LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF ON STUDY ABROAD WELLBEING TEAM, STUDENT SERVICES – MAY 2016 Studying Abroad

Plan The challenges of studying abroad Top tips on looking after yourself  Preparation for departure  What to do when you arrive  How to access help when you are away  Returning home

Potential challenges Culture Shock  Signs to look out for;  Lethargy, loneliness, isolating self, anxiety, anger. Homesickness Language difficulties Finance Unrealistic expectations A lot of the above are to be expected at some point whilst living abroad, so as long as you recognise they are happening you can respond positively to them to improve your situation.

Tips on looking after yourself – Preparation  Research the place and culture you will be living so you have realistic expectations  This might include looking into; local activities, social events, how students tend to spend their time, the political, economic and religious climate of the region.  Consider what you want to get out of your time abroad;  Do you want to; learn a language, travel around the country, start new activities, make friends from your host country, get valuable experience for your future career?  Ask yourself - where would you like to visit? Do you need to find extra language classes to attend? How will you meet new people – through activities, classes, accommodation?

Tips on looking after yourself – Preparation  Make sure you are familiar with your travel arrangements before you leave the UK  Work out how you are getting all the way to your university, not just which flight you are on!  Sort out the practicalities of keeping in contact with home  Phone, tablet, laptop and what is internet coverage like there?  Consider how useful regular contact is, sometimes too much contact can increase feelings of homesickness and acts as a barrier to becoming fully involved in opportunities abroad.  Look online to find what support services are available at your host university  Where are they? Are they English speaking? Are they free of charge?

Tips on looking after yourself - Preparation  Medication – things to consider  If you take regular medication you need to speak to your GP before you leave as you may not be permitted to take enough meds to last your stay.  If you are considering trying without your regular meds whilst away, please talk to your GP before leaving about the possible impact of this on your health.  Insurance  Hopefully you won’t need to use this, but familiarise yourself with what it covers, and what you need to do at the time if you need medical help abroad. There will be a process of contacting your insurance company and York St John that you need to be aware of.  One-to-one support  If anyone wants to meet with the Wellbeing Team to help plan/prepare for time away then contact

Tips on looking after yourself – what to do when you arrive Day 1 Familiarise yourself with immediate surroundings like main support/ social/travel hubs Let someone at home know you have arrived safely! Week 1 Attend orientation events so that you can meet other new arrivals Explore your campus and local town so that you start to feel confident in your surroundings Start to build a daily and weekly routine Weeks 2-4 Reinforce your routine, sometimes simple things can go out of the window in unfamiliar settings. Routine helps you to feel settled and in control. Introduce activities (sport, leisure, social) – a great way to meet new people, enjoy yourself and learn new things.

Tips on looking after yourself – maintaining wellbeing throughout your stay Routine Daily and weekly routine to include self- care, social, leisure and academic activities. Support Activity Continue things you enjoy and start new activities. Social Contact Expand your horizons In country and at home. Academic achievement Access support from your host university regularly to help keep on top of work. Meet new people and stay in contact with peers on study abroad and support at home. Take advantage of the experience by exploring new things e.g. travel around, visit places of interest, try new things.

Tips on looking after yourself – Accessing help Host countryHome supportOnline support University – find out support available and how you access it. e.g. Counselling, mental health support and academic support. Family/Friends – Have a list of important people to keep in contact with. Work out how (and how often) you will do so. befrienders.org Details of local helplines in over 40 countries samaritans.org UK helpline ( ). support at Local – there may be community groups that you want to access, especially if this is something that you do at home. Spend time researching this. York St John Study Abroad Office Academic Tutor Wellbeing Team Out of hours emergency tel; +44 (0) For any support from home remember that the time difference may mean you don’t get an immediate response. iamat.orgiamat.org – travel tips mentalhealth.org.uk - for Wellbeing podcasts. mentalhealth.org.uk mind.org.ukmind.org.uk – plenty of information about mental health conditions and treatment. studentsagainstdepression.org – website designed by students with information and links. studentsagainstdepression.org Wellbeing Zone Wellbeing Zone – a multimedia tool designed to help track your wellbeing – find on the YSJ website Emergency Services – Hopefully you won’t need them, but find out how to contact emergency services (including university security and medical centre).

Tips on looking after yourself - Returning Home  Returning home after Study Abroad can be as difficult as going away  Re-adjustment back into your old routine and way of life can be a shock  Allow yourself time to do this. A lot of the tips on looking after yourself whilst abroad can also help you to successfully reintegrate to life in the UK.  Routine  social contact  Activity  re-engage with academic work at YSJ  plan nice things to look forward to