Go Global with Kate Yapp: The "Turbulence" of Going Abroad - Pt. 2

The author, Kate Yapp, on drop-off day at the airport to start fall semester 2022 in Prague

By Kate Yapp

In my last edition, I covered the “turbulence” of going abroad as it dealt with finances. In this article, I will talk about everything else! It’s important that students know what to prepare for ahead of time so their study abroad experiences can be as seamless and rewarding as possible.

To produce a well-rounded guide of the best tips to equip future Katies who “go global,” I interviewed a couple of my peers who were abroad in Prague with me and some other St. Kate’s students who have been abroad.

Natalie Price ‘23 (International and Global Studies), who attends Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee, was one of the friends I met in my CIEE Central European Studies Program in Prague. Last fall was Price’s first time striking out on her own for such a long period.

Bon appetit!

*The author, Kate Yapp, being very excited to find chocolate milk at a grocery store in Prague*

I was shocked to learn that before Prague, Price never really cooked. “My mom and sister tend to control that arena at home and at college; I live on campus and have a dining plan,” she said.

Price said that this experience was actually very empowering for her, as she only had to feed herself and thus had more freedom to try new things and make mistakes because the only thing that mattered was nourishing her body.

She would go grocery shopping at the Albert’s — a household Czech grocery store — on a weekly basis and make menus ahead of time to plan her ingredient lists. She was braver than me, as I ate out a lot or ordered on Wolt, the food delivery app popular in Prague, to avoid the two under-equipped communal kitchens that we shared with the whole building.

*An example of a restaurant in Prague that served Georgian food that you could order on the food delivery app Wolt*

*The author, Kate Yapp, and Natalie Price cooking in their Prague dorm’s communal kitchen*

As a side note, if you live in a communal residence while studying abroad, you will encounter others’ lifestyles just like you would in a U.S. dorm. Not everyone will have the same level of cleanliness as you, and in our case, unfortunately the kitchens were not fully or adequately equipped with all of the right utensils and tools to cook or clean.

If you live in an apartment, cooking for yourself might be easier. You might feel more comfortable sharing kitchen staples or cleaning supplies with a roommate or a friend in your building for something you need, like dish soap, that wouldn’t be worth bringing from the U.S. or shipping back home with you.

It depends on where you study abroad, but the Czech Republic was a place where I could responsibly budget for eating out more with friends and supporting a variety of local businesses. Like I have said in previous articles, Prague is quite an international city, so I tried a variety of foods from different cultures and then didn’t have to build in extra time for grocery shopping, cooking or cleaning up.

*Indian food from the restaurant right below the author’s dorm in Prague*

*The author, Kate Yapp, out to lunch at Pho Family, a Vietnamese restaurant in Prague*

Traveling beyond just studying abroad

When it came to leaving the dorm and even Prague itself, Price said she appreciated being able to tag along with people who had more experience and mental energy to plan additional excursions, as she was occupied with some family health stuff happening back home. She had never traveled on her own, so she decided to find some friends she trusted (such as myself) and join in on trips that were already happening, rather than try and plan a trip by herself from scratch. This way she also got to learn from others with more travel experience.

*Natalie Price on a weekend trip she took to London during her semester in Prague*

Price was actually shocked by how often she traveled outside of Prague during our semester. CIEE knows that students are there to see things that would normally be pretty inaccessible, so they provided us ample opportunities to go off on our own. Our program had Fridays off every week and then a 10-day-long fall break plus a couple of holidays. This allowed a variety of unique experiences, like being able to fly or take the train to a different country on a Thursday afternoon and return Sunday night. During the national holidays that fell in the middle of the week, we could explore smaller towns in the Czech Republic and sights within Prague itself, like the National Museum and the Lennon Wall (John, not Vladimir).

*The author, Kate Yapp, at Kutna Hora, the first off-site excursion of many offered by CIEE Prague during her semester abroad*

CIEE also gives students a good value for their money as they provide additional excursions built into the cost of the program fee. In Prague, these included day trips on Fridays, events during the weeknights and two weekend trips to Berlin during our semester, which was another way Price was able to travel outside of Prague and the Czech Republic safely and relatively stress-free.

*The author, Kate Yapp, and her friend Tyqui Lawrence during the Berlin trip offered by their CIEE program in Prague*

Price and myself found a good balance of travel to be one weekend away and at least one weekend back in our place of study. This meant we could leave at the end of the semester feeling like we actually got to know where we were studying but we also saw new places that would be too expensive or burdensome to fly over for from the U.S.

Some of my favorite travel apps to check out travel distances and ballpark prices as well as actual accommodations and travel were Omio, Kiwi, Trainline and Flixbus. I would always compare prices between the three and ask friends about how much they paid for different weekend trips to make sure I wasn’t overpaying. Hostelworld is also a good website to find cool and reputable hostels to stay at. Following social media influencers in areas you travel can also help you find hidden gems that might be cheaper or less busy but still worthwhile.

*An example of what it looks like to search for flights on Omio*

Money, money, money
Most restaurants and vendors in major cities accept cards, but when you happen upon a street market — often around Christmas or Easter in Europe — or a street vendor, as was common in India during my J-term trip, you will need to have cash and coins to buy goods. This is also a good thing to keep in mind if you visit smaller towns outside of major cities.

I would caution Katies to be aware of the different currencies in each country (They don’t all use the Euro in Europe, for example.) and go to trusted banks (like Raffeisenbank in most of Europe) for ATM withdrawals. Look into debit and credit cards without international fees and always select the currency of the country you are in for your transaction price as opposed to U.S. dollars. (I don’t know why but it just saves you a few cents that can really add up.) Have a currency converter app on your phone so you don’t get ripped off while bargaining or at currency exchange booths, like the one I had to visit in Sibiu, Romania, to get exact change for storage lockers at the train station.

*A market in Berlin that required cash and coins in Euros*

Students can also find a lot of discounted rates at museums and even for Flixbus rides. In Europe, some places do require that you have an ISIC card, which is a European university ID. CIEE helped program participants in Prague acquire one if they wanted, even if they didn’t end up taking classes at Charles University but just through the CIEE center.

The more personal side of things

My friend Dania Khan ‘23 (Chemical Engineering), a student at Berkeley University, also participated in my program in Prague.

One of the ways her time in Prague was unique from mine was that she experienced navigating the process of finding a therapist, a psychiatrist and obtaining a prescription for anxiety and ADHD medication in a foreign country.

Khan said CIEE suggested a couple of therapists but there weren’t very many options for English speakers, people of color or women who could more accurately relate to her experience. As I noticed with medical appointments for illness or injury, it was also incredibly frustrating to try and schedule a timely appointment. Khan had to wait several weeks to see the professionals she needed, and one practice even said they couldn’t get her in for six months — long after we would have already returned home.

Another note on medical appointments: CIEE provided us with a list of clinics for expatriates and American students so they had staff who spoke English. It wasn’t always perfect and the language barrier could be tough at times. The point I want to make here though is that you often need to pay out-of-pocket up front for these visits and then save your receipts for reimbursement by your U.S. insurance or travel insurance later. I visited the clinics a couple of times and it came to about $150 each time. I wasn’t reimbursed until a couple of months after coming home.

CIEE also had a strict attendance policy and a doctor’s note was required for missing class due to illness.

You don’t have to face it all alone, though. If you are really worried about going to the doctor’s office, you could always ask a friend to tag along or in some cases, CIEE staff went with students.

Because of issues with licensing, most therapists won’t be able to continue offering services internationally while you study abroad. For this reason, the St. Kate’s Global Studies Office recommends having frequent FaceTime calls with loved ones and your support system back home while you are gone as one way to boost mental health and process your new experiences in a safe space.

The CIEE staff at the center in Prague was very supportive. Along with giving some tips during our program orientation, they were also able to provide guidance and comfort throughout the semester. I remember one of the staff members being kind enough to help me print a plane ticket and my ballot to vote in the U.S. midterm elections. Price was able to sit down and talk with a couple of staff members about helping her make a plan to catch up on work she had fallen behind on while dealing with the aforementioned crises back home. She felt incredibly supported, and the small class sizes helped her feel comfortable being honest with CIEE staff and professors.

Global Studies and myself also strongly encourage packing a supply of your necessary medications for the entire duration of your time abroad. For narcotics and ADHD medications, this can be tricky with insurance authorization, so make sure you mention studying abroad to your primary care doctor as soon as possible so you can make a plan to have insurance approve a larger quantity for distribution by your pharmacy.

This is also a pro-tip, but you will be hard pressed to find a CVS or other pharmacy-drugstore combo n Europe. The word for pharmacy can even vary based on the language of the country you visit. It is easiest to pack some Advil, cough drops, allergy medication, nasal spray or any other over-the-counter medical supplies that you know you use frequently and would be annoyed to have to find while abroad.

It might be hard to find some of your favorite skincare or hair products while abroad, too. In the Czech Republic, for example, it is hard to find conditioner in stores because it is more customary to use a 2-in-1. Especially if you have curly hair or sensitive skin, Price and myself found it much easier to just pack larger bottles of our favorite products with us in our checked luggage. This way we had the products that made us feel good and extra room to pack souvenirs on the way home when we had finished up the products we had brought from the U.S.
Fitting in

As I mentioned in my very first article for this column, one of the greatest favors you can do for yourself to feel more comfortable wherever you go is to learn some of the language!

Learning a new language keeps your brain sharp and keeps your wallet from overpaying or your face from getting flustered while asking for directions in a new place. Native residents also tend to be kinder and more patient with you if they see you are making an effort to learn about their culture. Asking for help pronouncing things and being open to correction is also a good way to form connections in your temporary home.

*A screenshot from language learning app Memrise*

I recommend a language app if you don’t have the chance to take language classes ahead of time. Even if you are taking language classes while abroad, you will still want enough simple phrases to navigate around on your own the first couple of weeks as you tend to have a lot of independence during study abroad.

Many of my friends were grateful for my four months of DuoLingo before arriving when we had to navigate to the metro or tram or ask how much a tube of toothpaste cost.

Going abroad can be a fun time to experiment with your own style, too!

*The author, Kate Yapp, trying on a beret at a street market in Bucharest, Romania*

I dress pretty business casual already but had always wanted to try a trench coat. In Prague, everyone wore trench coats on a daily basis and it was easy enough to buy one at any store.

*The author, Kate Yapp, in her beloved trench coat and white leather sneakers that helped her fit in with Czech fashion*

Khan tried a new barber while abroad and my friend Tyqui Lawrence ‘23 (Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia, Psychology minor), a student at Marist College in New York, found a salon to have his hair put in twists. One of my now favorite everyday pieces (I’m wearing it in my new Wheel profile picture!) is a leather jacket I bought from a street market in Bucharest, Romania!
While abroad you can also try exciting new foods and stores that you might not have access to back home!

*A variety of fruits for sale at a market in Barcelona*

There are also safety and etiquette benefits to fitting in as well as you can when you study abroad.

Charlotte Kadifa ‘23 (History and French) studied in Nantes, France, through IES during spring of 2021. While her program was made up of a bunch of other Americans, their classes were in French at the local university, and Nantes is a relatively non-touristy town. Kadifa and the other Americans would only speak English quietly with each other while in public. If you draw attention to yourself as a non-Native, you are an easier target for pick-pocketing or getting ripped off. I personally found that I got stopped less while alone by the transit police checking ride pass tickets on the tram or metro because I wasn’t speaking English alone and I dressed the part.
Erin Nelsen ‘20 (International Relations and Women & International Development) had the opportunity to go abroad four different times during her undergraduate career at St. Kate’s. In majority Muslim countries like Senegal and Morocco, she found that it was expected for women to cover their knees as a sign of respect so she wore a lot of long skirts. In Rome, I had to wear a shawl that covered my shoulders to be admitted into the Vatican. In India, where Kadifa, Nelsen and myself all took a J-term class, it was polite to use shawls to cover your hair if the local women were also doing so.

*The author, Kate Yapp, wearing a shawl to cover her shoulders at the Vatican in Rome*

Lastly, there are some practical reasons to try the common fashion or other trends. It was really rainy the first month I was in Prague so the trench coat kept me warm and dry. Everyone in Europe wears white leather sneakers that won’t get soaked and can be versatile with different outfits. Even the arm crutches I saw older adults using made more sense than wheelchairs because of the cobblestones and hills all over Prague.
Practical things you may not have considered

If you are worried about having a farther commute to school (mine was 30 minutes via tram or metro to the UNESCO World Heritage site where the CIEE Center was located in Prague), follow the buddy system! I was always much more likely to enjoy the commute to class and be on time when I left my dorm with another friend to ride the tram. Google Maps will also be your best friend if you set it to walking or public transportation mode because it will tell you when the next tram, bus or subway train is arriving.

The EU and India have the same kind of outlet plugs, but they look different from the ones used in the U.K. and U.S. I would recommend looking at a converter that you can switch multiple plug types into so you get the most versatility for the cost, especially if you plan on traveling outside of your country of study while you’re abroad.

A special warning, too, unfortunately based on personal experience: The voltage may be different and converters might not protect the wiring in all of the electronics you bring overseas with you. I didn’t have any issues except with a cheap curling iron I packed from home for small touch-ups. Trying to plug it in in Prague ended up damaging the device permanently so the rod itself no longer heats up, just the handle, rendering it useless.

An adaptor like this one can help with accidentally fried electronics.

A family friend who happened to be living in Prague during the same time I was there told me the woes of ruining an expensive steamer she had brought from the U.S. Just choose wisely which electronics you’re willing to risk and if not, make sure you research the voltage and consider buying a favorite hair tool there and splitting the cost with a friend, then donating it to a charity shop when you leave. My electric toothbrush and chargers for my phone, camera and laptop were fine.

Kadifa’s number one tip was to use a cross body bag with a zipper while out and about. Travelon is a good brand for anti-theft bags with zipper locks and thicker straps that are harder for thieves to cut. Kadifa and myself had no issues with pickpocketing because our bags were in front of us and we kept one hand on them at all times. Traveling in groups is also helpful so your friends can notice if something happens while you’re distracted taking a picture of the sites.

I would highly recommend packing microfiber, quick-dry towels. In the Czech Republic, dryers were not common so we often had to dry our clothes on clothing racks, which took especially long before the heat was turned on. It meant my towels didn’t get musty from staying damp. Having quick-dry towels that folded up small also made it easier to travel to other places on weekends where I had to provide my own towels (like most hostels).

As I mentioned the woes of our under-equipped kitchen already, I will only now mention my tip: to bring a personal utensil kit. For my birthday before I went abroad, my friend’s mom gave me a little case with my own reusable straw, fork, knife, spoon, and chopsticks. These came in handy when traveling, camping, hiking and especially in my dorm where there were only five forks provided by the landlord for 50 of us. I would only pack this in a checked bag when flying though, because my butterknife got confiscated by airport security in Rome while flying back to Prague after a short weekend trip with a friend from high school.
From the Global Studies Office’s travel must-haves: “[P]acking cubes are a great way to compress your belongings to fit everything into one suitcase, noise-canceling headphones can make plane travel more comfortable and you can’t forget a reusable water bottle!”
I would also add that I really enjoyed the going-away present I received from a high school friend, which was a small, portable liquid laundry detergent container. It was small enough to go in my carry-on and bring on weekend trips to do a little bit of laundry in a hotel bathroom for delicates.

CIEE actually recommended that the people in my program get sim cards with Czech phone numbers from Vodafone, the biggest cell service provider in Europe, while we were there. This way, European businesses and people we had to call (for my International Reporting class we had to contact interviewees) would be more likely to pick up and answer the phone if they saw a local number on caller ID. I got pretty good coverage across Europe and Prague itself, and the price was reasonable compared to the spotty and expensive coverage my friends paid for their international plans. I did have to rely on WhatsApp and social media to stay in touch with loved ones back home, though, to avoid international service charges. However, my younger brother video calling me for homework help at 3 a.m. because he forgot about the seven-hour time difference was out of Vodafone’s control.

Unfortunately, I had to get a new U.S. phone number upon returning home because I hadn’t made arrangements with my U.S. carrier before moving abroad and they had reassigned my number while I hadn’t renewed payment for their services for so long. It was unexpected, but as long as you make a plan ahead of time, you should be okay.

Also, invest in some good luggage! My mom had joined a Facebook group called “Flown Abroad” so she could learn tips from other parents and students about studying abroad. One of these tips was to invest in good luggage that stood out from others. My set that I got from Samsonite was baby blue. She also heard about backpacking backpacks from the brand Mother Lode, and I took one all throughout Romania with me via train during fall break and on weekend trips. A lot of the flights you will find for cheap in Europe will be through budget airlines with strict rules on luggage size and expensive fees for checked luggage, so a good backpacking backpack helps cut down on wait time at the luggage carousel and more money to spend on souvenirs and experiences!

To keep track of your new luggage, my mom (and many other parents) recommend putting electronic security tags in your luggage (such as AirTags) so if your stuff gets lost in international transit, it’s easier for you to track down and have the airline get it back to you. (Your bag might end up on the wrong flight and in the wrong country — it is an unfortunate possibility.)

Lastly, while you can’t pack a whole lot with you when you go abroad, it’s nice to feel at home in your space. I did this in my own dorm by packing some decorative dish cloths and small tapestries that I could pack easily without worrying about wrinkles and then hang up on the walls in my room for some personality. I also brought some printed photos of my friends and family back home to remind me of everyone I had in Minnesota rooting for me. I would recommend doing something similar. I also enjoyed displaying little cards that my mom had friends and family fill out for me that she packed with my stuff so I could read them for encouragement when I needed a pick-me-up.

*The author’s dorm in Prague that she decorated with simple things to feel like home.*

I know this article was long and pretty exhaustive but I sincerely hope it helped. Studying abroad is unfortunately a lot more to worry about than just taking classes in a different place, but if you can be prepared and make plans ahead of time, it shouldn’t be that much more to worry about. And all of the extra inconveniences will be outweighed by all of the extra amazing things you will experience!