Today's Be Well Abroad presentation is a part of the Before You Explore workshop series, designed to prepare students to study abroad. This presentation was developed for students who know that they plan to study abroad, as well as for those who are wondering if study abroad is a good fit for their personal and academic goals. The Institute for Global Studies collaborated with the Office of Student Health and Wellness Promotion to develop this presentation, with a focus on guiding you through thinking about what you can do prior to departure to be well abroad. My name is Meghan Gladle and I work for the Institute for Global Studies as the World Scholars Program Coordinator. >> My name is Kim Sorlin and I also work for the Institute for Global Studies as a study abroad program coordinator. >> IGS is the home of study abroad, the center of global engagement at UD, leading and facilitating programs, partnerships and opportunities that support campus internationalization and the intercultural development of all members in our community. The office of Student Health and Wellness Promotion is located at 231 South College Avenue. >> They are open from 8:30 to 4:30. >> And their role is to create a foundation for lifelong wellbeing by providing Blue Hens with the wellness tools to make healthy choices and to contribute to a safer UD. >> So today, by the end of this workshop, you will be able to identify resources which can support you in managing your health and wellbeing abroad. You'll be able to understand the value of being a Blue Hen friend abroad. And you'll be able to get started on your wellness action plan. So throughout this presentation, we will invite you to apply the resources and strategies we discussed to your personal study abroad wellness action plan. You can find this in a link on the IGS website near the video recording that you're watching today. Click on that link to download a PDF, and please feel free to pause the presentation and take a moment to fill in the blanks when we get to slides titled "Apply This to Your Wellness Action Plan." You'll see on the worksheet that there are instructions and several specific questions at the top of the page about any pre-existing medical or mental health concerns you are currently managing. We encourage you to take time to answer these questions honestly and thoroughly. To get started, we want you to be well abroad. Wellness is going to look different for everyone. So we encourage you to right now reflect on what wellness means for you at home or on campus. What are things that you do to be well? And what are the three indicators that you are doing or feeling your best? >> Before you go, know your resources. Throughout this presentation, we will share specific resources that will help you in preparation for your study abroad program. The first resource Is GEO Blue Health Insurance. This resource is included in your UD study abroad program fee. >> So everyone who studies abroad is also covered with international health insurance. >> In addition to the health insurance coverage, GEO Blue gives you access to a database of international medical providers, including general practice, urgent care and specialists. >> Another benefit of Geo Blue is that their providers can help you to process a direct bill claim instead of paying out of pocket while you're abroad. All of this information will be available to you at geobluestudents.com. >> Prior to your departure, your faculty director or program coordinator will share an ID number with you so that you can go to the website and create an account for yourself. You're encouraged to log into Geo Blue prior to your departure. Create an account for yourself and explore the resources available in the cities or countries where you will be traveling while abroad. Here is a sample of how to look for doctors in Paris, France. You'll be able to search for providers by location, specialty, and even by the languages that they speak. If you take prescription or over-the-counter medications, you will want to check out this feature of the Geo Blue website. Many medications have different names in different countries. >> While we recommend that, whenever possible, you take enough prescription medication with you on your program. >> This resource is valuable should you lose your medication or become ill and need to share details about your prescriptions with medical specialists on site. This resource will also tell you if there are any restrictions to know about your medications while traveling. Here's where we want you to refer back to your wellness plan and make a detailed list of any providers you see for health and wellness while you're here at home. Don't forget to include how often you see them for care and find out if telehealth is an appropriate option for you to stay in touch with them should you need consultation while abroad. Before you go, know your resources. Drum Cussac is the resource that you would use to track in-country emergency situations or in the event that you require a medical evacuation. Access to this resource is also included in your study abroad program fee. Just like with Geo Blue, your faculty director or program coordinator will provide you with a member ID number before your departure. >> You can log into drum.cussac.net to create an account and download the app onto your phone or tablet. >> Once you have access, then you can choose the countries and the dates of your program to receive real-time updates for travel. >> Once you've selected a country or countries where you will be traveling, you can manage how the updates will be sent to you based on your chosen level of severity. >> So all the resources we just talked about will be so helpful in preparing for study abroad. But you not only need to explore what resources are available on the websites and services that the Institute for Global Studies provides. But we encourage you to also explore and really dig into your program page and other websites to learn more about accessibility and resources to manage your needs while abroad. So we encourage you to explore not just the academic opportunities, cultural opportunities, and the sites you want to travel to, but also, again, what resources and accessibility support are available in your host country as well as at the educational institution where you will be studying. UD is well-known for faculty-led winter term programs. Often on a program like this, you will be traveling to multiple cities or even different countries. It's important to consider your needs and what the program entails as you make decisions about study abroad. And it's really up to you when you decide to begin exploring for semester programs often will be located in one city. And so we encourage you to talk to your program coordinator about the resources available in that city or at the educational institution. We encourage you to begin exploring accessibility and resources early, even before applying for study abroad. Utilize the study abroad Wellness Action Plan to start these conversations with care providers or your study abroad program coordinator. You may choose not to begin exploring resources until the time that you apply. Should you choose to wait, you'll need to be prepared to have candid conversations with your study abroad program coordinator or your faculty director about your needs and concerns. You can also choose to wait to explore resources and support until after you apply. But please know that if you wait until this time, it may be challenging for these individuals to help meet the accommodations or provide you support if you wait to explore until after applying. We acknowledge that having conversations about your wellness or accessibility concerns could feel scary. We recommend that these questions guide your conversation. The answers you provide to these questions will give your faculty director or study abroad coordinator a basic understanding of what you're managing, and in turn they'll be able to provide you support or guidance in response to what you share. You can expect that your program coordinator or faculty director may encourage you to research care providers in the Geo Blue portal >> we explored earlier. >> They also may encourage you to connect with someone at the host institution or UD to discuss resources in accessibility. And they also could encourage you to talk to your current care team about your readiness to study abroad and if this is a good decision for you at this time. Now we encourage you to take a moment to document the current accommodations and resources you utilize to be well and map out your plans to use these accommodations while abroad. >> Expect the unexpected is a valuable phrase to understand and follow when you're planning for your study abroad program. >> No matter how much research and preparation you do in advance, you are sure to encounter situations that will surprise you. Some of those unexpected situations you'll encounter may be due to culture shock. >> Whether you study on a short-term faculty lead program or a full semester program, you should expect the experience, >> you should expect to experience some form of culture shock. This may include feelings of nervousness, worry, frustration, excitement, and many more. It is important to recognize that these feelings are a totally normal part of the study abroad process. Some people only experience light culture shock symptoms, while for others it can have a huge negative impact on your overall health and wellness. This graph shows the different phases of culture shock. It is possible that you only experience one of these phases, a few of these phases, or even all four. As a part of your wellness plan, we will ask you to think about how you would manage the emotions that come up with each phase. >> Number one is the honeymoon phase. >> Everything is exciting and new when you first arrive in your new country, the food, the smells, the people. Everywhere you look, there's something to discover. >> And you may feel so happy to be somewhere where everything is different from what you're used to at home. >> There's so much to explore and discover. If you're on a short-term study abroad program, you may spend the entire time just in this honeymoon phase. >> Number two is called the rejection phase. >> This is when reality sets in for you. So many things in the new culture are taking you out of your comfort zone from what you're used to at college or at home. >> If you're also learning a new language, this space can have an even more significant impact on you. >> You may have feelings of fatigue, homesickness, sadness, or impatience. >> And you will notice more about the things that you don't like about this new culture. >> But hang in there. This too shall pass. Some suggestions on how you can handle the rejection phase include not to be constantly comparing what you're used to, to what you're currently experiencing in your new country. Recognize that your new culture isn't full of wrong ways to do things, just different ways to do things. >> The third phase is called the regression phase. When you're here, you're looking to feel like you belong. You may experience feelings of frustration and isolation. If you're setting, if you're in a setting with others from your home country, you may prefer to only be around them and not new friends that you might have made in country. You may search for things that remind you of home, to make you feel comfortable. During this phase, it's actually recommended that you really get out and connect with the locals. Make some new friends, and find out what students your age do in their free time. Look for activities in your new culture that you already enjoy >> while at home. >> Do you like to cook? >> Consider learning how to cook a regional dish >> in your new country. Do you like to do yoga or dance? Go out and find a local yoga or dance studio. >> During this phase, it is important that you get out and explore some of the similarities and the differences between your home culture and your new culture and find a new comfort zone. Consider what activities you do to take care of yourself while you're home and seek out something similar or different in your new country. The fourth stage is called the recovery phase. Over time, the unfamiliar will turn into the familiar. You start to feel >> as if you actually belong in this new culture. Those feelings of frustration and nervousness will lessen or go away. >> As you begin to feel more connected and comfortable, you even start to incorporate these new differences into your own daily habits. >> In this phase, you recognize the importance of accepting your new culture. >> And the good news is that setting up a plan, oh the good news is, setting up a plan to deal with culture shock will help you manage it >> whether you experience just one or all four of the different phases. >> It is recommended that you recognize culture shock for what it is and find ways to cope with it so that you can have a successful experience abroad. On your Wellness action plan, >> identify your personal toolkit of resources, like who you will go to for support while abroad and how you plan to connect with them. >> It's important to your overall wellness to think about your plan before you go abroad. >> Having a support system in place can really help you have a more positive experience abroad. Likewise, we encourage you to think about how you can be a good Blue Hen friend to others while you're abroad in an effort to provide support and care for your peers and friends. Being a friend means that you are being a proactive bystander. You look out for ways to support those around you and to take safe actions to intervene when you are concerned about someone else's well-being or safety. In some instances you may need to step in as a Blue Hen friend for others who are in situations involving culture shock, an alcohol emergency, struggles with mental health, safety concerns or in a situation that you feel someone such as your faculty program coordinator or other university administrator should be made aware. In all these situations, the context will really influence how you choose to intervene, as well as your relationship with the individual who is being impacted. It is important that if you choose to intervene, you do so in a way that is safe. It's always better to intervene with another person versus alone in situations that could be dangerous or risky. We're going to look at some real life study abroad scenarios which call for you to be a Blue Hen friend. These are real situations. We will explain the first scenario, how it works. And then we encourage you to take some time to read through other scenarios with a friend and do this activity together. So the first step in this activity is to read the scenario description. So we will read the first one together. Your roommate spends all day in their room and doesn't leave the room for meals. The smell of frozen dinners is getting to be bothersome to you. Your roommate is also constantly on video chat with her parents, and even when you're trying to sleep. You're getting concerned because it seems like she's missing all of her classes and not doing any homework. But you're also really agitated with her taking over the entire living space. The next step and activity is reading through the thought process that you may be having If you found yourself in this situation. You want to read the decision-making process out loud. You may be thinking this is so annoying. I should leave her a note about what is bothering me. But maybe she's truly struggling. Maybe she needs someone to talk to. She is an adult, and she should be able to ask for help. Maybe if I get the on-site coordinator involved, they could help me talk to her about what she is doing that bothers me and she could get connected to more support. The next step and activity is to discuss the pros and cons of different ways to intervene. Read through this list with a friend and discuss when this intervention strategy be a good idea or a bad idea. Would this strategy, be comfortable for me? Would it be effective? Why or why not? In this scenario, you could do several different things. You could do nothing. You could ignore how frustrated it makes you feel and hope it will get better. You could talk to your roommate about her habits and ask to create some ground rules for the room. You could ask your roommate about what her lifestyle was like back at UD and then maybe open up a dialogue about how you both enjoyed spending your time at UD and what this transition has been like to your site abroad. Another option could be inviting a roommate to do something fun in the city. While you're out, Ask her how about she's doing and encourage her to talk to someone about her homesickness if this comes up. You could also go directly to the on-site coordinator and ask if you can meet to talk about the concerning behaviors you are seeing and ask him or her to help you talk to your roommate. So the last stage of the activity is to discuss what you would do. So we encourage you to talk to your friend. Ask them what they would do. Share your own ideas, be creative and combine strategies previously discussed or come up with your own. Remember that your safety is paramount and it's always better to intervene with another person versus intervening alone. How will you be a Blue Hen friend? You can find a link to more scenarios like this one on the IGS website. We encourage you to read through them and consider what bystander intervention strategies you use and what resources you would need in order to successfully help. Remember, you will be in another country and possibly be in a non native English speaking community. So it's really important to think through these kind of situations in advance so you feel more comfortable and more competent being a Blue Hen friend abroad. Ultimately, preparation is key. Throughout this presentation, we hope that you were able to think about your own well-being and what you'll need to do in order to be both personally and academically successful and healthy abroad. When travelers think about what to pack, they often don't think about the fact that they are literally packing themselves. You bring you abroad. So think about the tools, strategies, resources, and care you will need while away from home. We encourage you to prepare now so that while abroad, you can be mindfully present and take advantage of the privilege and opportunity to see the world. >> Thank you. >> On behalf of Meghan and myself, thank you very much for spending time to watch this presentation today. >> We hope that the information we presented will help you to prepare for a successful study abroad experience. >> Please take a moment to provide your feedback on the presentation by completing the survey at tinyurl.com/BeWellAbroad.

Before You Explore: Be Well Abroad

From Kaitlyn Laws May 07, 2020

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Create a foundation for your wellbeing abroad by learning tips, strategies and activities to support your mental and emotional health.

Department Name: Institute for Global Studies
Department Division: Marketing
Date Established: May 07, 2020
Appears In: Institute for Global Studies

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