Pre Departure Orientation

Pre-Departure Orientation:  Going abroad for studying is very different from going abroad for a short vacation. The students have to be prepared mentally and ready to adapt  a new culture, education methodology, food, weather, friend circle etc. We at HOC provide the student with guidance about:

• How to Handle Culture Shock- Many students in the initial stage are shocked by the differences in culture, weather, food, gender equality, education system etc. This often leads to withdrawal symptoms wherein they refuse to socialize or leave the apparent safety of their rooms. The jetlag often accelerates this phenomenon and many times students fail to recover. It’s essential that the student knows the difficulties and are able to reach competent authorities at the university (if required). HOC provides literature and ways to be better prepared for it.
• Accommodation and Airport Pickup: We help students arrange for Airport Pickup i.e. either through University or Indian association over there. This is critical as often student is tense and tired due to long flight, immigration delays and general tension about going to a new place. We also help the students book accommodation either at university or outside with some other students who are already sharing a flat.
• Things to Carry– Many students carry things which are irrelevant and just increase the baggage load. We need to understand that certain things which are very useful in India would be completely useless there. The dressing culture at institutions is very informal so we need to prepare accordingly. The winter clothing which we use in India may not be adequate over there. Ex. Very few medicines are available over the counter, so we need to carry few essentials tablets. HOC provides checklist for Things to Carry Country wise.
• Do’s and Don’s: As discussed above the students are going to essentially a completely new environment. Every culture has its own unwritten code of conduct. For the student to become a part of the society, he has to understand and start following social and cultural norms. HOC provides them with ab exhaustive checklist for the same countrywide