This is most definitely a post for those list lovers out there, who stress to the point that a list no longer suffices, and in its place there is a list of lists. What is this? I hear you ask. Well a list of lists is a way of telling whether you have completely lost the plot in a pre year abroad panic, trying to check off various "To Do's" whilst remembering what you haven't done or should be doing. It's fair to say that without said lists, I have no idea where I am. Hearing people reel off the million things I need to do flies straight over my head, but only induces more panic when I have no idea if I've done the things they have mentioned or not.
To start with, Facebook pages seem to pop up all over the place once you start to find out details of where you may be staying on your Year Abroad. These are a great way of meeting new people (potential Year Abroad Friends), asking questions, and departing information you may have stumbled upon. However, there is a darker side to these sites...
Ok, not that dark. Just highly frustrating at times. Scaremongering (but it's not even deliberate). Take, for example, my "has anyone found a good, reasonably priced translator for their birth certificate?" question. All I wanted in response was a "yes, here's their email". But no. Suddenly people were introducing all sorts of issues. It's only valid for a certain length of time, but what if this, and what if that... blah blah blah. I'm stressed enough as it is people. I don't need to worry about your problems too!
Ok, back to topic. Lists. You can't check off things that need to be done if you have no idea what these things are. I've found that making lists under various subheadings is helping me know that I am heading somewhere, even if it is at snail pace.
1. Documentation (about you).
- Passport
- EHIC
- Birth Certificate
- Translation of birth certificate*
- Medical form (this gets sent to you through British Council)
- Student ID
- Insurance Policy
*For my translation of my birth certificate I made a list (crazy I know!) of all the different translators in my area, added to that list were recommendations from Facebook. I sent each one the same email, asking whether they accepted a scanned copy of my birth certificate, as I don't fancy posting out mine to a random French person, and how much they charge for the service. After receiving replies, I picked the cheapest. I don't think you can go too far wrong with Name, D.O.B. etc. Prices ranged from 30 to 48 euros.
2.Documents for your placement
- Anything received via post, contract, contacts etc.
- British council emails confirming your post.
3.Contacts
- University contacts
- Placement contacts (responsable, school addresses)
- Family
- Friends
- Insurer
- UK bank (you never know)
- British council
4. Travel docs
- Tickets for train, plane, but etc
- Discount cards ( railcard)
- Make notes of luggage restrictions
- Different possible routes or modes of transport
- Times and itinerary of journeys
5. Luggage
- What do you need to pack for the immediate future?
- Can you use services such as Send My Bag to ship over your winter woolies?
- Medication - prescriptions and even simple things like ibuprofen.
- Toiletries- do you need a certain shampoo or shower gel that you can't buy abroad?
- Same for make up- maybe take what you need rather than buying it there.
6. University Stuff
It's a good idea to make sure you know what you need to be doing in terms of Uni work while you're abroad. You may get so caught up in your new life that you forget about a deadline which means failed work. Maybe set out a calendar of due dates for work so you know when things need to be done by.
This leads me on to my final point. Calendars. It's a visual way of planning your time. Make notes of paydays, Student Loan days, holidays, homework deadlines etc etc. This way you can plan ahead with time. Undoubtedly there will be classmates you want to visit during your time abroad, and people will want to visit you. If all your plans are written down in one place, you'll be able to make the most of your time, and hopefully learn more while you are abroad.
Obviously this is not an exhausted list, and people doing different placements, or studying abroad will leave out, and include different things. Please let me know if there's anything I've forgotten! I'm sure over the coming weeks I'll remember other bits and bobs that I need to sort out, but for now this will do!
Bonsoir
xx
