{"id":899,"date":"2025-10-24T10:18:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T14:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/studyabroad\/?p=899"},"modified":"2025-10-24T10:18:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T14:18:23","slug":"my-top-10-words-of-the-wise-for-study-abroad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/studyabroad\/2025\/10\/24\/my-top-10-words-of-the-wise-for-study-abroad\/","title":{"rendered":"My Top 10 Words of the Wise for Study Abroad"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Written by: Katerina <span class=\"TextRun Underlined MacChromeBold SCXW183955174 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW183955174 BCX0\">Anderson\u00a0<\/span><\/span> \u00a0|\u00a0 Spring 2024<br \/>\n<span class=\"TextRun Underlined MacChromeBold SCXW181884082 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW181884082 BCX0\">ISEP Exchange <span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun Underlined MacChromeBold SCXW181884082 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW181884082 BCX0\"><span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/studyabroad\/files\/2025\/10\/IMG_1167-scaled.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-901 \" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/studyabroad\/files\/2025\/10\/IMG_1167-scaled-217x289-custom.jpeg\" alt=\"Katerina Anderson in front of the Trevi Fountain\" width=\"217\" height=\"289\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">1. Bring headphones or earbuds everywhere (noise-canceling preferably)<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"o\" data-font=\"Courier New\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Courier New&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[9675],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;o&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I had a 45\u201350-minute commute on the subway daily, and it was so nice to relax while listening to a podcast or music. Sometimes the subways can also get pretty busy and overstimulating, so it\u2019s nice to retreat into your own little world during those times.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">2. Carry around a pocket notebook!<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"o\" data-font=\"Courier New\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Courier New&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[9675],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;o&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I loved carrying a small notebook in my backpack or purse that allowed me to write down observations or thoughts I had during my commute or while sitting on a bench outside my university. It\u2019s nice to have a physical copy of a thought or idea that\u2019s not on your phone. In the same vein, a tiny sketchbook would be really cool to have if you\u2019re into art and want to sketch different buildings you come across. One of my friends I met abroad did this, and it was a super cute record of the different places she visited.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">3. Pay attention to the weather (please, please, please)<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"o\" data-font=\"Courier New\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Courier New&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[9675],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;o&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I feel like a lot of people who study abroad in Europe in the spring go there thinking it\u2019s going to be a European summer all year round and don\u2019t pack the right clothing for their environment. I was in Milan for my study abroad, and it was pretty chilly and EXTREMELY rainy from February into early March. Contrary to students at Butler, people in Italy don\u2019t just tough it out and walk through the rain. Everyone around you will have an umbrella, so you should too, and I\u2019m assuming the rest of Europe is the same way.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">4. ALWAYS pay for public transport<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"o\" data-font=\"Courier New\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Courier New&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[9675],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;o&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I cannot stress this point enough. Always pay for public transportation. Public transport is incredibly cheap, and fines can range from 50 to 75 euros. This is an important thing to consider when traveling to other countries in Europe because every city will have different methods of payment and ways to obtain transport tickets\/cards. In Budapest, I had to download their specific city app to ride the buses and trams. In Milan, you can use tap-to-pay on almost every method of public transport. Let this be your warning, and if your friends are trying to avoid paying, please urge them against it!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">5. ALWAYS carry a portable charger with you<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"o\" data-font=\"Courier New\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Courier New&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[9675],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;o&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Bringing a portable charger with me in my backpack and purse always came in handy. My phone has a relatively good battery life, but when you\u2019re using maps to navigate to different places throughout the day, your battery drains pretty quickly by the late afternoon. You never want to be stranded without a way to find your way back home!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">6. Keep tissues in your backpack or purse for any occasion that arises<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"o\" data-font=\"Courier New\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Courier New&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[9675],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;o&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For one of my trips, I took a 10-hour bus ride to Naples from Milan, and about five hours into that journey, there was no more toilet paper in the bus bathroom. There were also times on trains when there was no toilet paper or paper towels left. Luckily, I always carried around tissues or extra napkins with me for emergencies!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">7. Get a self-filtering water bottle!!!<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"o\" data-font=\"Courier New\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Courier New&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[9675],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;o&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This was by far one of the best purchases I made for myself before going abroad. I purchased the LifeStraw water bottle, which advertised that it could be used anywhere \u201cfrom airport bathrooms to a tap in Mexico or a gas station while road-tripping.\u201d If you plan on traveling during your time abroad, having a self-filtering water bottle will be extremely beneficial when you\u2019re in areas that advise against drinking tap water or where there isn\u2019t access to a filtered water spout\/area. In addition to providing you with clean water wherever you go, carrying around a water bottle in general will save you a little extra money when you\u2019re out since water isn\u2019t free in most places outside of the U.S.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">8. Get a travel backpack!<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"o\" data-font=\"Courier New\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Courier New&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[9675],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;o&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Invest in a good travel backpack now and pack it inside your suitcase. If you\u2019re planning on doing any travel that involves flying on airlines such as Ryanair, EasyJet, Wizz Air, etc., you must be able to fit everything you\u2019ll need for a trip into a bag that fits under your seat. Otherwise, you\u2019ll have to pay the 50 euros they charge for a carry-on bag to put in the overhead bin. In addition to bringing a travel backpack, pack travel containers for your products to condense them when you need to fly.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">9. Use the bathroom before starting your commute<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"o\" data-font=\"Courier New\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Courier New&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[9675],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;o&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This is just a personal rule of thumb that I think everyone should follow. Public restrooms are not common in Europe, and the likelihood of a business letting you use their restroom without purchasing something is very slim. Even if you don\u2019t think you need to use the bathroom, it\u2019s always better to go ahead and try before you walk out the door.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">10. Make sure your finances are squared away and budgeted!<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"o\" data-font=\"Courier New\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Courier New&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[9675],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;o&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Talk to your parents and figure out what the best credit card will be for your circumstances, focusing on international exchange rates and fees. If there\u2019s still time left, utilize the CGE all-in-one scholarship application to see if you\u2019re eligible for any money from the Butler abroad office. Reach out to the dean of your specific college (CCOM, Lacy, JCA, etc.) as well, because sometimes colleges will offer specific scholarships for their students.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written by: Katerina Anderson\u00a0 \u00a0|\u00a0 Spring 2024 ISEP Exchange Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore 1. Bring headphones or earbuds everywhere (noise-canceling preferably)\u00a0 I had a 45\u201350-minute commute on the subway daily, and it was so nice to relax while listening &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/studyabroad\/2025\/10\/24\/my-top-10-words-of-the-wise-for-study-abroad\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9196996,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/studyabroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/studyabroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/studyabroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/studyabroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9196996"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/studyabroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=899"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/studyabroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":947,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/studyabroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899\/revisions\/947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/studyabroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/studyabroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/studyabroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}