{"id":3654,"date":"2019-08-05T15:13:39","date_gmt":"2019-08-05T15:13:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/?p=3654"},"modified":"2022-04-13T15:42:21","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T15:42:21","slug":"how-i-prepared-financially-to-study-abroad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/how-i-prepared-financially-to-study-abroad\/","title":{"rendered":"How I prepared financially to study abroad"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Amongst the studying abroad process, there comes the realisation that there is a lot of administration and preparation to be done. I\u2019ve spoken about the things to consider before applying, the steps to take when applying and my personal experience of seeking accommodation for my time in Norway and it seems only fitting to continue on this trail with my experience and tips on how to prepare for studying abroad in a clear and coherent way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the obligations begin to pile up, it is clear that a checklist is the only way to cohesively structure everything that needs to be done. Checklists are not for everyone and there are so many ways to make such a list creatively to enjoy what is a frustrating process. Once I got my nomination for UiO, I created the first of three checklists that would see me through to preparing for my semester in Oslo with my sanity intact; the administration checklist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finance \u2022 Health \u2022 Travel \u2022 Forms \u2022 UiO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most important sector of the list personally was sorting out my finance for which I will discuss my personal recommendations and experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Student Finance and Insurance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As discussed in previous posts, it is crucial to have financial stability. I applied for Student Finance the day it became available to know what would be my main source of financial aid. Applying early is probably the best thing to do because I was given my entitlement summary a week later. To include my extenuating circumstance of Erasmus+ was simple; I had to select the \u2018study abroad\u2019 option within the term residence section and then explain whether it was Erasmus+ or International.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other financial things to consider is travel and health insurance. Cardiff University offer such insurance but getting additional insurance isn\u2019t unnecessary if I was planning to leaving before the insurance guarantee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laptop Well-Being<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A laptop malfunctioning can be a terrible issue when used to type up notes, listen to lectures or carry out assessments on. It could be even worse if said laptop were to fail when abroad in a country that does not have that hefty local Currys. But laptop well-being can be simple when it is insured, with most companies offering a free full check-up of the device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had my laptop serviced after I completed my second year exams. This check-up resulted in a new screen, fan and some general tender loving care for my trusty HP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Banking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Finding a travel money card for Norway was surprisingly difficult. Quickly becoming a cashless city, I needed to ensure I had a bank card that I could use that did not have the shocking exchange rate and additional fees that my bank offered. (I paid at least \u00a330 more than I should have for my deposit due to the exchange rate of my bank.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took a lot of research and connecting with people to find the right card for me, which was Monzo, a digital bank turned fully-fledged with a MasterCard debit card. Norway have a group for international students which led to connecting with a fellow Cardiff University student who had just finished her placement at UiO that gave a glowing review of Monzo. Finding people from the same home institution is a goldmine of information and advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mobile Network<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In a society where phones are glued to the hand, I knew that I needed to make sure that my phone would be working properly in Norway. Not for social media but to make sure I could remain in consistent contact with my family and partner, the latter for which will be in Nice. I considered a multitude of options from getting a pay-as-you-go SIM card in Norway, switching to a different network or remaining with my current provider, Virgin, as my current tariff would remain the same in Norway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, I chose to remain with Virgin after being unsatisfied with the data supplied by a Norwegian SIM (WhatsApp will be my point of text and call) and other providers such as EE suggested that customers would need to return to the UK every ninety days to reactivate their SIM card \u2013 the latter was simply a risk for more data that I wasn\u2019t willing to take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In retrospect, the financial part of my checklist took upwards of three months to complete with consideration to the duration for the laptop evaluation and the amount of research that went into banking and mobile networks. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Amongst the studying abroad process, there comes the realisation that there is a lot of administration and preparation to be done. I\u2019ve spoken about the things to consider before applying, the […]","protected":false},"author":1706,"featured_media":4067,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[268],"tags":[42,46,309],"class_list":["post-3654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","tag-erasmus","tag-money","tag-study-abroad"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4QQbz-WW","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3728,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/where-should-i-study-abroad\/","url_meta":{"origin":3654,"position":0},"title":"Where should I study abroad?","author":"Katie Hawkins","date":"August 20, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"So you're trying to decide where to study abroad? Have a look into my experience deciding where to study and the factors I think you should think about when choosing too!","rel":"","context":"In "International Placements"","block_context":{"text":"International Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/international-exchange\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Malibu Pier with text Choosing where to study abroad","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/Choosing-where-to-study-abroad.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/Choosing-where-to-study-abroad.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/Choosing-where-to-study-abroad.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3461,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/if-you-are-thinking-of-studying-abroad-do-it-daisy-from-sfsu-on-studying-at-cardiff-university\/","url_meta":{"origin":3654,"position":1},"title":"“If you are thinking of studying abroad, DO IT!” – Daisy from SFSU on studying at Cardiff University","author":"Global Opportunities Globetrotters","date":"July 11, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"My desire to travel brought me to studying abroad. I\u2019ve traveled a lot around the U.S. and wanted to see the rest of the world. My home university\u2019s study abroad advisor suggested going to Cardiff, as it was a school with a great reputation and matched what I was looking\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Incoming Students at Cardiff"","block_context":{"text":"Incoming Students at Cardiff","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/incoming-students-at-cardiff\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2018\/07\/17800259_1434797749926327_5181463859468819418_n-338x450.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3741,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/applying-for-a-year-abroad-my-story\/","url_meta":{"origin":3654,"position":2},"title":"Applying for a year abroad- my story","author":"Niamh O'Reilly","date":"August 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"One of my major inspirations for studying Geology was the opportunity to travel- this dream has finally come true! This is due to some very hard work and a pinch of good luck. My A-Levels weren\u2019t what I expected, and I ended up at Cardiff through clearing (best thing that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "International Placements"","block_context":{"text":"International Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/international-exchange\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/Flight.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/Flight.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/Flight.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/Flight.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3470,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/why-study-abroad-vanessa-adkins-from-the-college-of-william-and-mary\/","url_meta":{"origin":3654,"position":3},"title":"“Why Study Abroad?” – Vanessa from W&M on studying at Cardiff","author":"Global Opportunities Globetrotters","date":"July 11, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Why Study Abroad? I decided to study abroad first and foremost because I wanted to travel.\u00a0 I\u2019m from a very rural area of Virginia, so I grew up always wanting to see more of the world. I also wanted to push myself outside of my comfort zone, but still have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Incoming Students at Cardiff"","block_context":{"text":"Incoming Students at Cardiff","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/incoming-students-at-cardiff\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3632,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/things-to-consider-before-applying-to-study-abroad\/","url_meta":{"origin":3654,"position":4},"title":"Things to consider before applying to study abroad","author":"Tammy-Louise Wilkins","date":"August 5, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Travelling is to live, or so they say, and thanks to international and European schemes, university students across the world are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to a variety of countries as part of their degree. Making the decision to study abroad is one that only you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "European Placements"","block_context":{"text":"European Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/europe\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/Untitled-design.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/Untitled-design.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/Untitled-design.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/Untitled-design.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5056,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/martha-jennings\/","url_meta":{"origin":3654,"position":5},"title":"Martha Jennings","author":"GO Student Ambassadors","date":"December 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"School of History, Archaeology and Religion International Exchange Placement Where did you go? University of Adelaide, in Adelaide, Australia. What motivated you to take up a year abroad? I was motivated to take up a Global Opportunity because it allowed me to travel and study in places I always dreamed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "GO Student Ambassadors"","block_context":{"text":"GO Student Ambassadors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/go-student-ambassadors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2020\/11\/20200204_143412-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2020\/11\/20200204_143412-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2020\/11\/20200204_143412-150x150.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2020\/11\/20200204_143412-150x150.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2020\/11\/20200204_143412-150x150.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2020\/11\/20200204_143412-150x150.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"meta_box":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/4.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1706"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3654"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3658,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3654\/revisions\/3658"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}