Pre-departure

Before you leave, there are some things to consider and plan in preparation of travelling, living and studying overseas.

Academic considerations

We know that many of you go overseas to travel and have an in-depth experience of the local culture, but your studies should be your number one priority. You may face academic issues that come up while you're overseas, so be sure to attend to them promptly. Some examples include:

If you arrive at your host university and the units you had approved are no longer available: you will need to get the new units you want to enrol in approved by your faculty. These approvals must be forwarded to your Monash Abroad coordinator.

Ensure that you fulfil the study load requirements for your program: for example, you must study a full-time load per semester (equivalent to 18 – 24 Monash credit points) for a semester-length overseas program such as exchange. If you are unable to fulfil these study load requirements, you must return to your home Monash campus as you will be in breach of program requirements and potentially host country visa conditions. You are not able to take distance education units while overseas.

Ensure that you are correctly enrolled for your time abroad and any preceding/subsequent semesters: Monash University has enrolment deadlines, and if you are not enrolled in any units for the next semester/year, you may be subject to late enrolment fees. You should enrol into Monash units as if you were still going to be studying at a Monash campus. Once you have been accepted by your host institution, you can liaise with your faculty/ies or school/s to have them update your enrolment to reflect your semester abroad studies.

If you withdraw from your overseas program: you must inform your faculty and Monash Abroad with your reason for withdrawing.

If you wish to extend your program while you are overseas: contact your Monash Abroad coordinator for extension instructions. Extension requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and are subject to you receiving academic approval from your faculty/ies or school/s for an extra semester abroad.

Pre-departure sessions and advising for semester-length programs

For Monash Australia students

For Monash Malaysia students

Health, safety and security

Your health and safety is of the highest importance. There are a few things you can do before you leave to make sure you are happy and healthy while you are overseas. Check out our safety page for travel advice, health preparations, safety at Monash and much more. In an emergency, please consult our page for the relevant emergency contacts.

Being an ambassador

You are representing Monash University and Australia while you are overseas, so it is important that you are an excellent ambassador. Your successes and struggles directly affect Monash’s ability to send future students to exchange partners and create faculty overseas study opportunities.

Here are tips on how to be an excellent global ambassador:

Respecting financial obligations of your host university/country
Fulfil academic responsibilities
Understanding the social norms of your host culture (including the drinking culture)
Volunteering to represent Monash and Australia on your host campus
Offering advice to students wishing to study overseas.

Intercultural Competence for Learning Abroad

Whether you’re planning to study overseas, currently overseas, or have returned from studying overseas, the ability to communicate effectively across cultures can help you get the most out of your time abroad.

Learn more about intercultural competence here.

Be mindful of culture shock

Even though you may have travelled, and even lived, overseas before, cultural adjustment is an inevitable part of your experience. It may disguise itself as frustration or annoyance and can happen the day you arrive or three weeks into your program, but it can be harnessed into a positive opportunity to grow and learn from the local culture.

Before you go, research aspects of your host country such as climate, public transportation, accommodation types and cost of living so when you arrive overseas you will know what to expect.

Below are some hints to help you combat culture shock if it creeps up on you:

Make friends with locals – they can help you navigate the culture of your host country
Have a same culture buddy – it’s OK to have friends from the same university or country while overseas, as you are going through similar experiences
Be a tourist – when you are feeling down, make a point of leaving the house and discovering something new
Do something familiar – comforts of home from time to time can make you feel better
Journal (and then blog) – if you are feeling really down, try writing your feelings down in a journal. Do this before blogging, to avoid potentially offending your new local pals
Contact Monash Abroad or your local study abroad office – many of us have lived overseas before and have experience with getting through the culture shock blues.

Discount cards

The International Student Identity Card (ISIC) is a card for full-time students abroad that you can use to verify your student status. It can qualify you for discounts on travel, tours, accommodation and reduced or free admission to museums, theatres and cultural attractions. If you are planning to backpack, discounted accommodation is offered by International Youth Hostels in participating countries.

Staying connected while overseas

With Monash

If you have any questions during your overseas study program, please do not hesitate to get in contact with your relevant regional coordinator at Monash Abroad (non-academic queries) or faculty exchange advisor (academic queries, e.g. unit approvals).

For privacy reasons, Monash staff are unable to discuss information about enrolment and applications with a third party.

You should also continue to monitor your Monash student email account during your time overseas.

With your family and friends

Before you leave, it's a good idea to talk about how you will communicate while you are away. Like any big adventure, your overseas experience will likely occupy a lot of your time and energy. Ensure you all have clear expectations about the amount of communication you plan to have during this time, and factor in any time zone differences.

Student Permission to Disclose Personal Information

Students can provide permission to disclose personal information to an organisation and/or person named of the privacy form for the purpose/s and time-frame outlined by completing the Student Permission to Disclose Personal Information form.

Study Abroad