In this post I will mainly talk about some travel tips that I have learned along the way from mainly my experience with it in Japan. I go into more detail about my travel ventures in other posts, so if you’re interested, feel free check them out. Plan aheadFirst and foremost, plan ahead. I cannot emphasize enough how important proper planning can help a travel trip go smoothly and alleviate most stress associated that you may have with it. It is good practice to use a planner or itinerary of some sort as they help keep you on schedule and keep your mind on future plans to come. Part of planning could also be checking the weather when you plan to travel or checking transportation routes and setting aside money for it. If you don't have access to cell service, as was my case, save screenshots or write down directions to avoid getting lost and also have some sort of dictionary that you can access, either paper or digital (I recommend Midori for Japanese). Additionally, always try to have some extra cash on you to be prepared for most problem situations that could arise while travelling. Don't ditch classesAlso part of planning, but crucial to being a student, would be to make sure that the timing of your trip is appropriate given your school schedule. Study abroad should always have an emphasis on the academic aspect and if you start to ditch school to go travel around frequently, it can have a negative impact on your education. Although, there are special occasions of some kind where teachers are willing to listen and try to accommodate to you as long as it does not seem like a trend of you taking advantage of it. No matter when you study abroad, there will always be an appropriate time frame to go travel and explore on your own, so don’t let it interfere with your education. Maps and GPSAlso related to planning, make sure you have access to a map or GPS app of some kind when you travel. Getting lost when you’re on a tight schedule in an unfamiliar place can be one of the most stressful aspects about travelling, so do your best to be prepared by having some way to navigate back to your planned path. Because I was unable to get a SIM card or portable wireless device, I invested in apps that could be used without wi-fi. However, these apps did not always recognize my destination unless I put in the exact address.
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AuthorI am Kyle Sablan and I studied abroad at Yokohama National University (YNU) during the 2016-2017 academic year. This blog was created as one of the requirements for receiving the Gilman Scholarship. The purpose of this blog is to share my personal experience with everybody and encourage interest in studying abroad. Archives
April 2018
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