Information for Students

Before you go…

• Consider your preparedness for life in another country
• Assess your physical and mental health
• See your health care practitioners
• Know the demands and resources of the program
• Know your insurance

When you study abroad, you embark on one of the great adventures of your life. With a little forethought, and a little planning, you can help ensure that your study abroad experience will deliver the adventure and education you want.

Be prepared, though: life abroad is different than life at home—that’s one of the reasons why you’re doing it.

Travel and living in foreign cultures can be demanding emotionally, intellectually, and physically. Some people believe that travel to other countries will allow them to leave their worries behind, and start with a clean slate. We believe firmly that study abroad is a transformative experience. But we also know from our own experience that you do not leave your self behind when you go abroad.

You should ask yourself whether you are truly ready for the emotional work involved in an extended stay in another country.

Do not expect to solve problems or deal with personal issues by leaving them behind. If you have any doubts about this, or if you have had emotional or psychological problems, it is very important that you consult with a mental health professional before studying abroad to discuss the potential stress of life overseas. Boston University does not employ health care professionals at our sites abroad and cannot guarantee access to the level of mental health treatment you expect at home.

Similarly, if you suffer from a chronic physical condition you should consult with your physician before making the decision to study abroad. We cannot guarantee access to the same kind of medical care or medications you are used to at home.

Please make the program staff aware of any medical issues or disabilities, so that we may better make necessary arrangements and advise you regarding conditions and resources abroad.

In addition, check your health insurance policy, whether it is provided by your school or by your parents, to see what coverage it provides while you are outside the United States. In most cases you will be expected to pay in cash for any medical services provided while abroad and seek reimbursement later from your insurance company.

Personal Health Inventory for Study Abroad
Have you made preparations to avoid problems with any of the following common issues?

Ability/Disability Issues
Allergies
Contraceptives
Culture Shock
Dental Care
Dietary Concerns
Drinking
Emergency Resources
Exercise
Eyeglass Prescriptions
Gender-Sensitive Health Care
Health and Safety Advisories/Warnings
Hepatitis Protection
Immunizations
Insurance
Medications/Medical Supplies
Psychological Issues
Regional Health Issues
Sexuality
Sleep Patterns
Smoking
Support Networks/Friends & Family Values
(Source: NAFSA: Association of International Educators)


While You’re Gone…

Use Common Sense
A general rule of thumb is to use common sense and be as cautious as you would be in any large city in the United States. Be aware of your surroundings. Use a map to familiarize yourself with the layout of your host city and country. Take some time to learn the nearest metro stops and bus/trolley routes. Familiarize yourself with the local currency. Walk at your own pace, but look alert and purposeful. If you find yourself in uncomfortable surroundings, act like you know what you are doing and where you are going, and move to a place where you are comfortable.

A Few Suggestions
When you travel, use a money belt or waist pouch to carry your passport, credit cards, and traveler's checks. Wear the pouch under your clothes. Keep a separate record of your traveler's checks in another part of your belongings so that you will have a record if the traveler's checks are lost or stolen.

Do not leave your bags or belongings unattended at any time. Security staff in airports or train stations are instructed to remove or destroy any unattended luggage. Do not agree to carry or look after packages or suitcases for anyone. Make sure no one has placed anything in your luggage. Be as inconspicuous in dress and demeanor as possible. Downplay those elements of your appearance and manner that broadcast that you are American.

Use the buddy (or in the evening, small group) system, especially in the first few weeks of your stay. Walking with someone else helps to deflect approaches by would-be harassers.

Be careful how late you come home at night. Try to get home while public transportation is still running or plan to take a taxi.

Be careful to observe traffic lights. For those of you in countries where drivers drive on the left-hand side of the road, you will have to make an extra effort to check before crossing the street.

Local Transportation and Travel
While abroad, you should remember that public transportation is the way the great majority of local residents get around their towns and countries, so it should be a part of your experience as well. For that reason, and for reasons of economy, we strongly discourage students from renting automobiles or other motorized vehicles while abroad.

When riding a bike, always wear a helmet.

Going Out of Town?
Keep the Resident Director(s) informed of your whereabouts. You must let the Resident Director(s) and/or your host family or roommate know of any traveling you plan to do. This is so we can contact you in case of an emergency.

In Times of Political Conflict
Keep abreast of the current political situation by listening daily to the television or radio and by reading the newspaper. In the event of an emergency, advisories may be made to the general public through the media. In case of an emergency, remain in contact with the on-site staff or the American Consulate nearest you.

When in large cities and other popular tourist destinations, avoid or spend as little time as possible in potential target areas for terrorist activities, especially places frequented by Americans: bars, discos, and US fast food restaurants; branches of American banks; American churches; and American consulates or embassies.

Alcohol
Boston University respects the laws of the countries in which we operate, and requires that our students do the same. Boston University will not prohibit a student from drinking alcoholic beverages if the student is of legal drinking age. However, it is the policy of Boston University to create a community that allows the student to take full, healthy advantage of the educational and personal opportunity offered by study abroad.

As part of a community, students share responsibility for the health and well-being of the group, and are held directly accountable for making informed and low-risk health decisions about their own consumption of alcohol. Students are responsible for compliance with the laws of the country where they choose to live and study, and are also expected to show prudence in all their behavior while abroad, including the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

All participants in Boston University programs are expected to understand and abide by the Code of Student Responsibilities as well as the special conditions and expectations that are conditions of participation in the University’s programs abroad.

Disruptive behavior resulting from alcohol abuse, violation of local law, or violation of Boston University policy is grounds for disciplinary action and possible dismissal from the program. Such behavior may also subject the student to prosecution under the local laws of the host country.

Advice Especially for Women
What may be appropriate or friendly behavior in the United States may bring you unwanted, even dangerous, attention in another culture. Try not to take offense at whistles and other gestures, regardless of whether they are compliments, invitations, or insults. Realize these gestures are as much a part of the culture as its food, history, and language, but if your intuition tells you a situation is dangerous, then act as if it is. Be extra careful with giving your trust. This applies generally, but is especially important when traveling alone.

Health Insurance and Emergency Travel Assistance

Health Insurance
All students participating in a Boston University program are required to demonstrate that they are covered by a comprehensive health insurance policy. Many students are covered by their parents' policies. Students may also purchase the health insurance plan offered by Boston University. (Please click here for more information.)

For a description of what benefits are considered to be comparable to the BU Medical Insurance Program, see: www.bu.edu/comp/saweb/compmed.html.

It is very important to review your health insurance policy, whether it is provided by your school or by your parents, to see what coverage it provides while you are outside the United States, and how it processes payment. In most cases you will be expected to pay in cash for any medical services provided while abroad and seek reimbursement later from your insurance company.

Emergency Travel Assistance Coverage
In addition to the student's own health insurance, all students participating in BU international programs are provided with an emergency travel assistance program as part of their program fee.
 
For the majority of students, this program is provided by OnCall International, and includes a range of emergency services as well as medical evacuation and repatriation coverage. It takes effect any time the student is more than 100 miles from Boston.
 
OnCall International service centers can be reached at any time by calling 1-800-407-7307 from within the US, or by calling collect from anywhere in the world to 1-603-328-1956.

For additional plan information, please visit www.oncallinternational.com, and download a PDF overview.

Please note that this emergency travel assistance coverage is not health insurance. OnCall International will help you receive emergency medical care, and will help you find admission to a hospital, among the many services that they provide. It will not, however, pay for emergency room visits or any other medical treatment. You will need your health insurance in addition to this emergency travel assistance coverage in order to pay for medical treatment of any kind.

Boston University International Programs
Emergency Preparations

We believe that the best way to minimize risk is through information and preparation. We all—BU, students, parents—have a role to play in preparing for study abroad.

Boston University International Programs has always maintained and regularly revises health, safety, and emergency guidelines. More recently, Boston University has taken a number of steps to update our preparedness to deal with emergencies abroad. These include the following:

1. The International Programs staff in Boston is in regular contact with the resident staff at each program site, and all staff members, in Boston and abroad, possess numerous means for contacting each other, including 24 hour phone numbers and multiple email addresses.

2. Students and parents are provided with 24 hour contact phone numbers for both resident staff and Boston staff. Resident staffs have procedures in place to enable contact with students when necessary, and these procedures have been shared with students.

3. Boston and resident staff members monitor announcements from the US Department of State, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and other sources daily. Staff members automatically receive Travel Warnings and Advisories from the Department of State.

4. Resident staff members at each site are in regular touch with the US Embassy, local US Consulate, and local authorities. US government representatives abroad and local authorities are provided with information about our program, staff, facilities, and students.

5. Resident staff at each site have updated their contingency plans, and have provided that information to the Boston office. These plans cover emergency communication and assembly of students, and situations up to and including cancellation of the program. These plans complement our existing Emergency Response Manual. For reasons of security, plans involving emergencies and evacuation of students may not be released except to International Programs staff. However, each program has instructed students in emergency contact procedures and provides students with updates to these procedures as well as information relating to the current situation.

6. Students are required, when traveling, to provide resident staff with travel information whenever available. When students are traveling to locations where Boston University International Programs maintains an office, students also have access to the 24-hour emergency numbers at those locations.

7. Whether traveling or at their host site, students are encouraged to behave in ways which do not call attention to themselves as Americans. These suggestions are provided to students during their orientation, and through printed materials such as those available on this web site.

General Information For Parents
Parents' concern for the safety and well-being of their children abroad is natural and shared entirely by Boston University. During the course of a semester or year abroad, Boston University makes a concerted effort to ensure students' safety, while not unnecessarily restricting their exposure to the country they have chosen as a place to study and work.

This effort is headed by Boston University International Programs staff at home in Boston, and by our professional, resident staff abroad. In most cases, resident staff consists of a resident director and one or more additional full-time staff, among whose responsibilities are the health and safety of their students. It is a part of their job to be in ongoing contact with the students, as well as with the US embassies, local universities, departments, and other appropriate bodies in our host cities, and the International Programs staff in Boston.

When students arrive at their destinations, part of their on-site orientations consist of presentations on health and safety issues, simple precautions they can take while there, and more detailed information on handling issues of security, safety, illness, injury, and emergencies. The role of the resident staff is stressed throughout the orientation. During the semester, the Boston staff is in ongoing communication with each of our program offices, and we carefully monitor the economic and political situations of the host countries via contacts abroad as well as announcements issued by the US Department of State and other public information sources. At the same time, we work with the resident directors to keep track, in an unobtrusive way, of the health, safety, progress and well-being of our students.

In addition, each program office has developed a plan for dealing with events and situations affecting individuals and the group. These precautions vary from country to country depending on the availability of communication, transportation, and political systems, and include such resources as networks of doctors, dentists, and health care facilities, contact persons, emergency plans established for resident Americans by the US Department of State, and evacuation plans.

We do not take these precautions to pamper our students or to restrict in any way their ability to enjoy fully their time abroad. The value of study abroad depends in large part on the experience of difference, not similarity to what we are familiar with at home. Rather, we consider health, safety, and security part of our primary responsibility to our students.

A Final Note
A student's semester of off-campus study, whether it's at a site as close as Washington, DC, or as far away as Beijing, will introduce him or her to many people whose cultures differ from those to which he or she is accustomed. In fact, a student’s experiences on our program may be quite different from what he or she first expected. Getting the most out of the program depends on his or her ability to adapt to new and different situations. Our staff in Boston and at each program site is trained to assist your son or daughter in adjusting to the new environment.

However, we cannot anticipate the course of events he or she might experience during the semester, nor can we make them run as we wish they would. The decision to study in a particular program or region of the world must be made by each student and his or her family, in light of their own interpretation of events and the student's willingness to live with a certain degree of ambiguity. Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict future events or guarantee a completely safe environment in any region of the world, including our own, and we therefore reserve the right to alter or cancel a course or program due to circumstances.

Emergency Contact Information

Boston University International Programs staff members are always happy to talk to parents and students about health, safety, and security overseas. Please feel free to contact us at 617-353-9888.

Boston University International Programs after-hours emergency number: 617-594-3215.

Boston University Police: 617-353-2121

US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs (for assistance to US citizens abroad): 888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444.

US State Department Study Abroad Website
The US Department of State provides useful information for students and parents regarding country conditions, required documents, pre-trip preparations, health and safety, US missions abroad, emergencies, and emergency contact information.




Government Information and Services

Travel Information and Advisories
Bureau of Consular Affairs, US Department of State
The Bureau of Consular Affairs provides travel announcements and warnings for countries and regions around the world, along with a range of services to Americans living and traveling overseas.

OVERSEAS CITIZENS SERVICES: Call 1-888-407-4747 (from overseas: 202-501-4444)

State Department Information Specifically for Students Abroad with links to US embassies and consulates abroad, and an online system to register with the US Embassy in the host country (recommended).

British Foreign & Commonwealth Office
The British FCO provides travel tips, specific country advice, and many of the same types of services to British subjects that the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs provides to US citizens.

Health Information for travel from the Centers for Disease Control
The CDC provides information on health conditions, required inoculations, and other valuable information for students and other travelers.

Parents and students may also wish to monitor news-based Web sites. Two good, reliable sources of up-to-date information are the New York Times and Reuters.