Money. By far it is one of the most stressful things to think about when it comes to living in a foreign country. What is going to be the easiest, and cheapest, way to pay for food, housing, pubs, tours, events? Foreign transaction fees, currency conversion fees, and ATM fees…they’re all horrible. Oftentimes they can end up costing a lot of money, and soon enough you realize that the cup of coffee you paid for cost as much as buying an expresso machine. For this reason it is important that you take a little bit of time before you embark on your study abroad journey to look at what bank accounts can waive these charges. One of my good friends that had just gotten back from studying in London over the summer had mentioned that Charles Schwab waived all international fees and even reimbursed you every time you withdrew money from an ATM, unlimitedly. After doing a little bit of research, I made an account and it seems to work exactly as she mentioned. I’ll definitely make sure to follow-up on how the account treats me after a few weeks in London.
Similar to packing, knowing how you are going to pay for everything in your new country can take a little bit of time and brain power. However, with enough preparation you can reduce the number of headaches you could experience down the line. All it takes is a little bit of research and a whole lot of patience.
