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Knowledge is power, and the more information you arm yourself with, both about the country you are visiting as well as your own country, the better your experience will be. There are many ways to prepare for your journey. Visit Web sites and read books about the history, geography and customs of the countries you are visiting; study maps; read newspapers with good international news coverage; and watch videos of the places you'll visit.
A true story – a group of USF student were arguing with a group of students in the host country (France) about US policy, and the French students were speaking derogatorily about the US president, when one USF student replied: “If I knew who your president was, I would say bad things about him too!” The French students laughed.… Back to TopKeeping informed before departure Between now and your departure, it is your responsibility to stay informed about developments in the country/countries where you will spend time (including any countries you'll visit that are not part of your study abroad program's itinerary). You can access the U.S. Department of State’s Web page for information about the country/countries where your program will take you. On that page you will find three different types of information: County Information Sheets, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings. This information is updated based on current events worldwide. According to the Department of State...
We ask that you read this information carefully before you depart the United States. Please feel free to call the Education Abroad office if you have any questions or concerns regarding the information on this site. Back to TopTaking Care of (University) Business Registration Important Notes:
If a student makes a change in their course registration either prior to or after the start of their first week of classes overseas, the student must receive the approval of the instructor or program director and make their request in writing to the EAO. When students are registered for directly enrolled for USF credit, their OASIS account balance summary will show a balance due of the regular on-campus tuition fees. Shortly following the appearance of these fees, the EAO will submit Sponsored Institute Waivers for the waiver (deduction) of these on-campus tuition fees. In lieu of these fees, students will see the EAO Instructional Fees placed on their account designated by the code OSAV. Important Notes:
All fees listed above (OSAS, OSAV, OSAP) are fees connected with the study abroad program and must be paid by the student by the stated deadlines for their respective program. Students receiving financial aid may receive a payment deferment of their Administrative Fee (OSAP) and Instructional Fees (OSAV) until receipt of their financial aid disbursement. Please note that these fees may be automatically deducted from their financial aid disbursement. For program fees on summer and spring break programs, the deadlines for in-country payments are generally 2 months prior to the beginning of the foreign program, the administrative and instructional fees are generally due for summer programs the week that financial aid disburses for summer. For semester exchange programs, students must remit a $500 deposit upon acceptance to the foreign school, and final payment is due the week of financial aid disbursement of the semester abroad. Payment In Person: By mail: USF Cashier Passports U.S. and non-U.S. citizens need a passport both to enter other countries (including Canada and Mexico) and return to the United States. If you already have a passport, make sure it is valid until at least six months after your return date (Note: some countries, such as Russia, require that your passport is valid for 18 months following the completion of your program). New U.S. passports take 6 to 8 weeks for processing, depending on the time of the year, and are good for ten years. Apply early to avoid complications caused by misplaced original birth certificates and similar problems. Passport forms are available at many Federal and state courts, probate courts, some county/municipal offices and some post offices. They can also be downloaded at the U.S. State Department Web site. This site will also link you to the procedure and form for renewing your passport. This can take the same length of time as issuing a new passport. For first-time applicants, age 16 and older, a ten-year passport is $100.00 and includes a passport fee ($75), and execution fee ($25). Passport applications and directions for submitting your passport are available from the USF Education Abroad office or from most post offices. With your completed application you must also have the following:
You must submit your application to a post office. Do NOT send your application by mail. The local post office branch that accepts passport applications: Ehrlich Post Office Passport photos can be obtained by consulting the yellow pages of your phone directory, at CVS, from the USF Tampa ID office if you are a USF students/staff. The cost is $8.56 for 2 photos. If you need a passport in a hurry, consult your travel agent. Once you have your passport, be sure to sign it and fill in the emergency information page. Take extra photos with you abroad in case you lose your passport and need to have it replaced quickly. Visas The cost and requirements for obtaining visas vary. It is your responsibility to determine visa requirements for all countries you plan to visit while abroad; this includes countries that you plan to visit before or after your study abroad program. You can do so by consulting with a travel agent, calling the consular offices of those countries, or checking the U.S. State Department Document Requirements Web site or the Travel Document Systems Web site. You may be denied entry into, or be deported from, a country for which you have not obtained a required visa. The Education Abroad Office and the University of South Florida are not responsible for obtaining visas nor are they in any way responsible for visa or entry denial. For some countries, certain medical requirements must be met before a visa will be issued. Many countries will not issue visas to persons with any type of police record! Note: If you are not a U.S. citizen, consult the embassy or consulate of the countries you will visit to learn their document requirements. You should check the U.S. State Department Web sites for Foreign Consulate Offices listings and for the listings of Embassies and Consulates. The procedures that you will follow may be different from those for U.S. citizens. It is important to initiate this process as soon as possible in order to assemble documents and allow time for lengthy procedures. International USF students must visit the USF International Services Office to obtain a signature on visa documents to permit re-entry to the United States. International Student Identity Card The ISIC card benefits vary widely from country to country, but may include student discounts on airfare, transportation, and accommodations, and reduced admission to museums, theaters, cultural events, and other attractions. If you purchase an ISIC you will be given an ISIC Handbook that lists exactly which nations recognize the card, types of discounts, and the addresses and phone numbers of student travel offices around the world. Besides the student discounts, the ISIC provides free travel insurance (good for before and after your program dates), an emergency help line, and a communications system (phone card). If you should need to use the insurance benefits, you will need to have a copy of your card and proof of purchase for any claim. Please note that there are varying reports on the usefulness of the ISIC. In some cases, the card was not honored as expected. The phonecard can only be used at public phones. Usually the greatest benefit to having the card is getting the reduced airfare. Back to TopOverseas Flights: Programs deal with flight plans differently. Some programs will arrange to have the entire group fly together while other programs will have no participation in your travel plans. Make sure to find out how involved your program is before you start looking into flights. You do not want to make a flight reservation if you have already paid for one through your program. Also make sure you find out when and where your program wants you to arrive. Changing tickets can cost you anywhere from $50 to the cost of another ticket. We recommend that all students traveling abroad purchase trip/travel insurance. In some cases programs have changed their start date or even been canceled due to various circumstances. Travel insurance can cover the cost of any unexpected changes in plan. Talk to your travel agent about this insurance. If you have any special diet requirements, you must notify your airline within a week in order for them to secure arrangements. Vegetarian, light and kosher meals are possible on most flights. Airports: If you want to gather information about the airport (good idea for connections) go to the following sites: http://wwp.international-airports.com/, or simply search for the name of the airport in question. You must also keep in mind that airports are potential crime areas. Please be careful with your baggage; never leave it unattended, and stay away from any unattended bags or packages in public places. Do not check luggage for anyone else onto airplanes, railroads, or buses. Do not borrow suitcases and do not allow anybody, not even a new found friend, to put anything in your luggage if you want to avoid the risk of becoming a carrier of bombs or drugs. Back to TopPrior to your departure, you should review worldwide health information and country-specific health requirements for all countries in which you will study, as well as those you think you will visit. One of the best sources of information for international travelers is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. Note the special section tailored to study abroad students and a podcast. If you have any questions regarding medical problems, immunization requirements, or other health issues that may affect your successful and complete participation in the program, you are expected to consult with either your personal physician, a local travel clinic such as the Hillsborough County Travel Clinic www.hillscountyhealth.org. Even if the countries you plan to visit have no required immunizations to enter, but you have a pre-existing medical condition or are on regular prescription medications, you should visit a health practitioner to discuss managing your condition and/or your medications abroad. This discussion may also include obtaining recommended, but not required vaccinations. For higher health risk areas where required or recommended vaccinations are likely, (i.e. Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Russia and the Middle East), plan to visit a health care professional at least three months prior to departure. Students traveling to countries with low health risks (i.e. Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand) should discuss getting your routine vaccinations up-to-date with your physician or the Hillsborough County Health Department. Immunizations
Some immunizations require a series or spacing for protection (as long as three months for a series of shots) so allow as much time as possible for immunization. Taking medications abroad Do not plan on sending medications abroad since it will require customs paperwork and may be delayed in delivery. Be sure to maintain your usual dosage and pattern of taking your medication while you're abroad, and ask your physician how to make adjustments due to any time zone changes. Mental health histories or conditions
The benefits of study abroad far outweigh the difficulties, and if you plan coping mechanisms to deal with these and other issues you will have a very positive experience. In addition we recommend that you identify ways of keeping in touch with support systems at home – family, friends, and your therapist – in the event that you are experiencing difficulties. Recognize, too, that experiencing some level of depression or anxiety about your study abroad experience prior to departure can be expected. However, if you begin to doubt your readiness to participate or you fail to complete pre-departure requirements, you should discuss your feelings with a medical professional. Back to TopUSF Coverage through CISI Insurance coverage before or after your program If you would like to purchase coverage for you additional travel, there are dozens of companies that specialize in international medical insurance policies. You can research them on the web or you can purchase a policy similar to the USF coverage from the sister-company of our current provider CISI (provide link). Remember, you will need to independently purchase this separate insurance coverage (you cannot extend the USF study abroad coverage -- a "new" policy must be obtained). Travel and Trip Cancellation Insurance General Guidelines Keep your luggage close to you and locked with a TSA-approved lock! If you intend to travel before or after your program, make arrangements for storage of your luggage. Do not assume that your luggage can be stored at your housing location during dates outside of the program. Daily storage charges in train stations and airports can be quite costly. Get a backpack – they do not weigh much, are durable and it makes moving with your luggage easier. Wheeled bags can be good in airports, but in-country you may be walking on uneven cobblestone walkways, and climbing stairs, which makes them very unpractical. Don’t bring anything you can’t easily replace or is of high-value. Don’t bring many items that require dry cleaning, or ironing; bring items that are easily washed and that dry quickly. While most locations will have laundry facilities, they may be limited, and you want to spend as little time possible doing laundry and finding dry cleaners, which can also be very costly. Speak with your faculty director or Education Abroad advisor about acceptable clothing for your destination. What is “in” here may be unacceptable in many countries, or may serve as a way of accentuating your national identity in an unflattering way. For example, most people do not wear shorts unless at a beach in many countries, and in some, particularly for women, showing your legs is categorically unacceptable. Men should not wear pants that show undergarments, hats are not to be worn inside buildings in many places, very baggy and loose t-shirts and jeans are not to be worn in many places around the world. Particularly for women, knowing where you are going and what is acceptable is very important; often in many countries and cultures, men will take what you wear as an open invitation. If you have the opportunity to speak to someone from the country to which you will be travelling, ask how the styles differ here from their home country. Electrical Appliances If you are bringing expensive electronic equipment such as a computer, obtain all necessary conversion information from a professional before departure. Things to bring: Prescription glasses (2 sets preferred) and contact lenses and contact-lense solution. These can be difficult to find in many countries so bring more than you would normally use just in case. Contraceptives, feminine hygiene products (in countries where these items are not easily found). Remember that AIDS and STDs are world-wide epidemics – condoms in some countries may be of sub-standard quality. First aid kit: band-aids, alcohol swabs, anti-bacterial lotion, skin lotion for any conditions you may have, anti-diarrhea medicine, small quantities of aspirin, or pain-relief medicine, preferred cold treatments, insect repellent, sunscreen. (Please also speak with your faculty director, EA advisor and Hillsborough County Health Department for required travel medicines – malaria prophylaxis, salt tablets, water purification tablets) Toiletries: bring whatever you will need (deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, soap, hand and body lotion, sunscreen, cosmetics), but remember that if you are going to be in-country for a long period of time, most of these items are easily purchased abroad. Minimum amount of clothing that is appropriate to your destination and type of program (e.g. if you are an archeological dig in Italy, you would bring very different items than if you were studying in Florence). Bring an empty bag to bring what you have purchased in-country home. Carry-on luggage
Personal document safety NEVER pack your passport or any other important documents in your checked-in luggage or your carry-on luggage. Passports (including visa page), credit cards, and money should be worn in a pouch or a money belt as close to your body as possible. Be aware that certain reading material or literature may offend officials of some countries. If your passport is lost or stolen abroad, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for assistance. We highly recommend using a travel document holder that can be worn under your garments around your neck or stomach. Back to TopMoney
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