Studying abroad is an amazing experience that allows students to see the world and learn about societies different from their own. Many students completely squander this opportunity by wasting time dealing with common travel pit-falls or having short but intense affairs with mysterious, foreign lovers. While we can’t really help you with the latter, here are our tips for handling with the former.
• Avoid drinking the water in countries where sanitation systems are inferior to the US. Also, avoid eating fruits and vegetables recently washed in potentially unsanitary water. In fact, your safest bet is to adopt a gamer-like diet of frozen entrees and Code Red.
• To prevent a kidnapping, exclaim that your father is a retired CIA field operative to every new person that you meet.
• Spice up your passport photo by wearing a silly little hat native to your destination. This will let the locals know that you respect their culture.
• Good suitcases have handles. Better suitcases roll. The best suitcases fly.
• Avoid boring tourist traps that waste your time and money. Also avoid regular traps, that imprison you and hold you captive.
• Exchange rates and currency can be confusing. A safe bet, especially when visiting multiple countries in a single semester, is to carry Chuck-E-Cheese tokens instead of dollars. These can be exchanged in any Chuck-E-Cheese in the world for nice prizes.
• Be careful when pronouncing Barcelona. If you ask to go to Barthelona, your tour guide will take you to a beautiful Spanish city. If you ask to see Bartalona, you will meet the small, rude yellow boy himself.
Written by Ella Hickman, Contributor