Travel Arrangements
Students are responsible for their own travel arrangements and expenses. Please consult the calendar for your School Abroad before making airline reservations or purchasing tickets. It is recommended that you do not arrive late at night. In order to adjust to the time difference, as well as to the new environment, it is advised that you plan your arrival for at least a few days before orientation begins (except in China or Russia, where you should plan to arrive on your program’s arrival date). Please note that the School Abroad office does not normally open until the first day of orientation.
While students often wish to travel before the start of their program, be advised that visa procedures for a given country will determine how early one may leave the U.S. or enter the country abroad. It is especially important that you not plan your return to the United States nor travel to another destination before the date of the last final exam. Exam dates will not be changed to accommodate students’ travel plans. No exceptions will be made, so please don’t ask.
You may wish to use a student travel agency for flexibility and competitive rates. Some agencies to investigate, among others, are:
- StudentUniverse: http://www.studentuniverse.com
- Travel CUTS: http://www.travelcuts.com
Students should make photocopies of their visa paperwork, passport, credit cards, tickets, and itineraries. It can be very difficult to replace these items should one or more of them be lost or stolen. The best approach is to make two copies of everything, leave one at home and take the other with you, packed separately from the original documents. Never throw away any part of your airline ticket until you have completed your entire journey.
