Predeparture Checklist
CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING APPROVED FOR STUDY ABROAD!
Please use the following checklist to ensure that you are fully prepared to participate in the program to which you have been accepted. Print this checklist.
[ ] Return a signed copy of your Letter of Acceptance to the Office of International Education to secure your spot and verify your participation in off-campus study.
[ ] Submit your 2nd application where it is required. All non-Beloit and some Beloit Programs require a 2nd application. Since many programs have rolling application deadlines, be sure to submit your application as early as possible.
[ ] Pre-register at Beloit College for 3 units for your semester abroad (use the SAB code for your program).
[ ] Calculate the credit value of the courses you plan to take abroad. Click on the following links for conversion tables for Beloit College programs and direct enrollment as well as ISEP universities. (Provider programs are on the US Semester Hour system, which translates 4 credits to 1 Beloit Unit.)
[ ] Obtain a valid passport. Instructions on State Department Website here.
[ ] Obtain all necessary visas. (See "Visa" below)
[ ] Visit the Financial Aid Office. Financial Aid will need to review your “aid package” with you. See budget sheet here. Information on financing study abroad is here.
[ ] Visit the Accounting Office and complete a power of attorney authorization. This will allow them to process your financial aid payments while you are abroad.
[ ] If you plan on conducting research involving interviews or surveys, you must complete a free training on research ethics and protecting human subjects. You may need to have your project approved by the Beloit College Institutional Review Board (IRB) to assure that you are meeting federal standards. See the IRB website for more information.
[ ] Complete and submit the following forms to the Office of International Education:
- Terms and Conditions
- Waiver and Release
- Emergency Contact & Information (biodata)
- Report of Medical History
- Copy of proof of study abroad insurance
- Copy of your passport and flight itinerary
[ ] Seek professional medical guidance on health concerns and immunization needs for the area in which you will be studying (see Health/Immunizations below). You may do this at the Beloit College Health Center. See Health Center information compiled by Marissa Berrier'13 here. Information on your host country can be found at the Centers for Disease Control website.
[ ] If you have a physical, learning or other disability and require accommodation, please discuss your situation with Academic Advising and with your study abroad advisor. (See Special Need Accommodation below)
[ ] Read through the Study Abroad Handbook.
[ ] Check your program dates and make your travel arrangements (dates may have changed).
[ ] Continue to read and research about your host country and culture. (See below).
[ ] Plan ways to document and reflect upon your experience in a structured and fruitful way. (See below).
[ ] Plan projects that could be funded through grants during the semester or after your program concludes.
[ ] Consider getting an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) and plan to bring your Beloit ID. Find ISIC Information here.
[ ] Register your travel with the US Department of State, which will alert your local embassy. Sign up for the State Department travel smart app. See instructions here.
[ ] Prepare for safety and security abroad by reading Responsible Study Abroad: Good Practices for Health and Safety, and Beloit College's tips on preparing for, avoiding and managing incidents.
[ ] Make housing arrangements, if program does not set up for you.
[ ] Make plan for getting money abroad. (Alert your bank that you will be traveling)
Visa:
A student visa is required for most countries. You must send your valid passport with your visa application so make sure that you apply for a passport well enough in advance to allow yourself ample time for acquiring a visa. Visa application processing times can take as long as 90 days or more.
Visa applications and process information can be obtained from the consulates of the country in which you will be studying. For a list of consular offices for the country in which you will be studying visit http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/fco/. You can also obtain information and apply for a visa through http://www.perryvisa.com/.
Health/Immunizations:
Plan ahead for health care and the immunization and documentation requirements for the countries you will visit. Get all necessary dental work completed before you travel. Take an extra pair of eye glasses (or contact lenses) and a copy of your prescription. Check Consular information for regulations and restrictions on the transportation of medications within your host country. Research the availability of medications you may need during your stay. Remember to bring a copy of any prescriptions for medication as you may be asked to show them in order to bring prescription medications across the border.
Consult with a medical provider about which immunizations are suggested or required for your host country--they can take several weeks to complete. Allow ample time. Don't crowd vaccinations. Please be sure to check the Centers for Disease Control’s website for the most up to date information on your study abroad location. Their website is http://www.cdc.gov/ . Also check your host country’s information sheets for any restrictions on importation of both over the counter and prescription drugs.
Hospital equipment in developing countries may be inadequate (by U.S. standards). Consider taking a medical kit with you. Refer to Study Abroad Orientation materials for recommendations for a traveler's medical kit and other wellness issues.
Special Need Accommodation:
Inadequate and/or incomplete disclosure of physical and psychological health concerns can impede or preclude appropriate treatment of emergency situations. Therefore, investigate options for accommodation at the study abroad site, as conditions and services for this vary considerably from country to country. If you will be studying at a university abroad, check with the office that handles study abroad students (usually either the international office or the admissions office). If you are studying abroad through a U.S. institution or organization, check with the person(s) responsible for your program. Academic Advising can help you determine which questions to ask about local conditions and services.
Motor Vehicles:
Students may not own or operate a motor vehicle while their program is in session unless permission is granted by the respective program director or the Office of International Education. (Exception: motorized bicycles used for local travel only when specifically approved.) In all cases, students must inform themselves of the laws of the host country.
Emergency:
Host institutions and on-site Beloit College faculty advisors have emergency action plans that guide them through emergency situations. In case of an emergency beyond the competence or jurisdiction of the on-site Beloit College faculty director or the authorities of the host institution, or an emergency that occurs while the student is away from the program site, students should contact the nearest U.S. Consulate or Embassy. Students should also contact their guardians and the Office of International Education at Beloit College by whatever means possible (fax, email, phone, etc.). If an incident occurs, please complete an Incident Report and return send it to oie@beloit.edu.
Additional Country Information:
Your local tourist office may also be able to help you locate descriptive brochures and maps of your particular university city. You can thus orient yourself somewhat before your arrival. Look also at the web-sites of your host country and city, guidebooks, and on-line and print newspapers published in or about your host country. Go to the library and ask the reference librarian for suggestions. Use the reference information for study abroad on the Beloit College library web site. Additionally, we highly recommend that you contact students on campus who are citizens of or have studied in the country in which you will be studying.
Credits and Course Selection:
You will be expected to take a full-time course load (3 units, and a maximum of 5 units) while studying abroad. If for any reason you will not be able to take a full course load, notify the Beloit College Office of International Education immediately by fax, email, or air mail. We need to make sure you can meet your academic obligations on the program and at Beloit College to the best degree possible. Each case will be reviewed individually. Please be aware that your financial aid may be impacted by any change in your course load.
Check with your international office or program provider about the translation of credits. For institutions on the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), credits will be translated at a ratio of 7 ECTS to 1 Beloit Unit. Keep in mind that 1 Beloit Unit is equivalent to 4 US semester hours.
Note: Courses abroad must be taken for a grade, and not pass/fail. Grades will appear on your Beloit transcript but will not be factored into your cummulative GPA (except Cites in Transition courses and courses on Estonia/Morocco program). Beloit College will not grant credit for courses taken in physical education.
Documenting and Reflecting:
The centerpiece of experiential learning is reflection -- stepping back and taking the time to make sense of what you experience, draw connections and generate new questions. This can happen throughout your study abroad, and especially after you return home. Some ways of doing this include keeping a journal, taking photographs for a photo essay or a photo film, sketching, writing for pubication, doing a research project. Some ways to prepare for this include:
- Buying and reading Going Abroad: Traveling Like an Anthropologist, and Maximizing Study Abroad: Strategies for Language and Culture Learning and Use.
- Learning to take field notes
- Taking a photography class
- Learning about making photo films (Click for instructions and examples of films.)
Conduct:
Students accepted for overseas programs are considered to be mature men and women primarily concerned with the educational and cultural opportunities study abroad offers. Students who fail to live up to these expectations will be subject to the policies and disciplinary actions established in the Terms and Conditions and the Beloit College Student Handbook, as interpreted and enforced by local staff, the Office of International Education, or the Dean of Students Office as appropriate.
FINAL NOTE:
PLAN TO GIVE YOUR OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE YOUR VERY BEST. IT MAY WELL PROVE TO BE ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PERIODS OF YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. BE ALERT, SENSITIVE, FLEXIBLE, SELF-RELIANT. CONFORM TO THE NORMS OF YOUR NEW COUNTRY. YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO REWARDING CROSS-CULTURAL RELATIONS. BEST WISHES!