Sjuksköterskestudenter utomlands

I am about to start a big journey, I am going to participate in an Exchange with Georgia College State University (GCSU). Due to the fact that English is the main language spoken in the USA I am going to write my posts in English.

As you may know a journey never starts when traveling to your destination. The journey starts earlier when you plan all the practical things and, of course, in your head.

The journey to Georgia and GCSU is going to be the biggest and longest journey of my Life. I am really looking forwards to it and despite all the work I already have putted into it, I am happy to travel in just less then 2 weeks: sept 10 this year.

Georgia is a State in the South-East of the US. The climate is warmer then in Sweden and the summer this year was hot. The temperatures I will expect during my visit are the ones we have had in Sweden this summer: between 24-28´C.

The capital of Georgia is Atlanta, which has the largest aquarium in the World. GCSU is situated in Milledgeville, which is app. 2 hours cardrive from Atlanta. I am going to live in Milledgeville for 5 weeks, a town with app. 19 300 inhabitants.

 

Here is a list of preparation I had to do before my clinical rotation i Georgia:

– apply at the university for an exchange through my university (Linneas university) and GCSU

– apply for an exchange at GCSU

– send a lot of documents to GCSU

– apply for a VISA (J-1) at the embassy in Sweden (or Denmark, but I choosed Stockholm in Sweden; that’s a VISA that is used for exchange students like me. Would I only visit as a turist I wouldn’t need that kind of a VISA) -> go through all the paperwork and questions on the internet, pay your fee, book an appointment at the embassy, visit the embassy, leave your passport and wait fot it to come back in the mail with your VISA (if they approve…)

– get an ESTA (so you are allowed to get into the US)

– apply for a scholarship from through my university

– apply for an extra student-loan

– get all the paperwork sorted

– get even more papers for the clinical rotation

– find a housing in Milledgeville

– book a hotel room in Milly (that’s how people living in Milledgeville call there town)

– continue the contact between GCSU and me for all details

– book a flight to Georgia

– have a plan for Lovely, my horse-friend and Illy, our bunny-friend

– buy a converter for the electric plug

– buy cloth and shoes that are comfortable to travel with and for a warmer climate than here in Sweden

– fill a lot of small bottles with my personal lotions and shampoos for traveling

– buy a travel-pillow, -mask and earplugs

– pack my riding pants and shoes (in case of any fantastic horse-adventures)

– buy a lot of chocolate for all the nurses I am going to meet

– buy a pair of kakis (brown-greenish pants) which they wear as a school uniform

– buy a book “English for healthcare-personell” and read it… and do the exercises in it too…

– talk to all teachers so my clinical training in the US is going to get accepted as a clinical rotation in Sweden for my nursing-exam

 

 

Yes… that’s about all I can remember for now… A lookout of stuff to do in less words…

I do now plan to starting to pack my bags, just so I remember everything I need to carry with me…

Love

Madeleine

 

Ps: Fun fact of this blog-entry: Georgia is the home-land of Coca Cola.