How to Ensure Your First Week Abroad Is a Success

Going abroad for a gap year is like stepping into the most exciting chapter of your life—a time filled with new experiences, friendships, and opportunities.  

The adventure of a lifetime is ahead of you, and getting off to a great start isn't just a cliché; it's the key to making everything else fall into place smoothly.  

So, take a deep breath, embrace the adventure, and let's dive into some tips on how to make the most of studying abroad and set the tone for an unforgettable journey! 

Tip 1: Make a Great First Impression with Your Host Family 

All gap year students stay with a host family during their time abroad. Your host family not only feeds and houses you but provides all the aspects of a home, including guidance and support during this exciting time that will doubtlessly have challenges and successes. Your relationship with your host family will be one of the most important relationships during this time. For many students, relationships with their host families last a lifetime. 

So how do you make a great first impression? Here are our study abroad tips for connecting with your host family: 

• Bring a small gift. A gift is a lovely gesture to build a strong relationship. We recommend bringing something that represents something unique about your home or yourself. For example, if you're from Vermont, you could bring maple syrup. If you love to play chess, you could bring a chessboard. 
• Spend time in common areas. Your host family is likely just as curious about you as you are about them! Even though you might feel shy, spend time hanging out! 
• Be curious! Ask questions about them, their background, and their interests. 
• Pay attention to house rules. While your new host family might not explicitly mention house rules or customs, if you keep an eye out, you will notice things like taking off shoes before entering (a common custom in Japan) or not leaving the table at mealtime before everyone finishes eating. 
• Speak in the local language. Language learning is essential to a gap year with CIEE, and your host family will speak with you in your target language. It's okay if you don't speak it perfectly—you're there to learn! Have fun with it, use hand gestures when you don't know a word, and laugh when you make a mistake. 

Read more about how you can prepare for your gap year program as early as your junior year of high school. 

Tip 2: Make Your New Home Feel Homey 

As you are packing, include a couple of knick-knacks that remind you of home. When you get to your new room, don't only unpack your clothes and essentials but place those homey objects around as well. It could be a family photograph, a souvenir from a favorite vacation, or even your childhood stuffed animal.  

Having these objects will immediately make the space feel like yours. 

Tip 3: Explore Your New City 

Your first week is the time to get the lay of the land. Figure out essential routes—like the best path from your homestay to your language school. Find a favorite coffee shop and a local park perfect for a morning stroll. Often, the places we find when we first arrive become our haunts throughout our time abroad. 

While you're at it, remember to be a tourist! You likely have a list of popular destinations you want to see in your new city. Start checking them off and invite your host family or new friends from your gap year program to join you. 

Tip 4: Say Yes! 

Your first week in a new country is about opening doors—figuratively and literally. When your host family invites you to a weekend market or your new friends from the language school suggest a spontaneous cafe outing, say yes! Embracing these invitations will allow you to get to know a variety of people and start to discover who you click with.  

Saying yes in these early days creates the foundation for relationships and a spontaneous attitude that will enrich your study abroad experience. So don't hesitate—say yes, and watch your world expand! 

Tip 5: Start a Travel Journal 

Keeping a travel journal is one of the most rewarding habits you can start in your first week abroad. This journal will become your personal time capsule—a place to capture the incredible experiences, process the big feelings and emotions that come with challenges, and help you remember every detail of this amazing journey. 

To kick things off, we recommend starting with a writing exercise: write out your goals for the year. Think about the perspective you want to embrace as you encounter new experiences, in which areas you want to grow personally, and what you hope to learn. This initial reflection will set a positive tone for your year and give you a benchmark to reflect on as you evolve. Your journal will be more than just a record of events—it will be a space where you can see your personal growth unfold, one page at a time. 

Graduating High School Soon? Consider a Gap Year! 

If you're a junior or senior in high school and have your sights set on learning abroad, a gap year could be the perfect next step.  

It offers a break from academics before starting college, intensive language immersion, and a chance to see the world. A gap year lets you dive into a new culture, build lifelong friendships, and gain experiences that will enrich your college years.  

If you're ready for an adventure, check out CIEE's Gap Year Programs.