Preparing for Home
Here’s a riddle:
What’s ahead that takes you back, and requires time put in when time is what’s running out?
The answer:
UGRAD departures
Even if it’s the last thing you want to think about, departures from the United States are inevitable. Rather than spending your last few days packing and scrambling to tie up loose ends, we want you to feel relaxed and prepared. To do that, we urge you to be proactive! Before you depart, World Learning will send you a Departure Checklist. Here are some additional tips that we think will help you end your experience well.
Take photos of the mundane
Today, the door to your room, the flowers on the way to class, and your U.S. History classroom may seem too familiar and quite boring. But tomorrow, they are history! Try to capture even the littlest things.
Here are some photo ideas: you with your professors, the lady who always daily serves you food in the cafeteria, where you participated in community service, your dorm room, your favorite café, your spot of grass on the quad, your favorite tree…
Reach out to professors if you want to stay in touch
Who knows when you may need a letter of recommendation or piece of advice down the road? If there is a professor or two that you are particularly close to, we recommend telling them that you’d like to stay in touch.
Thank those who have made all the difference
Think about the person who helped you find your classes on the first day of the semester or the friend who took you to the grocery store when you needed a snack. Saying “thank you” with words or a card goes a long way.
Share contact information with friends
Living on the same campus or in the same country has made it fairly easy to be in touch with all your new friends. When you return home, you may need to be more creative with your modes of communication. Consider asking friends to connect via Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn, Email, and/or Telephone.
Make lists
Amid everything that is going on, lists can help you make sure you don’t miss a beat. Make lists of: items to pack, people to say goodbye to, documents to submit, gifts to purchase for people back home, last goals you want to accomplish, etc.
Read every last email sent to you by your World Learning Program Team
A successful UGRAD experience means following through until the very end. There are some last reports and forms that need to be submitted. Read through all of those emails and be sure you aren’t skipping out on important notices from World Learning.
Most of all, the UGRAD team at World Learning reminds you to have fun. Fully enjoy your last weeks in the United States.
Carpe Diem!