Pre-Departure Planning

BEFORE YOU LEAVE:

• Obtain passport, appropriate visa, and inoculations if appropriate (check with program sponsors).
• Be sure you have signed the leave of absence form with your Advising Dean.
• Contact your advisor before departure to plan your courses and to make sure that a place is held for you in required courses. If you are attending a program in a remote area, you may not have easy or timely email access for course registration.
• If you receive financial aid, make sure you have informed the financial aid office of the program you will be attending and the date the program begins. Financial aid is “portable” to all Colby and approved non-Colby programs up to the cost of a Colby semester.
• Review US State Department information on your country of destination. http://travel.state.gov
• Review Colby College updates and policies at: http://www.colby.edu/off-campus/security.html
• Review with your parents your major medical insurance and confirm that your policy will cover you abroad. Also be sure to review any exclusions and procedures for filing claims.
• Depending on your destination, you may wish to purchase a portable, battery operated combination smoke/carbon-monoxide detector to take with you for your residence. You may review this option with both your family and your program.

Sources of Country Information
U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs
BBC News Country Profiles
The World Factbook

Health information
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
MD Travel Health.com

Helpful Travel Advice
Lonely Planet travel Advice
The Universal Packing list
Magellan’s Travel Supplies
International Calling Codes
World Atlas.com
The Universal Currency Converter

Study Abroad advice
Students Abroad
Student Abroad Handbook
On-line cultural training resource for Study Abroad 

It's Your World: Studyabroad.com's Pre-Departure Handbook for Students
NAFSA: Association of International Educators web site for study abroad resources

Cross-Cultural tips

What's Up With Culture: On-line Cultural Training Resource for Study Abroad

Culture Matters: On-line workbook developed for the Peace Corps for helping participants to acquire the skills and knowledge to work and live abroad successfully:

Cultural Gaffes: A Peace Corps video
Cultural Gaffes 2  
 

• Review your Colby email account during your semester abroad via Colby Web mail: www.colby.edu/webmail.
• Since registration is completed on the Internet, it is critical that you check your Colby e-mail account while you are away because the Registrar will try to contact you via e-mail to determine if you are able to register on the Web. The curriculum, course descriptions from the catalogue, and registration materials will be on the Web.
• Housing information will be sent directly from the Dean of Housing at Colby College via email to your Colby account.
• A newsletter, Colby Calling, will be available to all students abroad mid-way through the semester on the Off-Campus Study Web site (www.colby.edu/off-campus).
• The Colby Echo is sent to Colby programs abroad and is available on-line for all Colby students abroad.