Life is full of making mistakes and learning from them to ensure they do not happen again. We have all had that moment where we wish we could hop into a time machine to reverse our actions that may have led to a unfortunate outcome. Going on exchange to study abroad poses risks, challenges and confusion where you are bound to make several mistakes. However, you can learn from other people’s experiences to ensure you don’t replicate their misfortunes. Let’s dive into 10 of the biggest mistakes that exchange students make:
1. Picking bad subjects
As discussed in Stage 2: Choosing Your Subjects, you need to pick subjects to enrol in at your American college. Subjects can have a big impact on your overall enjoyment on exchange, so it is important to enrol in decent subjects that you will get the most out from. Common subject mistakes include:
- Enrolling in a subject because the name “sounds cool” – just because the name sounds appealing does not mean the subject is all that it is cut out to be. Make sure you actually read the course syllabus and outline of what is involved in the subject
- Not checking the prerequisite requirements – last thing you want to be doing is enrolling in a class where you have no idea what the hell the professor is talking about. This may cause you to spend hours of your spare time catching up on the basic 101’s in order to get up to speed with the class
- Not understanding the assessment structure – many students don’t bother to look at the weighting of exams vs. assessments. They end up enrolling in a class and before they know it, they are bombarded with 15 assignments and 2 huge exams which could be overwhelming
Feel free to email the class professor to find out more the particular classes you are interested in – their details are usually on the colleges directory or on the course catalogue. You can also check out Rate My Professor to get a better insight into the subject quality and difficulty by reviewing previous students feedback of that class.
2. Overspending and not budgeting
You do not want to be that student who is forced to come home early because they ran out of money. Many students do not adopt prudent principles and just blow their budget very quickly. Common ways students spend way too much money include:
- Eating out for most meals – going to fancy restaurants and also eating take-away food is not cheap and can cost you an arm and a leg if you do this constantly
- Travelling interstate too frequently – as exciting as the prospect of doing weekend trips to different USA states every weekend sounds, once you add up the cost of flights, accommodation, food, car hire etc… it really does take a hit to your living expenses
- Ordering drinks at bars – drinks are not that much more expensive than back home in Australia. Many students get way too lit and continue to buy expensive beers, cocktails and shots at bars without thinking about the consequences of what that is doing to their precious savings. Having some drinks is okay, but when you look at your wallet the next morning and think “where did my $75 go?”, it is not just your hangover that will be hurting
To avoid some of the above mistakes you could consider the following:
- Stick to your budget! Have a rough idea of how much you can afford to live every week and try adopt prudent measures to not go over the limit. Keep track of your spending through your card provider by checking it on your app and monitoring your weekly expenses
- Some colleges have the option of meal plans which are quite affordable. If you have the facilities, you can also do your own cooking as opposed to eating takeouts every meal
- Pre-drink before heading out instead of buying drinks at the bars
3. Not having appropriate documentation on arrival at USA customs
Many students are not organised and do not keep all their visa documents. As mentioned in Stage 6: Getting Your Visa, there are numerous documents and forms involved in the visa process.
Students fly into the country and go through passport control before they get the dreaded question from the local officer asking “sir/madam can I see your ….”. They may ask for a variety of forms depending on how strict they are – e.g. a copy of your DS-2019/I-20, your SEVIS fee payment, or even a flight itinerary showing you are leaving the country.
Some students will be scrolling franticly through their emails on their phone looking for the visa documents that they may have been sent (but then they realise their wifi isn’t working in the airport). Some students will argue with the officer saying “I was never told to bring in this form”. Finally, some may just breakdown from stress overload and start crying. PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS BE YOU!
Have every related visa documentation in your carry on luggage! Do not give the USA border control any reason to delay you from entering in the country. Have every little piece of paper and related document for your visa application with you so that you can present it to the officer. Be over prepared!
4. Only hanging out with international exchange students
Too many students seclude themselves by only socialising with other international students. Whilst it is important to meet people from other parts of the world and build an international friend group, remember why you are going on exchange – to embrace the local American culture! And what better way to do this than to meet local Americans. Many students regret not branching out an immersing themselves with local American students.
Some universities will organise exchange student gatherings and parties. Whilst it is good to meet people also on exchange, meeting locals will open your eyes to the culture you are living in. When you are looking at accommodation options, try not room with other Aussies or international students. Live with Americans! Hang out where locals hang out, and be sure to get involved in everyday American life.
5. Not getting more involved in college life
There is so much more to the American college experience than just attending class. Some students unfortunately live with the mantra ‘eat, sleep, study, repeat’. How boring! Remember, you are not on Australian university campus where the campus life is quite underwhelming.
American college campuses offer endless opportunities to get involved – everything from joining clubs/societies, to sporting events and social gatherings. Getting involved in campus allows you to develop an even deeper connection to your college. It is quite an indescribable feeling of how patriotic students are towards their college. You will notice how many American students wear their universities attire everywhere!
One way to develop this connection is through being an active member on campus. Find activities you are passionate about. Be involved in your college’s community. Attend tailgates, seminars, local festivals – whatever it might be, your aim should be to get amongst it!
Check out Stage 8: Campus Life for more details about the various ways to get involved on campus and for a brief intro into the American traditions and customs.
6. Setting up your bank cards too late
Many students have a stressful final week prior to departure because they are calling their bank asking where their card is in the mail. Do not be this person!
Some financial institutions take at-least a week or 2 to process your card application and send it to you. You will then need to set up login details, a pin number and transfer money etc… It is best to NOT leave this to the last minute!
Rather organise your banking cards months before you leave. This will give you enough time to go through the application, receive the card, set up all necessary functions, and even test out the card on an everyday purchase (e.g. go to the supermarket and buy a banana) to ensure the card is working.
For a list of suitable card options for your exchange journey see Stage 7: Banking, Insurance and Phone.
7. Not finding accommodation before leaving Australia
You do not want to be that person walking the streets, essentially being homeless, trying to find a place when you arrive on campus. Have a plan beforehand with everything organised to avoid the stress! Remember, you can always change accommodation when you get to college if you are not happy with the property or your roommate.
It is frightening how many students think they can find accommodation only once they get to America. They are too lazy to do the research or to organise anything prior to leaving for the country. Please do not make this mistake! Book your accommodation prior to leaving Australia.
It is crucial you assess the accommodation options before making a decision – see Stage 4: Finding Accommodation for more information.
8. Packing heavy
Too many students simply pack way too much crap. They barely use the goods or clothes they brought, which is a nuisance to carry around. Students forget that majority of the USA domestic flights allow a max check-in luggage of 20kg, otherwise the airlines will charge an extra fee for you being overweight. These charges can sometimes be pretty hefty, so rather don’t get yourself in this situation.
Pack light! Remember, you are going to a developed country – you can always buy stuff in the USA. You will most certainly want to buy American goods (including heaps of college attire), so make sure you leave enough space to bring this home with you.
9. Being under 21
Remember, you are in America. That means 21 is the legal drinking age! Many under 21 year olds go to the trouble of getting a fake ID which opens a whole can of worms with the potential of the local police giving you a fine or arresting you.
Not only is the drinking an issue, but should you want to hire a car in the USA to do a bit of a road-trip, many car rental agencies have strict age restrictions (most require you to be over 21) which may limit you from even being allowed to hire a car.
If you are going on exchange to the USA, rather be safe and do this once you are of legal ‘American’ age.
10. Travelling too much during semester
“Let’s do Vegas this weekend”. “Let’s hop over to Mexico for a week”. Travelling around the American continent is great, but should be done prior or after your exchange semester. Not saying that you should not travel during the semester, but don’t be jetting off to a new destination every single weekend. Whilst it is important to mix things up and gain new experiences, many exchange students regret not spending enough time in their college city during semester.
Even though you will have the urge to explore other cities/places over weekends or whenever you have a day off from class, do not forget that campus lifestyle at college is unique to the rest of the world. Make sure you spend enough time embracing it, even over the weekends when local students are out and about.
You may also have some friends who are at other colleges in the USA that you want to go visit. Whilst this is an awesome idea to go see what other colleges are like, keep in mind that you really only have around 15 weeks on campus (if you are going for 1 semester). That is not a lot of time! Enjoy every breathing second of being in your college city!
Conclusion
Mistakes are meant for learning, not repeating. A great quote from Brandon Mull who says “Smart people learn from their mistakes. But the real sharp ones learn from the mistakes of others.“ It is important you are aware of the most common mistakes exchange students make to ensure that you take the right steps to avoid them. This will allow you to have the best possible exchange experience without having any regrets. The Exchange Guide is here to help you through the exchange process to ensure you are equipped with the right information.
Interested to find out what the stages are involved? Click here to begin the Exchange Guide.
Were there any other mistakes you could think of? Comment below so you can help other prospective exchange students avoid making them.
This is so spot on! Definitely agree. I regretted traveling so much during the semester and missing out on some amazing weekends and time connecting more with friends I’d met on campus.