Studying abroad is one of the best experiences you’ll have in college, and if you have the time and means, you should definitely go for it. However, the thought of living in another country can be a little daunting, as there are endless details small and large to consider. I remember before leaving for my trip frantically Googling “study abroad tips” and sifting through countless study abroad blogs to be able to get a sense of what I needed, how best to prepare myself, and to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. Fret not, young one. Ultimately experience is going to be your best teacher, and you’ll be surprised at how much you learn while there on your own and on the fly. However, following is a list of practical and specific tips that helped me to think about before I left, or that I wish I had considered more thoroughly. While these tips can likely apply to wherever you’re going, one disclaimer is that they’re given from the point of view of someone who has only studied abroad in Europe.

1. Pack as lightly as possible
Depending on how long you’re staying “packing light” can mean different things. If you’re only studying abroad for the summer, I can assure you that one checked in suitcase is enough, and you don’t need a large bag packed up to the 50lb weight limit either. For a summer session you could even get away with packing for the limits of a carry-on, but since you likely get a free checked in bag with an international flight, you can get a slightly bigger bag for more leeway.

The trick is to pack enough for 2 weeks only – the most important thing being 2 weeks worth of underwear. Everything else, it’s time to become flexible on. Jeans and bottoms in general can be worn more than once, heck, more than twice if we’re being honest here. Plus, should you find you’re missing anything, you can buy what you need abroad – not always the cheapest option, but the usual commercial stores (H&M, etc) should be about the same as in the states. After 2 weeks, do some laundry and you’re set for another 2 weeks. So for a summer session you only need to do one or two loads of laundry.

Packing light is particularly important if you want to travel to other cities or countries during or after your session. You don’t want to be lugging around a giant suitcase up and down long metro staircases, through cobblestone streets, or on crowded trains. And if you’ll be staying in hostels, space is very limited for your things. Traveling will be a lot more pleasant the less encumbered you are–and the less your arms ache.

2. Bring your student ID everywhere
Discounts can be found far and wide, so be on the lookout and always have your student ID on you. Often you don’t even need that but just any form of ID with your birth date on it, such as in museums that give discounts to anyone under the age of 26, say. You can even find student discounts for food. Particularly if you’re staying in a part of town close to a college campus, you’ll find cafes and restaurants advertising combos such as a Panini + fries or 2 pizzas + drink for students for as little as 5 euros.

Also, nowhere in Europe do you need particular forms of student identification, and what I mean is those international travel cards some companies try to sell you for 20 bucks. I got one of those, and it didn’t serve me for anything, really – my good old college-issued ID was good enough for every place.

3. Pickpocketing isn’t as bad as you thought – if you use common sense
I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of horror stories of thieves and pickpockets abroad preying on foreigners. For me, there was my high school teacher’s account of how her upright, sleeping body was physically moved on a train without her notice so that her friend’s bag behind her could be rifled through, and her passport stolen. Or the story of a student taking pictures with their cellphone, only for someone to come running up behind them to snatch the phone and take off with it. These are pretty anecdotal, pretty scary, but also likely pretty rare. If you have some common sense and some wits about you, I promise you will be fine.

This is not to downplay the dangers of getting something stolen, especially in tourist-filled, metropolitan cities—but where isn’t this the case nowadays? If you already live in a major city, the situation is probably no different, and whatever it is you’re doing to keep yourself safe, simply continue doing it. This means not leaving your phone/wallet/purse unattended, and not walking around with wads of cash and valuables, especially not in visible places.

In particular, leave your passport wherever you’re staying, in a safe place. If you have a safe or a locker you can keep it in, leave it there. Make photocopies of your passport and carry that around with you should you need it.

An extra precaution you should take is to not carry anything in your pockets. Use a drawstring backpack or an over the shoulder bag, preferably one that’s somewhat involved to open, meaning someone behind you wouldn’t be able to open it without your noticing. In tight places like the metro, you might wear your bag in front of you. Others recommend putting your credit cards and cash in different compartments throughout your bag to thwart pickpockets, but personally I never did this and thought it was a bit overkill.

The most important thing is simply to be aware. Have a hold on your belongings, know where they are, and don’t bring anything unnecessary out with you. Throughout my time in Europe, I never experienced or witnessed any incidents of theft, and neither did the people around me. Have your wits about you, but if you just follow the above guidelines and use common sense, you’ll find that the warnings and scary stories of traveling abroad are overblown.

4. Offline maps are your friend
Assuming you’re not going to purchase a cell plan, this means that while you’re out and about you’re not going to be able to whip out Google Maps to find out where you are, or how to get on the right path when you get lost (because you WILL get lost). A good solution is to download a couple of offline maps beforehand, or whenever you have wifi available to do so. They’re readily available and often free on the App Store/Google Play. A pretty neat thing about them is that you can search for landmarks and other well known locations and it will pinpoint them for you on the map.

Of course, sometimes a physical paper map can be easier to look at, and you can likely find these for free at tourist centers and hostels/hotels.

5. Ask for Wifi everywhere … or buy a cheap cell plan
Going off the last tip, if you’re only studying abroad for the summer, chances are you’re not going to buy a cell plan. Most of us didn’t, and other than the terrible, harsh condition of not being able to check the internet whenever we wanted (kidding), we found we didn’t really need one. If you need to make a call, see if you can do so from the place you’re staying (hostel/hotel) or from a phone booth. And to access the internet, inquire at basically every public place you visit – museums, cafes, restaurants, etc. You’re bound to find free wifi, some with the name and passcode printed on a sign, others where you’ll have to ask an employee.

If you’ll be studying abroad for a semester or longer though, getting a phone plan is probably a good idea. In Europe you can buy a cheap phone and get prepaid minutes, or you can get a monthly plan for around 20 euros depending on the plan.

6. Plan your excursions ahead
If you’ll be doing extra traveling by going out of the city or country you’re staying in, I cannot stress this enough: get your transportation and housing in order early! Especially during the summer when much of Europe will be on their state-sanctioned vacations, it’ll be harder to find flight/train tickets and hostel/hotel rooms for reasonable prices – if you can find them at all. While spur of the moment trips can be fun, aim to book everything at least 3 weeks in advance for the best options.

7. Don’t cook if you don’t have to, and always invest in water
At least in my experience in Europe, food is generally cheaper than in the US. You can afford to eat out a lot more, and there are a much greater variety of low cost, non-fast food options. I definitely recommend supplementing your meals with snacks and microwaveables from grocery stores, which again I found to be much cheaper than US grocery items, but if you’re only staying abroad for the summer, you probably don’t want to waste your time cooking. Considering that your hotel/hostel probably doesn’t have great kitchen facilities or pots/pans/dishes and all those necessities, it’s likely going to be costly and not worth the effort to cook. Don’t forget to look out for student discounts, and restaurants offering prefixed meals (usually an entrée, main dish and desert) for good prices.

One thing I highly recommend buying is water. While not environmentally the best thing to do, water fountains were somewhat harder to find abroad in my experience, and the tap water in your hostel/hotel is probably not going to be great. Bring a reusable water bottle with you, and refill this with giant bottles of water you can get for 1E or less.

8. You need the metro
Using public transportation rather than driving is much more of a thing in countries outside the US, and it’s the best way of getting around cheaply and reliably. At least for the cities, pretty much anywhere you need to get to will be highly accessible by the metro. The best thing to do is to buy a monthly pass, and get yourself a metro map (whether physical or through an app).

9. Think about money issues before, not later
Planning out a budget for your stay abroad is one of the most important things you need to do before you leave. You don’t want to end up half way across the world and realize your money’s not going to last you, and it’s going to be an absolute pain trying to contact your financial aid office from so far away. On the flip side, make sure you’re not taking out more loan money than you need either. Remember that in some places you’re technically spending “more” on everything (ie 1$ = 1.3 E), but you may find that certain things are relatively cheaper abroad than in the US.

10. Spend some time alone
You’re going to be surrounded by your friends and classmates a lot of the time while you’re abroad, which is great! One of the best things is the memories you make with other people and the friendships you form during such a unique time in your life. However, I would also encourage you to every once in awhile get a feel for the place you’re in by yourself – go sightseeing on your own, sit at a café and read a book or people watch, or go to that museum no one else seems to be interested in. It’s such a different experience to wander on your own in a foreign country, but no less valuable or transformative. You might learn, see or hear things you otherwise wouldn’t have, and perhaps, in losing yourself while so far from everything and everyone you’re familiar with, discover a little bit more about yourself.

11. Get out of your comfort zone
And of course, this tip is probably on every study abroad guide article ever, but it’s because it’s so crucial. Studying abroad is by definition stepping out of your comfort zone – living and immersing yourself in a far off, unfamiliar place with a culture different to your own alongside people you don’t know. This in itself is a great thing, exposing yourself to the great diversity and variety the world has to offer. But don’t stop there. Try new things while abroad, and rack up those experiences and new ways of thinking. Your trip will be so much more rewarding, freeing and enlightening the more you allow yourself to encounter the unfamiliar.