Friday, March 17, 2017

A Year in the Life: Pre-Departure Orientation

So, word finally came from the study abroad office with information about approvals and next steps for studying abroad! Congratulations on being approved! I am so excited to be moving forward with my application to study abroad in Dublin this fall! 

I read through the notification letter that was attached to our approval emails. The very first thing I need to start working on is my secondary application to UCD. Most of us have to also apply to our host program or university. For me, I have to submit the study abroad application directly to UCD. (I know other people may have to complete the CIEE, SIT, IES or IFSA-Butler application, or even a different application. This part is definitely specific to each of us so if you're not sure and can't find the information on your program brochure page, check in with the Office of Study Abroad!). 

In addition to the secondary application, we also have to go back in to our study abroad portal (http://studyabroad.tulane.edu) and complete a whole bunch of additional questions, like emergency contact information, health insurance selection, and others.


I'm so excited to start getting ready for next semester, which is why I'm pumped for the General Pre-Departure Orientation this week! I signed up for Saturday but every session has the same super-useful information about Tulane policies and procedures that apply to study abroad! At the PDO's, advisors and returned study abroad students will offer logistical information about everything we need to do leading up to our departure, as well as some intercultural skills that can better equip us for the big move. The orientation leaders will walk us through the in's and out's of academics, finances, health, safety, communication, and technology planning. They'll also provide us with tons of resources on campus to properly prepare us for things like culture shock while abroad. There's no better way to get ready to study abroad than attending one of the pre-departure orientation - I can't wait to meet all of you and learn more about what my upcoming months will be like. 

You can RSVP for the Saturday Orientation on OrgSync here.

See you all there!