PRE-DEPARTUREMake sure you have everything organised early. There are a lot of forms to fill out and a lot of things to do so it can become quite overwhelming. Although in saying that everything is pretty straight forward, just be early and organised and don’t be afraid to ask Louise or Amy, they are there to help!

TRAVELGet your flights early! The later you book them the more expensive they will be. Stick to well known airlines and book through an agent. It doesn’t cost you a thing! It’s a long flight, a little less than 15 hours; so try to book an overnight flight so you can sleep. If you can’t sleep on planes I suggest you take a book or iPad to keep you occupied. I flew with Virgin Australia and strongly recommend them; they make the flight very comfortable and offer entertainment, food and refreshments all included with your ticket.

All luggage restrictions are different so check with the airline you travel with but it is usually 7kg for carry on and 23kg for checked in. Although they only weigh you checked in baggage. You are also allowed a handbag, backpack or other bag along with your carry on case (but they aren’t very strict with carry on).

When you arrive in America make sure you have all your documentation with you in a folder, the more you have the better! This will hopefully make it a quciker process for you. They are not the nicest at immigration so just be polite and clear and be prepared.

INSURANCEAgain book through a well-known company. I strongly recommend you do the extra research and get private travel insurance so you don’t have to get the university’s policy as well, a little of your time will save a lot of your money.

CAMPUSThe UNCW campus is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen! Easy to walk, bike and skate around.

In terms of accommodation everyone will want a different experience. If you like your privacy I strongly suggest the University Apartments as this is the only option where you get a private room. If you are looking for a dorm experience you will either want Suites or I-House. I-House is more suitable for the underage crowd, as anyone under 21 will automatically be put there.

In terms of meal plans everyone will be different again. All of the meal plans include things called meal swipes and food dollars. Meal swipes get you into a buffet, which is unlimited food for that one visit, whereas food dollars buy you small lunches, snacks and groceries. There are three places to eat around campus, Wag, Dubs and Hawks Nest. Wag is the main dining hall which is a buffet service, dubs is similar to wag with buffet service, just smaller and Hawks is a cafeteria with numerous stores including Subway, Chick-fil-A, a smoothie store, a grill etc. There are also numerous convenient stores around campus as well as a Dunkin’ Donuts!

If you are interested a fellow CSU student and I shot a short video showing the campus and everything I just mentioned above while we were living on campus. The link is https://vimeo.com/69221003

If you have any further questions regarding what options are best for you, looking up the UCNW International Student facebook group or emailing a past international student are great ideas! I would be more than happy to answer any questions you have. You can contact me at adelepacker@live.com.au

COURSE INFORMATIONMake sure you have a clear agreement with your subject coordinator at all times. The last thing you want is to arrive back in Australia and find out your subjects haven’t been credited. If you have any questions about specific courses the UNCW staff are great and reply to student emails promptly.

TRANSPORTAs I mentioned before UNCW is a bike/skateboard friendly campus and very easy to navigate. It will be a little confusing at first but you will get the hang of it very quickly! Seahawk Buses run regularly around campus and downtown and are free with your UNCW One Card. If you like biking I suggest buying a second hand bike for around campus either from past students or Craigslist (American Gum Tree). For off campus transport taxis are the best bet, they are super cheap especially when you share with a group! Also don’t be afraid to ask the orientation leaders for a ride, they are there to help!

EXPENSESMake sure you outline all of your expenses before you leave, or at least attempt to. Ie. Passport, visa, flights, accommodation, meal plan, books, holiday travel, general spending etc. Know your budget and keep track of it! My best tip is to withdraw a certain amount of cash for a week or two-week period, that way you know what you are spending.

HOLIDAY TRAVELAmerica is relatively cheap to travel around so I suggest doing as much travel as you can. If you are looking to do weekend travel there are a lot of small cities in close proximity of Wilmington such as Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Boone. If you are looking to go a little further New York and Washington DC are great! You can also go as far as the West coast, Mexico, Canada or The Bahamas. Just remember if you are leaving the border check with Amy for all the requirements you need to get back in to the country.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIESUNCW has an abundance of university clubs, sport teams and activities to partake in. If you are interested in any of these there is a Clubs Night at the start of each semester that you can attend and find what club is right for you.

CULTURAL INFORMATIONJust remember you will be living in a foreign country so things will be completely different from home. Just use your common sense and know the rules and you will have a great time.

WEATHERAlthough North Carolina is considered the South it is quite Northern so remember it can get cold. Depending on what semester you will be attending you will need both warm (Spring/our semester one) and cool (Summer/our semester two) clothes. I do however suggest taking both warm and cool clothes because Wilmington weather can be a bit erratic at times.

WHAT TO BRING FROM HOME/WHAT NOT TO BRINGI suggest packing as little as you can, just the bare essentials such as clothes, electronics (including a power adaptor) and some luxuries to keep the homesickness at bay. Just remember what you take over with you, you need to bring back home!

WHAT YOU MAY NEED TO BUYYou will need to buy linen and essentials like a lamp, mirror etc. I strongly recommend finding the facebook group for UNCW international students and see what bargains are on there. A lot of students that are leaving sell their stuff including cheap bikes!

RELATIONSHIPSIf you are worried about making friends at UNCW, don’t be! Between other international students, house mates, room mates, class mates and people you meet out and about you won’t have anytime to be by yourself. Wilmington is the friendliest city I’ve lived in and I’m sure you will agree with me if you choose to as well.

How you choose to communicate with people at home is a totally personal decision, some people contact home once a month and some once a day. Just remember loosing contact with your friends is not the end of the world and definitely not worth feeling guilty over. They understand that this is a busy and exciting time of your life and you don’t need to be caught up trying to skype all the time. Just remember to send mum and dad a quick message every now and then too! I know it can be annoying but they are just as excited as you and would love to hear what you’re doing!