The final days of summer are fleeting. All Georgetown students are filled with mixed emotions towards the impending situation.

Especially for those students, like moi, who are shipping out (well, flying out) to study abroad, the end of this summer is a pretty big deal. You are filled with the excitement of a new country, new people and a new drinking age (you know it’s true) but you’re also pretty sad because YOU WON’T BE AT GEORGETOWN.

Ugh, the struggles. How will we deal with not seeing the beautiful Lauinger Library everyday? It seems, at this point in time, impossible.

That being said, I bet you all that in, let’s say, 5 days, you will be praising the study abroad gods. #blessed? (Please never use this hashtag seriously.)

Some things you need to do before you jet-set away…

EAT

Whether you fancy bagels with iced coffee or rich Italian pasta, make sure to get your fill of your favorite snacks. But then, PUT THEM OUT OF YOUR MIND. You will not be able to deal with yourself if all you are thinking about is Mai Thai Pad Thai.

Netflix

While most countries in the world have come over to the dark side (and by dark side I mean Netflix), there are still some who are resisting the urge (cough cough, TURKEY). Just to be safe, binge watch a few episodes or seasons of your favorite show.

Fotografías 

Yes, fotografías is Spanish for photos. This is essential for your study abroad decor and your sanity. Yesterday, I printed about 50 photos from CVS (you can do it online) of all my friends, family and enemies. Hey, you never know who you are going to keep around and who you are going to de-friend IRL.

Tunes 

It is not always easy to download your favorite jams at the touch of a button while off in the middle of who-knows-where. I always like to have all of the songs I would want to, not want to or possibly want to listen to. Does that make sense? Maybe not now, but you will be bowing down to me when you realize how much of a life saver this is.

School Work? 

Contrary to popular belief, study abroad does actually include some studying. While you are also there to have fun and meet new people, make sure to save yourself and download all the things you may need from Blackboard beforehand.

Plans 

Make a list of all the things, places and monuments you want to see so that you can easily plan out your trips! Of course you’re going to learn about new places as you go, but it is always good to have a jumping-off point!

There are a ton of other things you should/need to do before you leave, but of course the most important is to continue reading the 4E.

Enjoy your time being Americans and drinking all the iced coffee you can. Maybe people will miss you when you’re gone.

Oh, and when you are finally at your study abroad destination complaining about “how weak your internet connection is,” just think about your favorite blogger (a.k.a. me) trying to stream videos in Turkey. God help me.

Gifs: tumblr.com

Photos: wikipedia.org, psu.edu