| Getting Prepared |
| Moving to another country can be a scary experience.
I strongly recommend for you to take SPCOM 199 which will expose you to feelings
which you will experience while away from home. You will feel that
everything surrounding you is wrong, that people don't understand you and
that it will get only worse. The course will help you understand why you
will feel that way, and it will give you hints how to deal with it. Be prepared to
be very homesick, but keep in mind that you will go back home after a year. As you pack your belongings, take only what you need. Clothes, few CDs, list of all adresses, an ATM/Credit card, and no more than three hundred dollars in cash. I never had any problems using Visa or ATM card anywhere in Europe, and the service charges weren't any higher than those in the states. You will have to buy a pillow and a blanket when you get to Germany. They are cheap enough that your limited luggage space will be better filled with other necessities. Be aware that entire Europe has 220V electric outlets. Most of your electic equipment will not work. I strongly recommend to obtain a student-visa before you go to Germany. It will save you a lot of stress and running around in a country that you don't know, and where you are not very confident. German government requires that you provide proof that your family has $700 per month to support you while you are there. Simply have you parents contact German consulate in Chicago, set up an appointment, fill out the paperwork and you'll be set. You can do it once you get to Darmstadt, but doing so in the United States will save you a lot of stress. Don't expect to pass all your tough courses in Germany, but at the same time make an attempt to do so. Studying abroad is an excellent opportunity to try something you have never done or didn't have time for. I have taken an architecture photography course, something I wouldn't have time for at UIUC. It was fun, I passed and learned a lot in the process. Good Luck! Michal |