Typically

hostelsinvolveasharedroom/dormitoryandbathroomwithanywherefrom2-12people.Roomscanbeallmale,allfemale,ortheycanbemixed.Whencheckingforhostelsduringyourstay,lookforwhatkindofroomwillworkforyouandyourbudget.

• HostelscanbeagreatplacetomeetotherAmericanaswellasinternationalstudentsstudyingabroad.

• Alwayslockupyourbelongingsifalockerisprovided.Ifalockerisnotprovided,sleepwithyourpassport,moneyandotherimportantmaterialsonyourbody.

• Bookyourhostelinadvancetobesureyouhaveabedforthenight.• Noteifyourhostelhasacurfew-youdon’twanttogetlockedoutandspendthe

nightonthestreet!• Writedownthephonenumberandlocationofyourhostelbeforetraveling.• www.hostelworld.comisagoodplacetostartwhenresearchingoptions.

• Therearemanyguidebooksfortheinternationaltraveler.Dependingonthebook,theyaregearedtowardsthebudgettraveler,givingadviceonfood,travel,lodging,andtouristaswellasnon-touristsites.SomeofthemostpopularbooksareLetsGo!,LonelyPlanet,andRickSteves.

Studentsoftengetcaughtupintravelingeveryweekend.Remembertosavesomeweekendsforrelaxinglocallyandexploringyourhostcity!

XI.HEALTHANDSAFETYStudyingabroadisnotinherentlydangerous,andlargemetropolitancitiesabroadoftenhavecrimeratescomparabletoorlowerthanthoseofU.S.majorcities.Nevertheless,safetyshouldbeyournumberoneprioritywhentravelingabroad.Akeytostayingsafeabroadistousecommonsenseandgoodjudgmentandtobeawareofyoursurroundings.Ifyouwouldn’tdosomethingintheUnitedStates,chancesareyoushouldn’tbedoingitabroadeither.Pleasetakethetimetoreadthroughthesesafetytips.

• RegisterwithTheSMARTTravelerEnrollmentProgramhttps://step.state.gov/step/• Keepinformedofcurrentpoliticalsituations.• Ifyoufindyourselfinthemiddleofaprotest,leavetheareaimmediately.• StateDepartmenttipsfortravelers–www.travel.state.gov

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• ConsularInformationSheetsandTravelWarnings–http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings.html

• CheckoutHTHWorldwide'sseriesonstudenthealth&safetyforstudyabroadonYouTube

CrimePreventionWhenoutinpublic,especiallyalone,youcanlimitthelikelihoodofbecomingatargetfortheft,harassment,orpotentialassaultbyappearinglesslikeatouristandmorelikealocal.

• Tipstoblendin:• Adaptyourdressandmannerismstothelocals.• AvoidwearinganythingthatlooksstereotypicallyAmerican.Ex:baseballhats,

universityt-shirts,clothingwithstorelogosonthem(i.e.NorthFacejackets).• Speakthelocallanguagewhenpossible.• Avoidhangingoutatplacesthatareknownas“Americanhangouts”.• Avoidtravelinginlarge“packs”ofAmericans;breakintosmallergroupsto

navigatepublicwalkways.• Walkwithpurposeandconfidence,evenifyouaren’t100%surewhereyouare.

• Ifyougetlost,conspicuouslystaringatamaporlookingaroundconfusedmaybringunwantedattention.Findasafeplacesuchasastoreorabankandreevaluateyoursituationoraskfordirections.

• Don’twalkaloneatnight.• Beawareofpickpockets.Pick-pocketingisextremelycommoninforeigncountries.

Reportedtheftsmostoftenoccuratcrowdedtouristsites,onpublicbusesortrains,oratmajorrailwaystations.Pickpocketsmaybewelldressedorworkwithchildren,sodonotbelulledintoasenseofsecurityjustbyappearances.Oftentheywillworkwithanaccomplicewhowill:

• Jostleyou.• Askyoufordirectionsorthetime.• Pointtosomethingonyourclothes.• Distractyoubycreatingadisturbance.

• Alwayskeepyourbagsinsightandtouchingsomepartofyourbody,anddon’tcarrylargeamountsofcash.Donotputcash/wallets/valuablesinyourbackpocket.

• Eventhoughitisn’talwayspopularwithstudents,wearingamoneybeltorneckpouchcanreallycutdowntheriskoftheft.Youcanalwayskeepalittlebitofcashinyourfrontpocketsorpurseforsmallexpensessoyoudon’thavetoaccessthepouchveryoften.

• Ifyouareconfronted,don’tfightback;giveupyourvaluables,theycanbereplaced!• IncertaincountriestheremaybestereotypesaboutAmericanwomenand/orwomenmay

faceextraunwantedattention.It’sbestnottorespondinanywaytocatcallsandtobefirm,assertive,anddirectinyourwordsandactionssotheyarenotmisconstrued.

LocalLawandProgramRegulations

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Whileyouareabroad,youaresubjecttothelocalcountry’slawsandregulations,yourstudyabroadprogram’spolicies,aswellasD’Youville’sCommunityStandards.It’simportanttofamiliarizeyourselfwiththesepoliciesandlocallawspriortoleavingtheU.S.Ifyouviolatelawsabroad,youmaybeexpelled,arrestedorevenimprisoned.Eachyear2,500Americanstudentsarearrestedoverseas.OncearrestedtheUSConsulate/EmbassyCANNOTgetyouout;however,theycanprovidesuggestionsforlocalattorneysandlegalservicesandhelpensureyouarenotdiscriminatedagainst.

• It’simportanttobeawarethatmanycountrieshavelawsregardingalcoholandotherdrugusethatcanbemoreseverethanlawsintheU.S.Forexample,inSpain,thosecaughtwithillegaldrugssuchasmarijuanacanbesentencedupto12yearsinprison.Chinaalsohasverystrictdrugslaws.Governmentinformationondrugsabroad:https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/go/drugs.html

• Ifyouarearrestedabroad,USlawswillnotapply(i.e.youmaynothaveoptionofbail,youmayhavealengthypre-trialdetention,youmightnotreceiveajurytrial).

• Ifyoudogetintrouble,contactyourprogramdirectorimmediatelyandtheU.S.Consulate.• Payattentionduringyourprogram’sorientationsessionandabidebytherules,aswellas

totheregulationssetforthinD’Youville’sCommunityStandards.• Ifyoubreakthesepolicies,youcouldriskvarioussanctionssuchasexpulsionfromthe

programwithoutrefund,aswellasdisciplinarymeasuresbackonD’Youville’scampus.

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U.S.Embassy/ConsulateContactInformationforCAPALocations.

AlcoholConsumption

Excessivealcoholconsumptionisthegreatestriskfactorforstudyabroadstudents.Drinkingwhilesocializingisthenorminmanycountriesanditisyourdecisionasanadult.However,ifyouchoosetodrink,weurgeyoutodosoresponsibly.Notonlycanyouriskyourphysicalwellbeing,youaremuchmorevulnerabletoviolence,theft,orotheralcoholrelatedcrimes.Tips:

• Donotgohomealoneorletfriendsgohomebythemselves.Ifyoushareataxiwithafriend,makesureyouareallgoingtothesameplacesonooneisalone.

• Knowhowyouwillgethome(e.g.howdoespublictransportationrunatnight?)• Nevertakeadrinkfromastrangerorleaveyourdrinkunattended.Watchthebartender

pouryourdrink.Thesafestrouteistoonlyorderbottleddrinksthatyouseeopened.• Neverdrinkanddrive,evenifyou’veonlyhadonedrink.Manycountrieshaveevenstricter

lawsondrinkinganddrivingthantheUSandyoucouldendupinjail.• Stayhydratedanddonotdrinkonanemptystomach.• Paceyourselfandkeeptrackofhowmuchyouaredrinking.

HealthandWellBeing

Ifyoubecomeillduringyourtimeabroad,yourprogramstaffcanassistyouinsettingupadoctor’sorpharmacyvisit.If,forwhateverreason,yourequireadditionalassistanceinlocatingaphysician,oftentheU.S.embassyorconsulatecanalsomakerecommendations.

• TheHTHWorldwideInsuranceyouwererequiredtopurchasewillallowyoutovisitadoctorwithoutpayinganyexpensesoutofpocket.Usethisinsurancefirst.CAPAalsoprovidesadditionalinsuranceforeachstudent,buttypicallyyouwillhavetopayupfrontandgetreimbursed.Saveallreceiptsandmedicaldocumentsyoureceive.

• Stayup-to-dateonyourcountry’scurrenthealthsituationathttp://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/go/health.html

Itisnormaltoexperiencesomeadjustmentissuesorcultureshock.Cultureshockreferstothemental,physical,andemotionaladjustmenttoanewenvironment.Itiscompletelynaturalandshouldbeembracedratherthanpushedaway.Therearefourstagesofcultureshock:

• InitialEuphoria–Duringthefirstfewweekspeoplearefascinatedbytheirnewculture.Youlovethefood,thebuildings,thepeople;everythingaroundyouisnewandexciting.Inashortvisittoanewcountryvisitorsmayneverleavethisstage.

• CulturalConfrontation–Yourinitialexcitementdiminishesandtheprocessofculturaladjustmentbegins.Everythingseemsmuchmoredifficultandoverwhelming.Evendailytaskssuchasgoingtoclass,doinglaundryandbuyingfoodcanbeachallenge.Youmayfeeldepressed,homesick,lonelyandfrustrated.

• CulturalAdjustment–Youwillslowlylearnwaystocopewiththeculturaldifferences.Youlearntoobservethosearoundyouandbecomemoreopenminded.Youmakefriendswithlocalsandthedailytasksthatwereachallengearebecomingmucheasier.

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• CulturalAdaptation–Youfinallyfeelcomfortableinyourhostcountryandestablisharoutine.Youappreciatethedifferencesandintegratethemintoyourdailylife.Whileyoulookforwardtoseeingyourfriendsandfamilyathome,youknowyouwillmissyourtimeabroad.

Studyabroadisfunandexciting,butitcanalsobechallenging.Ifyoufeeluncomfortable,nervous,stressed,orhomesickatanytime,restassuredyouarenottheonlyone,evenifitfeelslikeitatthetime!Inthelongrun,goodthingscancomeoutoffacingthesechallengessuchaspersonalgrowthandgreaterindependence.Afewtipstohelpyourselfadjustmoreeasily:

• Researchbeforeyouleave.Readaboutyourhostcityandcountryandtakeadvantageofopportunitiestotalktoveterantravelersoftheregionorinternationalstudents.

• Talktoyourfriendsand/orroommateswhenyouarefeelinghomesick.Chancesaretheyarehavingorhavehadsimilarfeelingsatsomepointandtalkingaboutitwillhelpyoufeellessisolated.Homesicknessisnothingtobeembarrassedabout!

• Giveyourselfsometime.Ifyouarriveandfeelcompletelyoverwhelmedorunhappy,trytocommittoatleastamonthofkeepinganopenmindandgivingyournewhomeachance.Ifyoudecidetoleaveearly,notetheprogramcontractregardingrefunds.

• Betolerantofotherculturesandhaveasenseofhumor.It’shealthytoacknowledgeandthinkaboutthedifferencesbetweencultures,buttrytoresistmakingvaluejudgmentsoralwayscomparingthingstoyourhomeculture.

• Getinvolved.Takeadvantageofthemanyactivitiespresentedtoyouandtrynewthings.• Seekinformation,askquestions,andletgoofyourassumptions.

Ifyouarecurrentlydealingwithdepression,anxiety,oranyothermentalhealthissuesorhavepreviouslystruggledwiththeseconcerns,knowthatstudyingabroadsometimesaddsstressandexacerbatestheseissuesinstudents.Discussyourplanstostudyabroadwithyourdoctorand/orcounselorsoyoucancreateanindividualizedplanforcontinuingcareorpotentialproblemswhileyouareabroad.Ifyouaretakingmedication,beawarethatsomepsychiatricmedicationsareunavailableorillegalinothercountries.Checkbeforeyougoandarrangeforsuitablealternativeifnecessary.Bringthecontactinformationforyourcounselor/doctorandknowthatyoucanalsoaskyourCAPAprogramstaffforassistanceingettingthehelpyouneedifyouareexperiencinganymentalhealthconcernsabroad.XII.STAYINGINTOUCHWeknowthatstayingintouchwithfamilyandfriendsbackhomeisimportanttoyouandwehopeyouwillcheckinregularlywithyourfamilytoupdatethemonyouradventuresandassurethemofyoursafety.Rememberthatyouneedtimetoadaptandcallingande-mailinghometoooftencanmakeitimpossibleforyoutogetinvolvedinyourhostcountry.Afewsuggestions:

• Discusshowandwhenyouwillcontactyourparentsuponarrivalinyourhostcountry.• CellPhonescaneitherbeboughtorrenteddependingonyourcountry.

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• Itistypicallymuchcheapertogetaphoneinyourhostcountrythanuseyourphonefromhome.

• Evenifyoudonotthinkyouwilluseyourphoneoftenitisgoodtohaveincaseofemergencyandtogetaholdofpeopleyoumeetorothersinyourgroup.

• Investigateifaphonecardcanhelpmakeyourcallshomelessexpensive.• Cellphoneplansaredifferentineachcountry;makesureyouknowwhatyourrates

areandallpoliciestoavoidexpensivecharges.• Textingisverywidelyusedinmanycountriesandoftencheaperthencalling.

• OneofthecheapestwaystomakecallstotheUSiswithSkype.• Signingupisfreeatwww.Skype.com.• Computertocomputercallsarefree.ComputertoaUSphoneis$.02.• Telephonelikequalitywithvideoandvoicemailalsoavailable.

• Telephones• Ifyouwillbeusingalocaltelephonemakesureyouknowthelongdistancerates.• Buyingaphonecardcanhelpwiththesecosts.• Localcallstolandlinesandcellphonescanbeveryexpensiveinyourhostcountry.• Ifyouareinahomestay,makesureyouknowandabidebythehouserulesfor

telephoneusage.• E-mail,ofcourse,canbethecheapestandmostefficientoptiontokeepintouch.Evenifyou

donothaveinternetathome,itisusuallyeasyenoughtofindaccessfrominternetcafesoryourprogramcenter.

• Somestudentshavealsofoundbloggingtobeagreatwaytokeepalargenumberofpeopleupdatedontheirlifeabroad,aswellasagoodoutlettodocumenttheirtrip

XIII.MISCELLANEOUSHelpfullinksforwomenstudents,studentsofcolor,studentswithdisabilities,andGLBTstudentsonstudyabroad:

• http://studyabroad.isp.msu.edu/people/students_underrepresented.html• http://www.journeywoman.com• http://studyabroad.colorado.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Abroad.ViewLink&Parent_ID=0&

Link_ID=6E204190-009B-E1E0-D27FB8091127949E

InternationalStudentIdentificationCard(ISIC):ItisrecommendedthateverystudentpurchaseanISICcardbeforegoingabroad.Thepricerangesdependingonwhatcountryyouaregoingtobutgenerallyisaround$22.WithanISICCardyouwillreceivebasicsupplementalemergencyevacuationandrepatriationinsurance,discountairfare(insomecases),andnumerousstudentdiscountsabroad.www.isic.org

PowerofAttorney:Beforegoingabroad,youcandesignateafamilymemberortrustedfriendasyourPowerofAttorney.YourPowerofAttorneyisyourrepresentativewhocanhandlelegalandfinancialmattersonyourbehalf.PowerofAttorneyformscanbedownloadedfromwww.uslegalforms.com.

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Taxes:Ifyouareabroadduringthespringsemester,youwillbeabroadontaxday,April15th.Youhaveacoupleoptionsforfilingyourtaxes:

• AskyourPowerofAttorneytofileyourtaxesforyou.YoumustsendapowerofattorneyformtotheIRS.

• TheU.S.Embassycanusuallyalsohelpwithtaxquestions/concerns.• Fileforanextension.YoumustfileyourextensionbeforetheApril15thdeadline.VisittheIRS

websitetolearnmoreaboutfilinganextensionandgeneralinformationaboutfilingyourtaxeswhileyou’reabroad.www.irs.gov

Voting:Ifyouareabroadduringanelectionyearandwanttovote,youcanvotebyabsenteeballot.MostembassieshavepersonnelwhospecializeinabsenteevotingforU.S.citizens.

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FinancialAidOfficeD’YouvilleCollege320PorterAve.,KAB208Buffalo,NewYork14201-9985Phone:(716)829-7500or(800)777-3921Fax:(716)829-7779Email:financialaid@dyc.eduFinancialAidOnline:http://www.dyc.edu/admissions/financial-aid-scholarships/resources/FillintheNameandContactInformationforyouracademicadviserhere:________________________________________________________________________________________________________OnlineAdvisement:http://www.dyc.edu/offices/advisement/advising_form.aspPersonalCounselingCenterPhone:1(716)829-7819http://www.dyc.edu/campus-life/support-services/personal-counseling.aspx

CenterForGlobalInitiativesD’YouvilleCollege320PorterAve.,DACSuite219Buffalo,NewYork14201-9985Fax:1(716)829-7691LaryssaPetryshyn,AssociateVP,GlobalEducationPhone:1(716)829-8119Email:petryshl@dyc.eduAnnSoares,InternationalStudentandStudyAbroadAdvisorPhone:1(716)829-8114Email:soaresa@dyc.eduRegistrarD’YouvilleCollege320PorterAve.,KAB221Buffalo,NewYork14201-9985Phone:1(716)829-8347Fax:1(716)829-7622Email:registrar@dyc.eduCourseSchedules,Forms,andOnlineRegistration:http://www.dyc.edu/academics/registrar/forms.aspxD’YouvilleAcademicCalendarhttp://calendar.dyc.edu/CareerServicesCenterChristineDemcie,DirectorALTBuilding,Rm315-316Phone:1(716)829-7688Fax:1(716)829-8367Email:demciec@dyc.eduhttp://www.dyc.edu/academics/student-resources/career-services/

XVI.IMPORTANTCONTACTINFORMATIONFORD’YOUVILLEOFFICESTakethissheetwithyouwhileyouareabroadandyou’llhavesomeimportantcontactinformationhandyincaseyoueverneedit.