Freshman Juliana Sagor could not sit still. Her mind was preoccupied and she couldn’t figure out why.

“I started getting really anxious all the time,” she said. “I was freaking out.”

She said she didn’t know how she was going to make it to the end of the semester in a state of restlessness, until she came across some life-changing information. The anxiousness she was feeling was the need to travel.

“I found out I could study abroad as a sophomore,” she said. “Since that moment I have calmed down.”

Sagor, a pre-dental and Arabic major, is among many students who will not be returning to Binghamton next fall, but will be taking their studies elsewhere. Sagor will be studying in Egypt, at the American University in Cairo. However, this will not be Sagor’s first study abroad experience. She spent the first half of her senior year of high school studying in Chile, and said she has not spent a summer home since she was 6 years old.

Sagor said her previous experience abroad will make preparing for her fall semester a little less stressful. In fact, Sagor visited Cairo this past summer.

An important thing to take into consideration when preparing to go abroad is the dress code of the country you are visiting. Although acceptable here, short shorts and bare shoulders may be looked upon with contempt elsewhere.

“I already have covered up, conservative clothes: high necks, no midriff showing, and covered shoulders,” she said.

Another critical aspect of traveling abroad is the way you pack. All airlines have luggage restrictions that limit the number of bags you can bring and the weight of your suitcase. Sagor recommended using strong duffel bags.

“They are a lot lighter,” she said. “One suitcase can weigh 10 to 12 pounds before you pack.”

Sagor also encouraged bringing gifts for the people you will meet abroad. She advises packing a couple “I LOVE NY” T-shirts.

“They are so cool in other countries,” she said. “All the kids want them.”

She also suggested bringing foods that may be uncommon in the place you are visiting; she plans to bring popcorn and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese to Cairo.

In contrast to Sagor, a seasoned traveler, Randall Wong, a sophomore studio art major with a painting concentration, will be making her first trip overseas and study in Florence, Italy.

“I’m excited about being completely submerged in something new,” Wong said.

Wong said she is looking forward to learning in a environment.

“I will be taking studio art classes from an Italian perspective,” she said. “I’m excited to see how it will have an effect on my work.”

However, like many students going abroad for the first time, Wong said she is excited, but concerned.

“I’m afraid of the language barrier,” she said. “I’ve never taken an Italian language class.”

Inexperienced travelers — or even the world traveler like Sagor — who have any questions and concerns can talk to Giselda Beaudin, the University’s study abroad coordinator. Beaudin deals with over 350 students traveling abroad each year.

She said that students tend to feel “overwhelmed by all the details,” of studying abroad. What to bring and what to expect are predominant worries for most students.

“Once you get there it all falls into place,” Beaudin said.

She said that the most important way to prepare is to learn about the place that you are visiting. She recommended watching movies or listening to music from the place you will be studying, or even finding students on Facebook who have studied abroad in the past.

“Anything you can do to start thinking about the culture will help,” she said.

According to Beaudin, budgeting money is vital; she suggested participating in free activities that are common in most countries like, outdoor festivals, art galleries, volunteer work and even getting to know a local family who will probably invite you over for a free meal.

Beaudin said students overcome these worries once they are abroad. Upon returning she said that students are often “much more confident, independent and self-reliant.”