My Year Abroad - The Good, the Bad and the Funny 2025-26 :-) by

Welcome / Bienvenue / Bienvenid@

cmoreau20 — 2025-09-17 13:23:45 UTC

Organise your visa as early as possible

2025-09-17 14:44:09 UTC

2025-09-17 14:44:47 UTC

Sort your visa stuff out as soon as possible when you land in Spain. (TIE, Padrón, etc)

Boundaries with ELA

2025-09-17 14:45:05 UTC

Discuss boundaries with your mentor. Make sure your contract is respected and you’re not being asked to do too much.

2025-09-17 14:46:06 UTC

Keep all your important documents on your phone. You may drop it in an Amsterdam canal and have to pay €300 for a professional diver to fish it out…

Travel!!

2025-09-17 14:46:22 UTC

Make the most of your surroundings and travel as much as you whether in your region, country or Europe! I had the most time of my life and managed to go on so many day trips and weekends away - I had the time of my life.

2025-09-17 14:47:17 UTC

Find as many opportunities you can to socialise at the start! It’ll feel less scary being away from home when you build your own community out there. Go to uni mixers, hang out with your flatmates, go to meetings organised in group chats (e.g. ELA/TAPIF Facebook groups or WhatsApp chats, international student groups)

€1 trains!!!

2025-09-17 14:47:38 UTC

If in France (or at least Occitanie), you can get regional trains on the first weekend of every month for €1 each way.

Visale

2025-09-17 14:48:02 UTC

If you're an assistant then visale is really useful for getting a guarantor, basically the government will be your guarantor up to a certain amount of rent (which they decide based on your personal situation and finances)

ESN events

2025-09-17 14:50:18 UTC

Best way to meet new people!

Sport

2025-09-17 14:51:00 UTC

Join a club/gym/group that you’re interested in!

Apply for CAF!

2025-09-17 14:51:17 UTC

The French government will subsidise your CROUS accommodation.

Uni of Tours

2025-09-17 14:51:30 UTC

Do the Tandem program!

Adaptability

2025-09-17 14:59:01 UTC

Resilience

2025-09-17 14:59:42 UTC

Gros mots

2025-09-17 15:00:02 UTC

It was a miracle I didn't swear while teaching

2025-09-17 15:00:16 UTC

Self-confidence and improvisation

Keeping calm in intense situations

2025-09-17 15:00:33 UTC

Cultural awareness

2025-09-17 15:01:28 UTC

Ask for help

2025-09-17 15:01:56 UTC

You don’t have to do it all alone

Boiler repair skills

2025-09-17 15:02:28 UTC