Tips Stay Safe While Studying Abroad

Though Indian descent Kids are familiar with the festivals and other celebrations they are missing out a lot..

Studying abroad can result in great rewards but at the same time, it involves significant risks.

Currently, India is in second place after China in terms of international student enrollment in schools across the globe. Each year, scores of students from India leave their home country to fulfill their dreams of studying abroad.

However, the number of Indians dying abroad has also been rising steadily since 2013 and exceeds 8,000 annually.

Here are seven tips to make sure one’s time abroad is contended, productive and safe:

Research Your Destination

Make sure to research your destination before leaving the home country. Indian travel advisory department regularly updates travel advisories for each country which give detailed information about what parts of the country are safe, what types of public transportation to use, common scams, times of year to avoid travel, and more.

Learn Local Laws and Customs

Pay close attention to laws or local customs when you are researching the destination. Many countries have strict laws which would sometime lead to significant jail time. In countries where alcohol is widely permitted, there may be different laws or cultural norms around drunkenness or public intoxication.

In some countries, you also should be particularly careful about talking regarding the sensitive topics, which in some cases are illegal. In some extreme situations, the simple discussion of prohibited topics is seen as support for terrorism.

Prepare for Emergencies

Make copies of important documents like your passport, visa and airline, and hotel confirmations. It is also advisable to keep a digital copy on your smartphone or tablet. In case a document is lost or stolen, having a copy can help you get new documents more quickly.

Digitally store or write down the phone numbers for emergency services and the local embassy/consulate before you leave. Learn a few basic phrases in the local language to ask for help or in some emergency situations.

Keep Yourself Digitally Safe

It is a good idea to have a lock screen passcode while traveling if your phone is stolen. In addition, many services such as Google’s Find My Device or Apple’s Find My iPhone will allow you to remotely erase your phone if it is lost or stolen.

In countries with highly-limited internet and a high rate of hacking, it perhaps makes sense to take a throwaway phone that you will be able to erase when you return home. Using a virtual private network, or VPN service could also help while traveling abroad and connecting to the Internet from unknown networks.

Personal Safety

Some of the most common crimes that travelers fall victim to, such as pick-pocketing and baggage theft, result from being diverted and unaware of happenings around you.

Keep track of your personal belongings and secure them when they’re out of your sight. If you’re traveling by road between cities, avoid traveling at night as road conditions and lighting may be minimal.

Jaihind

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