- Currency information
- Affirmation of Reading and Downloading Pre-Departure Information
- Forms to be completed before leaving campus
- Getting ready for the transition
- Housing
- Items to Review Prior to Departure
- Non-US students
- Passports
- Preparations
- Student visas
- Travel arrangements
Before you leave....
As you prepare to leave Bucknell for your new and exciting off-campus experience, you are going to have a lot on your mind. You have to say goodbye to friends, pack up your room, and plan for the following semester, year, or summer off-campus. However, before you leave, there are a few important things that you need to remember to do.
Preparing to go abroad can be stressful and confusing at times. During the semester before you study off campus, make a checklist for yourself of all of the tasks, forms and paperwork that you need to complete before you even set foot on your program’s campus. Each item or goal that you check off the list will make your life that much easier. On this page, we’ve listed a few of the general items that should be taken care of before you leave Bucknell, but be sure to read your program information thoroughly to make sure that you get everything done before your departure!
Transfer of Credit Form
Have you chosen all of the courses that you will be taking off-campus (including alternate courses, in case you cannot get your first choices!), checked the Previously Approved Course List, and obtained the proper department chair’s approval for courses not on that list? For more information, see the Course and Credit Transfer page! Make sure you hand this form into the registrar by the deadline.
Assumption of Risk Form
Have you carefully read this form, discussed it with your parents or guardian, signed it, and submitted it to the Office of International Education?
Medical Forms
If you are about to study with a Bucknell Approved program, you must fill out a medical form indicating any health issues or concerns that the Office of International Education should know about prior to your departure. Often, programs will ask you to submit a separate health form to them, and some programs may ask you to schedule a physical or receive vaccinations or medications before embarking on the program. If you are studying with a "Bucknell in" program, you need to fill out a medical form as well, but you are also asked to schedule a physical (which can be completed at the Zeigler Health Center).
Students who will be off-campus in the fall and returning to Bucknell for the spring semester must make arrangements with the Office of Housing and Residential Life for a room upon their return to Bucknell.
Students who will be off-campus for a full year or in the spring should either make arrangements for a friend to select their housing lottery number or apply for approval to live off-campus, as well as consult the Office of Housing and Residential Life. There are several forms that must be filled out before you leave campus, so be sure to check with the OHRL or their website.
On top of Bucknell forms and requirements that need to be completed before you leave campus, you should also be aware of individual program requirements and forms. Check your program brochure or acceptance packet for more information about what you need to complete before you begin your program. Here are a few possible requirements:
If you are leaving the country, you will need a passport. Passports are essential documents for students studying off-campus, allowing you to travel from country to country and serving as a form of international identification. If you already have a passport, be sure that your passport will not expire before your program is scheduled to conclude!
If you do not have a passport, you will need to apply for one as soon as possible. If you apply by mail, allow for at least two months for your passport to be processed and mailed to your address. You can pick up forms to apply for your passport at your local post office, or download them from the United States Department of State website.
Once you have obtained your passport, make several copies of the inside front cover. Leave one copy at home and pack a copy in your luggage. When you arrive at your program country, you should register with the United States Embassy in that country. Should your passport be lost or stolen at any point during your off-campus experience, copies of your passport and international registration will speed up your re-application process. There is nothing worse than being stranded in a foreign country without identification!
Many programs, including the "Bucknell in" programs, offer group flight opportunities to facilitate your overseas travel. Often these flights are offered at reduced rates, and all you have to do on your own is travel to the airport from which the group flight will depart. If you are studying off-campus with a Bucknell approved program, group flights can also be a great way to meet other students on your program.
If you will not be taking a group flight, make sure that you notify your program of your travel plans so that they can meet you at the airport or help you to arrange for transportation. Arriving in a new country, particularly if you are unfamiliar with the language, can be overwhelming and make an unwelcome first impression. Making arrangements with your program will eliminate these problems!
Before leaving the country, you should familiarize yourself with the currency of your destination country. Websites such as the Universal Currency Converter can give you up-to-date exchange rates for currencies from around the world. Knowing the exchange rates will help you to budget your expenditures. Without knowing how much you are spending in terms of US dollars, it is easy to overspend, and you may find yourself low on personal funds before the end of the semester. Establishing a budget with the exchange rate in mind will help to alleviate this problem, allowing you to do more with your money (E.g. I can only afford to spend $150 per week while I am in Sweden, and since there are 7 Swedish kronor in a US dollar, I know that I can spend 1050 kronor each week.)
There are several ways to exchange money while you are abroad. Some people purchase currency before leaving the US, others purchase travelers checks, but the most effective way to exchange money with the best rates is through a debit card or credit card. Debit cards allow you to withdraw money instantly, and money can be deposited into a debit account from the US, which could be valuable in the case of an emergency. Some students choose to set up bank accounts upon arrival in their host country. Consult your program on the best exchange rate practices for your host country.
Many programs require specific student visas in order to study in a country for an extended period of time. Consult your program brochure or acceptance materials for information about what kind of visa(s) you need and where to apply for one. For more information about individual country visa requirements, check with the consulate of your program’s country or look at the Foreign Entry Requirements page of the United States Department of State website.
You must have a valid passport to apply for a visa. As with passport applications, visas can take up to two or three months to process. Consulate offices may request that you send your passport with your visa application for approval and notarization, so be sure to plan well in advance depending on the visa application process for your program’s country, particularly if you do not already have a passport. Also, if you will not be flying directly to your host country, be sure that there are no temporary visa requirements in your layover location!
When you receive your visa, double check to make sure that the start and end dates include your time overseas. Your visa will be carefully inspected or scanned at each customs checkpoint, and a day or two outside of the dates on your visa could cause serious problems overseas.
While you are overseas, if you plan on traveling, you may need special tourist or travelers visas to enter certain countries, such as Russia or Vietnam. These visas can take up to six weeks to obtain, so plan these trips early and check with the country consulate for information and applications.
As with all Bucknell students, non-US students are invited to apply to study off-campus as well. However, you may have special visa and passport requirements which will need to be addressed. Those students holding non-US passports should check with their home country’s consulate or embassy, as well as the consulate of their program’s country to determine what kind of documentation is needed to study internationally. For example, a Hungarian student who wishes to study in China should consult her consulate and China’s consulate to determine the exact documentation she needs to study in China. The Office of International Education can help you to find this information as well.
Getting Ready for the Transition
Beyond the paperwork, here are a few additional tips to make your transition to you new country or campus that much easier:
If possible, find out who else will be studying with you on your program. Talking with other students who share your concerns and excitement can be a great way to prepare for your off-campus study experience.
Send a letter or e-mail to your host family or roommates (international or American) introducing yourself. Encourage them to keep up a correspondence with you before you meet them in person. Often host families or roommates are as nervous about meeting you as you might be about meeting them, so establishing a relationship early on can help in your transition.
Learn as much as you can about your host city or country. Understanding culture, politics and current events can help you to understand the people that you will meet and the city that you will live in. Reading a local newspaper online will help you to feel like you are closer to the community.
Pick a few places in your host city or country that you would like to see, and make plans with your host family, roommates, or fellow students to see them. Spending a day in a museum with your host family, exploring an old part of a city with other students on your program, or attending a cultural event with your roommate can be a great way to get to know your new area or break the ice with your new friends and family.
Talk to Bucknellians or other students who have completed your program. Who better to offer advice or suggestions than students who have been in your place and have survived the experience? Plus, these students will be valuable as you transition back to Bucknell.
If you are studying in a non-English speaking location and you are unfamiliar with the local language, learn a few key words and phrases in your host country’s language. Not only will this help you to communicate a little more easily, your effort will be appreciated by those you encounter even if you cannot engage in a full conversation.
