Traveling abroad to study is an exciting, yet emotional adventure. It is exciting because you get to try out a new environment while studying plus all the other enlightening experiences that come with it.
When you remember that you have to be away from family and friends for a while, it gets really emotional. However, an abroad education is a great one if you have the wherewithal to carry out such a ride.
This is because you get to experience the culture of other people. Things will all be new to you until after a while but one thing that could help as a great companion is your phone.
Yes, it is for making calls and keeping in touch with family, but it can also act as your mobile library. Here are some uses for your phone while studying abroad.
Unlock your phone
Some students would have traveled abroad before realising that their phones are locked out for use at their new location.
Before traveling, ask your phone provider if they can unlock your phone for study abroad. Some telecommunication companies can unlock your phone for you free of charge if you make the request before traveling.
Once the phone has been unlocked, you can go for a sim-only deal. This way, you will be able to access the internet using the sim card’s service and pay for only the services you use.
Subscribe to a good VPN
There are many contents online that are open to only some regions. It is possible that while studying or writing a project, you will need to access such content if they are not open to people within your location.
This is where a VPN comes in. A virtual private network can help you assume a new location just to give you access to pieces of information that were not open to your original location. A
part from this, it will also protect you from hackers who are online to frustrate the lives of hardworking people. You can subscribe to NordVPN which is known as one of the best in the business. Just make sure that you are using your VPN for study purposes.
Use free apps
When you travel to a new location, you will need to make new friends who will help you settle down. Making a friend might not be that difficult unless, of course, the first language in your new location is different from yours.
Well, it may only take a little longer in this situation but when you eventually get to make the friends, you will need to keep in touch with them to guide you until you are used to your new school environment and country’s culture.
Apps are by far the best choices for keeping in touch while you are studying abroad. Skype, Viber, and Whatsapp can draw you closer to your friends than you could ever imagine.
All you need is a decent internet connection to make video calls and chat. You can collaborate with your classmates on these apps to help sail through assignments and projects.
People even organise study groups on these apps these days.
Don’t get addicted
The use of technological gadgets can prove very addictive if you are not careful. You need to know your friends. Some of them may want to engage you for long periods, discussing almost everything that is happening everywhere!
Yes, they may sound interesting to you but you have a goal with your books. Sometimes, it may be you with the problem of spending almost all day on your phone, probably dazzling your friends and family back home with your international adventures.
While it is a good thing to stay in touch with family, you need to be disciplined about it, or else you would discover you already have backlogs of assignments, papers, and projects to deal with in just a week.
You need to learn to stay away from some of these adventures online so you can focus on the studying aspect.
Go with some important electronics
It is very important to note that different countries have different power outlets like square or slanting plug-points. You also see 3-point plug-points in some countries.
Instead of getting there and getting stranded because you can not charge up your phone, you can make plans to get a universal adapter before traveling.
A portable power bank is also necessary in case you need to charge your phone in an area where there are no power outlets. If you must stay online regularly to help with your studies, you cannot rule out getting your phone charged when it needs to.
Knowing to pack these items while preparing to travel is one thing, remembering to pack them is another thing. Most people would have gotten to their destinations before discovering the horrible mistake.
To avoid this, start making a list of items to pack some days before you travel and tick them only when you have packed them.
Final word
The use of smartphones enhances your learning activities. It offers help on the go wherever you are. You could soften the whole of your physical library in college and take it with you in a storage device but it would still pale in comparison to the volume of information you can get from your phone.
You get what you need faster by searching through the internet. Many smart individuals in recent times can testify that their phones helped them study a lot, making it easier for them too. If you are considering studying abroad, do not forget these tips here. Start learning to make your phone your mobile library.