{"id":3009,"date":"2014-01-23T16:13:43","date_gmt":"2014-01-23T16:13:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/?p=3009"},"modified":"2025-01-23T15:43:11","modified_gmt":"2025-01-23T15:43:11","slug":"study-abroad-safety-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/study-abroad-safety-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Study Abroad Safety Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Studying in another country is one of the best and coolest ways to travel and learn about other cultures\u2014and maybe the subjects of the classes you\u2019re taking. Not only do you get to use the \u201cit\u2019s for school\u201d excuse, but you also get to explore a new city (your college town is probably <i>so lame <\/i>by now anyway), try new things, and see the world from a perspective outside of the bubble that is your college campus.<\/p>\n<p>But as you make sure to pack plenty of clothes and maybe a textbook or two, you should also equip yourself with some important safety tips before you leave.<\/p>\n<p>To ensure you have a trip that\u2019s both awesome and safe, here\u2019s what you should know, suggests the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.healthytravelblog.com\/2014\/01\/03\/study-abroad-safety-tips\/\">healthytravelblog.com<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Learn about the culture<\/b>. It\u2019s important to learn the local norms, customs, and even general laws before you visit any country for the first time. This will help you <a title=\"http:\/\/www.healthytravelblog.com\/2013\/06\/03\/safety-tips-for-solo-travelers\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.healthytravelblog.com\/2013\/06\/03\/safety-tips-for-solo-travelers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stay safe<\/a>, blend in, and even gain respect from the locals and make new friends.<\/li>\n<li><b>Know what\u2019s going on<\/b>. Stay updated on current events in the local area and country in which you\u2019ll be staying. You may need to take extra precaution if there\u2019s political unrest in certain areas, upcoming major events, etc.<\/li>\n<li><b>Travel in groups. <\/b>Always travel with at least one other person when abroad. While you shouldn\u2019t go anywhere alone, tell your friends where you\u2019ll be going if you do, even if it\u2019s just to the caf\u00e9 down the street. And above all, don\u2019t go off with strangers.<\/li>\n<li><b>Blend in<\/b>. The best way to fit in with the locals and avoid being targeted by pickpockets is to blend in as much as possible. Don\u2019t wear flashy clothes or jewelry, and dress modestly if the locals do. Keep your camera and other electronics out of sight.<\/li>\n<li><b>Be aware<\/b>. For your safety, it\u2019s important to be aware of your surroundings at all times. If you see anything or anyone out of the ordinary, try taking an alternate route and leaving the area.<\/li>\n<li><b>Food and water safety<\/b>. Before arriving at your destination, find out if the tap water is safe to drink. If not, only drink purified or bottled water. You should also skip the ice and avoid fresh fruits and vegetables, which are often washed in tap water.<\/li>\n<li><b>Road safety<\/b>. Many <a title=\"http:\/\/www.healthytravelblog.com\/2013\/11\/04\/most-dangerous-roads-around-the-world\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.healthytravelblog.com\/2013\/11\/04\/most-dangerous-roads-around-the-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">roads<\/a> in the developing world can be extremely hazardous. Crashes can be common in some countries due to undeveloped infrastructure or, frequently, no real code of conduct for drivers (don\u2019t assume drivers will stop at stop signs!). Since getting from one place to another can be dangerous, be sure to practice <a title=\"http:\/\/www.healthytravelblog.com\/2013\/06\/06\/8-road-safety-tips-for-travelers\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.healthytravelblog.com\/2013\/06\/06\/8-road-safety-tips-for-travelers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">these road safety tips<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><b>Emergency contacts<\/b>. Carry a card with a list of emergency contacts with you at all times during your trip. Also, be sure to keep your professors on the trip and contacts at home updated on your whereabouts. Your contacts at home should also have a copy of your passport, visa, and other important documents.<\/li>\n<li><b>Visit your doctor before traveling<\/b>. You should go at least two weeks before your trip and find out if you need to be vaccinated for any common diseases or illnesses. If you take a prescription medication, make sure you bring an extra prescription in case you need more during your stay.<\/li>\n<li><b>Purchase <\/b><a title=\"http:\/\/www.hthstudents.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hthstudents.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>travel insurance<\/b><\/a>. Your school very likely requires you to have travel insurance anyway. The best policies will also plug you in to a network of healthcare providers that make it easier to navigate the health system when you\u2019re in another country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Studying in another country is one of the best and coolest ways to travel and learn about other cultures\u2014and maybe the subjects of the classes you\u2019re taking. Not only do you get to use the \u201cit\u2019s for school\u201d excuse, but you also get to explore a new city (your college town is probably so lame &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/study-abroad-safety-tips\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Study Abroad Safety Tips<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,24,6,30,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alc-health-news","category-alc-international-health-insurance-news","category-alc-travel-news","category-expat-alert","category-expat-global-health-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3009"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3652,"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3009\/revisions\/3652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alchealth.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}