Things you need to know:

When I signed up to come to The Abbey, I was overwhelmed with questions for former students. They all kept giving me very general answers, and I began to get rather frustrated. Here are some things you might want to know.

• Plan ahead with travel. Booking your plane early can save you a nice little chunk of money.
• BUDGET...the whole time. A lot of students spent frivolously when they got here and have been low on funds the last few weeks. Before you buy something, even if it's you're first week here, ask yourself, "Do I really need this? Am I gonna use this? Will it fit in my suitcase going back to the States?"
• You'll be cooking a lot here, so find some simple recipes that you can bring over so you don't have to eat frozen pizza every night.
• Bring school supplies. I seem to have forgotten about the STUDY part in Study Abroad.
• Bring books to read and share. The internet isn't always reliable and Spider Solitaire gets really old after a while. Sometimes it's nice to find a quiet place to hide away with a book.
• Bring peanut butter if that's something that is important to you. You won't be sorry.
• Space bags saved my life on Spring Break.
• When you are around the same people ALL the time (when I say ALL THE TIME, I really mean it), you start to get under each others' skin. Be aware of this from the beginning and take advantage of having time by yourself. Also, be understanding when other people want to be alone.
  
• Please Note: There are quiet hours beginning at 11 o'clock pm. (In case they don't tell you this in orientation).
• You are going to have the time of your life. You're going to make life long friends. You're going to learn a lot about yourself. You're not going to regret coming over here.
• Don't plan to spend too much time on skype. 1) Because the wireless internet isn't always working 2) because you'll miss out on tons of amazing experiences and 3) because it'll drive your friends and roommate crazy. (Investing in Skype minutes might be a good idea if you want an inexpensive way to chat.)
• Bring a pair of flip flops. They can serve as walking-to-the-bathroom/laundry-room/kitchen shoes, shower shoes for hostel/hotel showers, going-outside-to-layout shoes and whatever else they're needed for.
  
• Girls, there are going to be nights when you want to dress up. I didn't bring any heels and that's one thing I wish I'd had. I don't typically wear heels, but I really missed having them.
• Be patient with your friends. You're not going to get along 100% of the time. Everyone will get on your nerves at one point or another. Accept that there are going to be times that you won't see eye to eye, and move on. Don't let a silly argument or disagreement ruin your friendship or this special experience.
• Have fun and get involved. When there are sign up sheets for stuff, put your name on the list. Sure, you may not know what you're getting yourself into, but you probably won't regret it.
• Don't talk about people. The walls are paper thin, and, in addition, gossiping just isn't cool.
• Be nice to Gabe. It'll get you far.
• Take lots of pictures. It wouldn't hurt to have an extra memory card for your camera.
• Bringing Tony's seasoning or some Zataran's also isn't a bad idea.
  

When packing, only pack what you know you'll need. If you need it when you get here, buy it and call it a souvenir. But no one thing that you do or don't do will make or break your trip. No worries.

--Jordan Randall