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Safety Tips For Students Studying Abroad Congratulations on your impending overseas study! We hope that the experience is both academically and personally rewarding and that you return to Chicago with a larger sense of the world and of yourself as a citizen of the world. Along with these best wishes we should like to offer a few words of advice about making your experience safe and relatively trouble-free. Clearly your living and studying in Chicago has made you "street-wise" in a way that will stand you in good stead abroad. A large part of staying out of harm's way abroad consists merely of retaining this sensibility. Beyond this we should like to make a few specific points and observations. Please read them, think about them, and discuss them with friends.Feel free to bring your questions to the director of your program or to the College Academic Director of Study Abroad.
GENERAL ADVICE
Let’s begin with a few all-purpose tips about staying safe abroad.

~Be alert. People-watching is part of the pleasure of foreign travel. It's also part of keeping safe.
 
~Trust your instincts. This connects with our first point. If you become aware of suspicious behavior, if you're getting bad vibes from someone on the street, put some distance between yourself and the situation.
 
~Be inconspicuous. One travels to see, not to be seen. Clothing or behavior that broadcasts "tourist" or "young American abroad" could bring trouble in your direction.
 
~Don't sightsee in large, English-speaking groups. This connects with our third point. It can be fun to wander about with a friend or two, but large groups of young American's (inevitably a bit boisterous) can attract unwanted attention and hostility. Of course one must violate this rule in program-sponsored outings.
 
~Avoid "American" haunts. Why hang around fast-food joints and tourist traps when quieter, more "authentic" areas beckon?
 
~Be discreet with your cash. Don't flash large sums for all to see.
 
~Probably, like most of our traveling students, you will be studying at an urban institution. You should then carry over to your new surroundings the precautionary measures you have adopted in Chicago. Learn which areas are relatively "safe"--safety is always relative--and which are less so. For night trips choose your itinerary carefully. Stay away from suspicious types.
 
~Political demonstrations are always interesting. We suggest that you observe them from a distance and that you limit yourself absolutely to passive observation. If the demonstration has an anti-American theme or tone, don't let your wounded pride lead you to shed your anonymity.
 
~Naturally you will want to make new friends abroad, and we would not want to discourage you from this. But don't let this quite appropriate goal lead you into an unwelcome intimacy. Allow yourself to be just a bit cautious with strangers. Friendships worth having are often slow to develop. Don't rush it!
 
~Once you have arrived at your temporary home-away-from-home, learn where the nearest police station and hospital is. This is not especially burdensome knowledge, and it might turn out to be useful.
 
~Use public transportation wisely. By all means you will want to avail yourself of the subway, streetcars, and buses of your host city. But it’s important that you know how the system works and where it’s taking you. More about this under transportation safety below.
 
~Stay sober. Although you will likely find the drinking laws in your host country to be less restrictive than those back home, you are urged to be moderate in your consumption of alcohol. To incapacitate yourself with strong drink (or drugs) is to make yourself vulnerable to mischance. Inebriation weakens your judgment, your self-protective inhibitions, and your observational abilities.
 
~Perhaps you have read about the confidence games known as "pigeon drops" in Chicago. If a stranger suggests a scheme by which a small investment on your part will lead to a handsome reward, be very suspicious.
 
~If you are fearful or confused about anything, share your concerns with the director of your program or the overseas study office of your host university.
  STREET CRIME AND HOW TO AVOID IT
Petty thievery is as old as cities themselves. Here are some thoughts about how to protect yourself from unpleasant encounters with the criminal element.

 

~Don't carry with you more cash than you can stand to lose. Traveler's checks are probably the safest way to take money abroad.
 
~One of the wonders of the modern world is the automatic teller machine (ATM), which allows the wandering student to withdraw money from his or her US-based checking account while abroad. The usual warnings about ATM use--keep the ATM card safe and inaccessible, keep your personal identification number in your head rather than on paper, avoid making withdrawals from isolated or unprotected locations--apply to ATM's abroad with equal force.
 
~Money belts and travel pouches are useful devices for frustrating pickpockets. If you use a billfold don't put it in the hip pocket of your jeans or the inside breast pocket of your jacket. It's much harder for a thief to extract a purse from a front trousers pocket or a pocket inside buttoned-up clothing.
 
~Your passport can be as enticing as your money. You should stow it, like your wallet, in a relatively inaccessible pouch or pocket. Or you may wish to leave it at home (that is, your residence abroad) and carry a photocopy.
 
~Do make photocopies of your passport and other important papers. Make a list of your travelers' check and credit card numbers. Keep these documents in a separate pocket, pouch, or bag.
 
~If you carry a bag keep it close and keep it closed. In crowded or threatening situations hug it to your body. Use only a bag that closes with a snap, tie, or buckle. Never leave your bag unattended. If you place it beside you on a bench be aware of who's nearby.
 

~Pickpockets and purse-snatchers often work in pairs. Be aware that an importuning stranger may be a decoy engaged in distracting you from the malicious work of his or her associate. Sad to say, a child may be a partner in this sort of crime.
 

 
~Avoid crowds as much as possible. Public conveyances, because they tend to compress strangers into dense masses, are especially attractive to pickpockets. We would not ask you to avoid such conveyances, but do keep your antennae up.
 
SAFETY IN YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME 
 While the College tries to insure safe housing situations for all participants in its study abroad programs, it is of course impossible to guarantee absolutely safe accommodations. In this regard you must do your part in keeping your temporary home secure. Here are some suggestions.

 

~Whether you live in an apartment, a residence hall, a pension, or a family, you need to take steps to keep your temporary home "off-limits" to strangers.
 
~Whether you are setting out or returning, you should get in the habit of locking your front door as soon as you close it behind you. If you have engaged in the dubious practice of leaving your Chicago dormitory room unlocked, you need to put that sort of naive behavior behind you.
 
~Don't admit strangers to your home. Repairmen should be asked for identification.
 
~As soon as you arrive in your new abode you should make an inventory of doors and windows and mentally map out a set of escape routes in case of fire.
 
~The telephone can be the means of invasive attentions and the harbinger of unsolicited physical contact. The only proper response to a prank caller is an immediate dial tone. If you experience a pattern of harassing calls, report them to the authorities just as you would in this country.
 
TRANSPORTATION SAFETY  
Getting from here to there, a significant aspect of life in general, looms very large indeed in study abroad programs. We want you to get from here to there safely. These tips cover transportation at all levels: by air, by rail, and by public transportation within your host city.

 

~The admonition to "travel light" is not simply a matter of convenience. When you encumber yourself with excess baggage you make yourself less independent, slower, more vulnerable. The more bags you have, the more likely you are to "lose" one, and a snatched bag is difficult to recover when you're weighed down with others.
 
~Both in traveling to your host country and in returning to the States, be sure to arrive at the airport well ahead of your departure time and check your luggage early on. Try to avoid flight plans with very short layovers. Even if you make it from one plane to the next, your checked luggage may not.
 
~Never leave bags unattended. If you see an unattended bag in an air or rail terminal, report it to the authorities immediately.
 
~On trains you should either take your bags with you to the dining or lounge cars or leave a friend to look after them. A stranger you have just met is not, for these purposes, a friend.
 
~Don't agree to act as a courier for someone else unless you know the other person well and know the contents of the bag or package entrusted to you.
 
~In general everything that we have said about avoiding crowds, being wary of strangers, and staying alert should be applied doubly to airline and train terminals.
 
~Public transportation systems in most foreign cities are usually more convenient and user-friendly than ours (also less expensive), and you will certainly want to avail yourself of the buses, trolleys, and subways in your host city. But you need to know the system and where it's taking you. Subways especially, because their underground routes keep you from seeing the passing cityscape, can convey you into areas you would not normally enter on foot.
 
~Here are some tips about taxis. While they reduce to near-zero the risk of being pickpocketed, taxis can pose other dangers (you are, after all, entering an automobile controlled by a complete stranger). Make sure that your taxi is a “normal,” properly licensed conveyance and that your driver’s identification is in view (the degree to which this is possible will vary from country to country). Most guidebooks will contain some information about the taxi system and give you the means for making the important distinction between legitimate and illegitimate cabs. (On this topic and on others, it’s important to read the pertinent sections before you arrive in your host country.) Before taking a taxi from an airport, take a second to size up how the cab dispatching system, if there is one, works. Look for an official cab line, perhaps with a dispatcher. Again, guidebooks are usually helpful in this regard. Be wary of drivers who are too aggressive in soliciting business. To avoid being driven in circles as a means of jacking up the fare, you may wish to reach a preliminary understanding with the driver about what constitutes a reasonable fare to your destination. This applies especially to meterless cabs. (Remember that, in some cities, nighttime rates are higher.) Obviously you want to avoid a dispute with your driver, and above all, you do not want a dispute to become violent. Look to police to mediate such altercations.
 
~Don't plan to operate a motorized vehicle abroad. Almost all of the overseas venues to which Chicago sends its students have two things in common: 1) public transportation is excellent and 2) strolling is pleasant and edifying. To saddle yourself with a rented motor scooter or vespa or automobile is to complicate your life unnecessarily. You add a distraction from the central mission of your program, and you put yourself in the way of a host of legal/medical problems. Walkers take in their surroundings and learn. Drivers watch the road. Our national obsession with the automobile (and motorcycle) is grotesque and a source of wonder to America-watchers abroad. We urge you in the strongest terms to think of your time abroad as an emancipation from the internal combustion engine. Walk, enjoy the air, take in the sights, connect with your host culture. Don't drive abroad.
 
GENERAL HEALTH  
Apart from avoiding crime and mishap, you also want to stay as healthy as possible while you are abroad. Here are some tips.

~Obviously the normal admonitions about eating right, about getting exercise, about getting sufficient rest, about maintaining good personal hygiene and so forth continue to have validity abroad. Because taking yourself abroad removes you from daily routine in the most dramatic way, it may be difficult to maintain the good health habits that you have formed at home. Do make an effort to retain these habits. Not to do so is to make yourself vulnerable to illness.
 
~In connection with the preceding comments we want to urge you to pay sufficient attention to stress as an element that can undermine good health and weaken the immune system. For the seasoned traveler and the novice adventurer alike, the business of getting to and operating within a foreign country, of being very much a stranger in a strange land, can be stressful. And stress can be a highly corrosive, if subtle, health problem. Here the admonition to “know thyself” has real force. If you recognize in yourself a special vulnerability to stress—we all share this vulnerability to some degree—it is imperative that you learn effective stress-reduction techniques. Perhaps the simplest stress-reduction measure is simply to share your concerns and anxieties with others—with friends or program officials.
 
~Although the state of one’s general health is essentially a personal matter and a personal responsibility, we urge you to be open with study abroad personnel about your pertinent health history and areas of potential vulnerability. As part of your preparations for a Chicago program abroad, you are asked to submit a health questionnaire outlining chronic health problems, medications taken regularly or sporadically, allergies, and dietary restrictions. We expect you to take this questionnaire seriously and complete it fully. Your answers will be held in confidence, shared with study abroad personnel only on a need-to-know basis. Apart from the questionnaire you should feel free to discuss any health problem, current or potential, with the Academic Director of Study Abroad in Chicago or the on-site director of your program. An open and full disclosure in this regard is the best way to keep a health problem from sabotaging your experience overseas.
 
~In connection with the study abroad health questionnaire and with the general proposition that the better your health the more you're going to be able to profit from your studies, we would like to suggest that you use your planned adventure abroad as an occasion for a general physical check-up (including a good look at your teeth). A periodic physical examination is, for all of us, a prudent measure. For a student planning international travel, even to a site not normally considered to present special health risks, it is especially recommended. You can arrange for such an examination at the Student Care Center (see below).
 
~If you require a special medication, either in regular doses or as a special remedy for medical flare-ups, you should of course make sure that you have a quantity sufficient for the duration of your program overseas. Going beyond this obvious observation, we recommend that you take with you an extra supply of the medication (say, half again the minimum amount needed). Why? Because life is unpredictable, spills happen, bags are lost.
 
~If you take a prescription medication be sure to have a copy of the prescription on your person when you make your way abroad. You might also wish to have a letter from your doctor concerning the medication and your legitimate need for it. Such a letter could be a potentially useful show-and-tell document for customs officials.
 
~Anyone who needs glasses needs two pairs of glasses. If you use prescription glasses you should carry abroad with you an extra pair as well as your optometrist's prescription (this of course applies equally to contact lenses).
 
~Most of the countries to which Chicago sends its students require no special health precautions. Some do. Where special precautions—especially prophylactic measures against endemic disease—are required, Chicago requires program participants to schedule a pre-departure appointment with the Student Care Center (see below) or a family physician. You may also wish to consult the web site of the federal government’s Center for Disease Control.
 
~In many developing countries and in certain areas of the developed world, travelers need to be wary of the local water supply. If you are in such a region be sure to use bottled water (for tooth brushing as well as drinking) and refrain from eating uncooked food or food purchased from a street vendor (unless you wash it thoroughly with bottled water).
 
~In connection with the previous point, traveler’s diarrhea is the most common complaint of those visiting a developing country. Normally this is a temporary condition whose chief danger—dehydration—is preventable by drinking plenty of fluids. However, if you develop blood in your stool or an inability to take in fluids, you must seek local medical attention immediately.
 
~A good general resource for students about to embark upon international travel is the Student Care Center, which is located in Suite R-100 (first floor, R corridor) in the University Medical Center. You can make an appointment by calling 773-702-4156. The SCC personnel are experienced in giving solid information and advice for international travelers and are happy to answer your general as well as site-specific health-related questions. You can also look to the SCC for a variety of laboratory tests, inoculations, and prescriptions.
 
~Good health includes good mental health. To repeat what we said earlier, a full (confidential) disclosure of continuing or potential problems is vitally important and indeed expected. If you are or have been prey to emotional problems, we urge you also to take the prudent step of consulting with a therapist at the Student Counseling and Resource Service about your travel plans and about how to insure a trouble-free experience abroad. In regard to our earlier comments about stress, the professionals at the SCRS can be helpful in teaching stress-reduction techniques. The SCRS is located at 5737 S. University Ave. To make an appointment call 773-702-9800.
 
~We’re not doctors. To get sound advice before departure consult the Student Care Center or your own physician. To secure such advice as well as treatment while you are abroad, let yourself be counseled by on-site personnel.
  POLITICAL VIOLENCE 
 And now a word about terrorism.

  ~The word is "relax". The likelihood of one's falling victim to political terrorists is exceedingly small, especially in the countries where Chicago has its programs. On the other hand, because the use of violence to make a political statement knows no boundaries, it pays to keep your eyes open. If you notice anything suspicious, report it to the authorities. If you see a potentially dangerous situation developing, keep your distance. If you are interested in politics, stay away from extremists and zealots. By and large the virtues of wariness and alertness advocated by this document apply here.
  BECOMING A CRIMINAL  
And now a word about crimes you might feel like committing.

~The word here, a contraction, is "don't". Though we all have the best intentions toward you, there is very little that the University or the State Department can do for you if you land in jail in a foreign country. Generally speaking, it is not difficult to stay out of jail. You simply have to refrain from mischief, avoid political demonstrations (as an active participant), and obey the laws of the land. We want especially to warn you about drugs and to urge you to have nothing to do with them. While some countries are very lenient about drug possession and commerce, others are very much the opposite. And since drug laws even in the lenient countries are complicated, we suggest that you conduct yourself at all times and in all places with great circumspection. We cannot state this too strongly. Using, possessing, or selling drugs in a foreign country is a highly dangerous game to play. If you are in the habit of using controlled substances, we suggest that you renounce this habit while you are abroad (and perhaps forevermore).
 
BEING A WOMAN ABROAD 
 Here is some advice for our female travelers.

~Obviously everything we have said thus far applies to all students regardless of sex, and we urge women to heed the admonitions already given about public transportation, night travel, making friends, keeping one's home secure, and so forth. At the same time there are situations in which women, more than men, need to be especially on their guard, and it would be a mistake to ignore or deny this sad fact out of a feeling of support for sexual equality and female empowerment. The problem of unwanted attention from a stranger can be especially vexing. Do not feel--we are speaking mainly to women now--that you must remain courteous and pleasant in the face of pests. It may be necessary to be firm, even rude in turning away an unwelcome advance. You may indeed have to "make a scene" to get your point across. If necessary, seek the help of the police. Sexual aggressiveness can take crude forms. If you are confronted by an exhibitionist, the best response is to ignore the offender and leave the scene. Again, summon a police officer if you feel threatened. The best way to avoid trouble in the first place is to walk purposefully and with a body language that says "bug off!" Although this can be difficult for someone from a country where a ready smile has almost the status of Mom's apple pie, you will likely find it necessary, for your own protection and independence of movement, to cultivate a defensive surliness as you walk the streets of your host city. Perhaps we are making our point by overstating the situation, but this advice is based upon talks with many women travelers through the years.
 
SEXUAL ADVENTURES AND MISADVENTURES 
 And now some words about sex and the single student.

  ~We hope that you take our suggestions seriously and that you stay out of the way of street creeps, con artists, petty thieves, and potential terrorists. At the same time it is essential for you to realize that the most dangerous creature, at home and abroad, is a microbe. The sexually transmitted HIV virus, is the harbinger of AIDS, and despite recent medical breakthroughs, AIDS remains a life-changing and potentially lethal illness. Because you are at a point in your life when sex is likely to loom large, you need especially to take this threat into account and conduct yourself in a way that protects you from AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD's). One absolutely certain way of avoiding trouble of this sort is, of course, to abstain from sexual activity, a strategy that some will find reasonable and others intolerable. Those in the latter category will need then to take the proper precautions, which means the use of a latex condom, preferably one treated with the spermicide nonoxynol-9. "Use a rubber" is advice traditionally given to young men. For women, who are several times more likely than men to contract the HIV virus in heterosexual contact, this advice carries perhaps even more weight. Since one cannot always predict when an interesting romantic situation will arise, it makes sense to carry protection on one's person..
 
~Steps taken to protect oneself from the HIV virus also offer protection from other STD's the gallery of which is rather horrifyingly large and varied. (They will also be effective against an unwanted pregnancy.) Again, the surest strategy for staying out of harm's way is to remain celibate. At the other extreme, a pattern of unprotected intercourse with a large number of partners, especially partners whose sexual history is not known--and how really can one ever be sure about another person's sexual history?--is most likely to lead to catastrophic trouble.
 
~Space limitations prevent us from even approaching a proper treatment of this topic. For more complete advice about the physiology and sociology of sex in our post-Aquarius age, we suggest that you speak with a physician at the University Health Service or at least take a glance at pamphlets on display there. The booklet A Woman's Guide to the University of Chicago is full of helpful information really for both sexes.
 
Studying abroad is an adventure, and to make a success of it one must have an adventurous spirit. We do not want, with these comments, to subvert your sense of adventure or to make you fearful. Clearly an exaggerated fearfulness has no place in ventures where the challenge is to understand and, in time, feel comfortable in an overseas culture. So while we ask you to be cautious, to have a care, to trust your instincts, we also want you to be open to new experiences and to learn. Be open, but be cautious. Learn, but stay safe. With this apparently mixed message we wish you good journey and safe return. Bon voyage! Gute Reise! Buen viaje!

 

 

Helpful hints for studying abroad

Before departing for their destinations abroad, students planning to study overseas encounter many clerical tasks involved with the preparations of their travels. The Institute of International Education reported that a total of 223,534 students in the U.S. studied abroad in 2007. This translates to several hundreds of thousands of students seeking details on passport arrangements, money-saving opportunities and class credit. One of the largest concerns for students are the expenses involved with going abroad, said Jeremy Billetdeaux, senior program coordinator for the Office of International Research, Education, and Development at Virginia Tech. He offered some general tips for students who desire to reduce their spending while on their international ventures. Billetdeaux advised for students to choose a destination where the dollar is doing well and to apply for scholarships. "There's money through Virginia Tech and through outside sources," Billetdeaux said. He also noted his surprise in how many scholarship opportunities are actually available to prospective travelers. A Web site, www.studyabroadfunding.org, created by IIE contains much of this information. Some students are also eligible to receive financial aid for studying abroad. LeToya Young, assistant for the Office of Financial Aid, said that students could potentially receive money just as they would while at Tech provided they have a completed and valid FAFSA available. "It's the same for study abroad, you make sure you have your free application for federal student aid on file," Young said. Also, a U.S. passport is required for students to enter and leave most foreign countries; however, obtaining a passport can involve a long and costly process. The government states that it will usually take about six weeks for a passport, which costs approximately $100, to process. A visa, not to be confused with the credit card, is a stamp of approval, usually inside the passport. This is often an additional necessity for students to journey abroad for lengthier periods of time. As Billetdeaux explained, the requirements for a visa vary from semester to semester. Billetdeaux said that the Office of International Resource, Education, and Development is a source that has proved to be helpful to students when they are considering education abroad. "We're very student centered, and we try to find programs that are going to match up with student's personal and academic needs," Billetdeaux said. Today, the most popular countries for Tech students to study abroad are Australia, England, France, Italy, Spain and New Zealand. Isaac Barnes, a senior and international studies major, was deeply moved by his semester-long visit to Morocco. "It was just this melting pot of French influence, African influence, et cetera," Barnes said. "You really don't know what is going on until you're there." Barnes said that his travels abroad provided him with knowledge of the Arabic and French languages, while also gaining valuable insight into Moroccan culture. One issue students may run into while preparing to go overseas is realizing they will need foreign currency. Currency exchange can be done at major banks and international airports prior to the trip. ATMs are also used internationally, making it convenient for students who may unexpectedly need more money than intended. One potential cause for needing more money is food, which can become a major expense while staying in another country. "Some schools overseas have meal plans, like we do in the U.S. Obviously most students aren't going to eat out every night because that gets really expensive," Billetdeaux said. Many also choose to go grocery shopping, an often cheaper means of eating food rather than dining at restaurants. Tech offers more than 70 student exchanges and more than 30 faculty-led programs, with course credit offered for most excursions. This credit doesn't affect your GPA at Tech, but not all courses are directly accredited. With student exchanges and non-Tech programs, students must meet with their advisers to gain approval of the courses they intend to take while abroad.

Top 10 Study Abroad Tips

Studying abroad can be a fun and safe experience but it is important to realize that you are subject to the laws and customs of another country.

Make sure you have a signed, valid passport and visas, if required. Also, before you go, fill in the emergency information page of your passport! Read the Consular Information Sheets (and Public Announcements or Travel Warnings, if applicable) for the countries you plan to visit. Leave copies of your itinerary, passport data page and visas with family or friends at home, so that you can be contacted in case of an emergency. Keep your host program informed of your whereabouts. Make sure you have insurance that will cover your emergency medical needs (including medical evacuation) while you are overseas. Familiarize yourself with local laws and customs of the countries to which you are traveling. Remember, while in a foreign country, you are subject to its laws! Do not leave your luggage unattended in public areas and never accept packages from strangers. While abroad, avoid using illicit drugs or drinking excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages, and associating with people who do. Do not become a target for thieves by wearing conspicuous clothing and expensive jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts of cash or unnecessary credit cards. Deal only with authorized agents when you exchange money to avoid violating local laws. When overseas, avoid demonstrations and other situations that may become unruly or where anti-American sentiments may be expressed.