By Patrick Collins

Let's face it: we North Americans are pretty...how to put it...picky? We're used to things the way we like them. Part of going abroad involves learning that people in other parts of the world may have a different perspective - that life isn't a service provided, that you take what you can get.

Challenges, however, are excellent opportunities for growth. It may take some courage at first, and it may even hurt a little at times, but you'll be amazed at what a rewarding and beautiful experience it can be to learn to thrive in a different culture, to broaden your skills and resourcefulness by learning to adapt to a new environment, and to gain a better understanding of yourself and your world in the process.

So buckle up and prepare yourself for the sometimes fun, sometimes challenging, and always rewarding adventure that is study abroad. You'll be responsible for yourself, and you'll be the one reaping the benefits. But that doesn't mean you won't need any help along the way, so let me offer you a few helpful tips to make your transition from one culture to another a bit smoother.

1. Be willing to re-think your sense of personal space.
The U.S. is a really big country. There's a lot of space: space in between people, houses, and cities But that's not the way people live in many other parts of the world. During your experience abroad you'll be forced to reconsider how much space you really need around your body in order to feel comfortable. Or, put another way, you'll have to get used to being much closer to people than you're probably used to.

Depending on where you go you'll notice to one degree or another that more people live in a smaller surface area. Basically, this translates to large crowds of pedestrians, busier streets where cars, motorcycles and bicycles share narrower lanes, and buses and metros that use every bit of surface area except (and this depends on where you go) the roof to get commuters to and from work.

All this activity also means you'll be bombarded with much more sensory stimulation than you're probably used to: constant movement, more noise, different smells.  Not that you won't be able to handle it - just know that it'll probably take some getting used to. Soon enough, you'll no longer be bothered every time the bus hits the brakes and you feel someone leaning into you; you won't get flustered crossing the road amidst a bustling throng of pedestrians.

2. Prepare for a different level of body contact than what you're used to.
Have I started with the scariest points? This one is similar to #1, but I think it should go separately because it's more of a cultural than logistics thing. So here's something you'll probably realize very soon into your experience abroad that you might not have noticed before: the U.S. is a pretty low-contact society. Sure, we shake hands and family members will merit hugs or kisses but besides that - not too much else.

If you're traveling to Latin America or Southern Europe, you'll be surprised by the amount of body contact involved in normal interactions and everyday communication. Hopefully you won't consider it offensive for someone you might not know that well to throw their arms around your shoulder, kiss you on the cheek, or give you a well intentioned hair-tussle. Don't worry though; it's something you'll get used to, and once you do, you'll see the charm and warmth of it.

To be fair, some cultures engage in less body contact than we do in the States. You'll notice this if you're planning on studying abroad in places like Northern Europe or Japan. This may be harder to cope with, since more body contact means more friendliness; less of it than you're used to might initially make you feel distant and isolated from others.

Either way, you'll get used to the level of contact in your country of choice because the truth is, all humans crave social interaction. Each culture simply finds a different way of channeling that need.

3. Think local, not tourist.
So here you are in uncharted territory. Everything's exciting and new. You're your own master living your own adventure and you're loving it. And you should, you definitely should, but you should also be able to keep a level head about you and exercise good judgment. No matter where you go there will always be people who thrive on the gullibility and inexperience of foreigners. Bar owners who jack up their prices if you look like a tourist, taxi drivers who suddenly aren't familiar with the area and literally take you for a ride, or, worse, smiling 'tour guides' that'll take you through the city's most beautiful alleys and only charge you your wallet.

Most issues you'd face abroad can be handled with the same level of common sense they'd require at home. You just need to be careful. It's nothing to be afraid of as long as you're aware that not everybody in the world is looking out for your best interests. This doesn't mean you should go to the other extreme and fall into paranoia - that'll make it impossible to enjoy your experience abroad. As always, a sane balance is required; if you can find it, you'll naturally steer clear of negative situations while keeping a positive attitude. And don't be upset for the occasional, inevitable mistake. Be patient with yourself and you'll learn to adapt more effectively.

4. Talk local, not tourist.
You can get by pretty well with English in most countries, but you should definitely put in the effort to learn (or deepen your knowledge of) the local language if you want to get the most out of your study abroad experience. If you decide to take the easy way out and rely on your trusty old English, you'll miss out on a whole world of experiences and possibilities. Even the slightest effort at communicating with someone in their native language will yield good results: you'll be learning in the best and most practical way possible and others will respect you more for trying and will respond positively.

Besides, there are plenty of circumstances where English won't be of much help, and you're going to have to learn at least the basics of the local language if you want to be truly self-sufficient. This isn't bad news - in fact, it's probably one of the reasons you chose to study abroad. Learning another language is good for you personally and professionally, and cultural immersion is the best, quickest and most stimulating way to do it.

Here's the real advice: be patient with your progress. Even if you've studied the language in school, you're going to come up against a different dimension of it than you've encountered so far; the way people talk in the streets isn't bound to any textbook. Theoretical knowledge of a language will help, but you're going to have to bridge the gap between the theoretical and the practical, and this takes time. Chances are you'll feel like you're banging your head up against a wall to no avail - until one day you look up and suddenly the wall's not there anymore. The key is to practice patience and persistence.

5. Walk local, not tourist.
No, just kidding.

5. The last thing you want to hear.
This is a boring point; probably the last thing you want to hear. When you think about studying abroad, you probably don't picture yourself sweatily washing dishes, but if you've never lived out of your parent's home, chances are you're going to have to learn the art of shopping, cooking and cleaning up after yourself. Sure you've shopped, sure you've cooked, sure you've cleaned before. But now there's nobody there to look over your shoulder; if you don't do it, you'll run out of toilet paper and be living in a dump.

Basically, if you haven't already, you'll have to learn how to be self-responsible. And this is a good thing! It'll feel good to know you can handle all the little aspects of daily life without having to rely on someone else. It's crucial to be able to plan well and budget money wisely. The brain is no place to do any serious planning, so make a list of what your fixed costs are and how much you'll have left over for spending money, say, each week. This'll make it much easier to actually get by without having to ask someone back home for money, "please last time, I promise."

Monitor your expenses particularly well the first few weeks of your stay and use your notes to project how things will go in coming weeks if you continue spending similarly. Saving receipts and taking a few minutes to jot down how you're spending money can be extremely helpful down the road; you'll be able to look back and see exactly where your money went and make adjustments accordingly. $60 for taxis in one week? Walking is great exercise.

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Patrick Collins lives in Malaga where he works for UniSpain, a website designed to help students find the perfect Spanish language school in Spain.