It’s that time in the semester when Colby staff across the campus work together to make sure students prepare to leave, as prepared as possible, for off-campus study next semester. Pre-departure preparation is an essential part of assuring a successful experience for students.
So you’ve sifted through all the options, made your sometimes difficult choices, applied and been admitted to the program or university off-campus. Now you may be starting to feel the excitement and a little healthy dose of nervousness. This is admittedly combined with the challenges and stress of the end of the current semester.
The mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation you attended is the opportunity for the office of Off-Campus Study to encourage you to:
- adjust your expectations while you adjust to different academic systems and cultures,
- be open to new experiences,
- be self aware and practice safe behaviors,
- check out the many tips and resources in the pre-departure section of the off-campus study website
and, last but not least, to remind you of some important Academic Policies and Requirements you must follow. If you did not pick up your OCS Pre-Departure Handbook, please do so or get it here.
The Colby Health Center was there to advise on some ways to stay as healthy as possible while away:
- Prepare what you might need before you go or bring with you (such as vaccinations/prophylaxis, medications, first aid kit)
- Take precautions to stay healthy while on site (such as eat and sleep well, use hand sanitizer, monitor your own health)
- Make sure you understand how your health and travel insurance work and what they cover
Health Center staff are available to meet with you by appointment or reach out to your doctor at home.
The Colby Counseling Center presented some eye-opening self-care tips to help you prepare to cope with the normal and new tensions you will 
likely experience:
- Identify the supports and networks you rely on on at home and think about how you will continue or replace them in your new situation
- Self reflect and notice your mood changes
- Resist the temptation to isolate
- Remember that feeling stretched in difficult ways is a normal part of studying away but that most students navigate through it and grow
- Reach out and don’t hesitate to ask for help
Counseling Center staff are available to meet with you by appointment or reach out to your doctor at home.
Once the semester is over and as you get ready to leave, we encourage you to learn about your host country, educate yourself about culture and culture shock, and pack carefully. Please be aware of these and more tips and resources on the OCS website:
Next Steps
What To Do Before You Go
What To Know Before You Go
Colby wishes you a fantastic experience off-campus and we look forward to hearing all about it.
Get out there!
Stay safe!
Keep in touch!
A fun pre-departure exercise to do on the plane
Here is a fun, short exercise to do on your flight over to your destination. On the flight, when you have time to relax and think, write a letter to yourself addressing the following questions:
- Why did I choose to study abroad and what made me choose ….?
- What expectations do I have about living in a foreign country? What differences do I expect to see?
- What expectations do I have of the courses, professors and housing in a foreign country?
- What do I expect to learn and gain from my semester abroad?
Save this letter and read it again on your flight back home. It will certainly prove enlightening, and, hopefully, offer you a glimpse into what impact your semester abroad had on you, academically and personally. You will likely continue to experience and discover many changes in yourself for years to come.