HORIZONS TASKS:
Students MUST login to Horizons WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF ARRIVING at their study abroad destination and complete/acknowledge the following:
- Update contact information - Students will be asked to submit their physical address abroad and the phone number they will use while abroad. Please be sure to include the country code if you are using a non-US cell phone number.
- Side Trips - If you will be traveling away from your host city for a side trip while studying abroad, students must enter that information through the Horizons system. Details on how to enter side trip information will be explained in this section of Horizons.
- TCA updates - Acknowledge that you understand the policy and procedures regarding any any changes in your course choice beyond what is listed on your TCA form.
https://muhlenberg-horizons.symplicity.com
SIDE TRIPS - If you will be traveling away from your host city for a side trip while studying abroad, you must enter that information through the Horizons system.
TCA UPDATES - Any changes in your course choice, beyond what is listed on your TCA form, will need to be forwarded to and authorized by the Office of Global Education by the end of the add/drop period of your study abroad program. If you register for course(s) the Dean of Global Education hasn't authorized, the course(s) will not be transferred into Muhlenberg.
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INSURANCE
A copy of your insurance card and information on how to make a claim is included separately in
your pre-departure packet. Be sure you have access to this information while abroad. We
recommend printing a hard copy and keeping a digital copy in your files. We also suggest
leaving a copy of your insurance information with a trusted family member at home.
Obtaining medical treatment and hospital care abroad can be expensive, and U.S. medical
insurance generally is not accepted outside the United States.
Students can find out more information about the plan by visiting:
https://rcmdstudentbenefits.com/muhlenbergcollege/
If you experience any incident involving your personal health or safety, or other travel emergency, please do the following:
1. Contact the local authorities and receive any necessary medical treatment. Make sure to keep local emergency numbers for police and health support programmed in your phone, for example, in the US: 911 and 411. Know the numbers in your local town, city, and country before you travel abroad to your study program, and have them in your phone for emergency speed dial. Take a moment now and look them up, and plug them into your phone. For example, the emergency info is listed on the US Embassy website for each country: example France.
2. Call On Call International customer service through your Zurich insurance card given to you at the Pre-Departure Orientation at Muhlenberg, info also copied below. The On Call International customer service provides emergency assistance, medical referrals in your location, evacuation, repatriation, and other services, as needed.
Please note that your Zurich insurance also includes 24/7 virtual access Telehealth Services, connecting travelers to a global network of vetted, local doctors allowing for 24/7 virtual access to non-emergency medical care from nearly anywhere in the world, including prescription assistance.
3. Contact your local program coordinator or student services director at your study abroad program. It is extremely important that you contact them as soon as possible.
4. Contact The Office of Global Education at Muhlenberg, if during Pennsylvania business hours 9AM- 5PM: +1 484-664-3481 or [email protected]. If outside of business hours, call Campus Security at +1 484-664-3110.
5. File a local police report and/or insurance claim, if applicable. See the Zurich insurance card given to you at Pre-Departure Orientation at Muhlenberg for the address, website, phone and fax numbers, and email address for filing an insurance claim.
6. Contact loved ones at home.
7. In the event there is an incident where you are located, please pay close attention to your email and/or cell phone for additional information or requests from us and your host program to acknowledge that you are safe.
COMPONENTS OF A WELLNESS PLAN
Identify stress triggers. Consider the types of situations that you find particularly stressful. Awareness of potential stressors is the first step in minimizing difficulties or responding effectively if they do occur.
List specific coping strategies that are useful for you and that you can employ while on program. Many people find that physical exercise, spending time in nature, or different forms of artistic expression are important components of self-care at home, so it makes sense to engage in these or similar activities while traveling or living abroad to help maintain mental health and well-being. Make sure to ask your program staff for help accessing such experiences.
Enlist your support system. Identify in advance people who are willing and available to be part of your support team: parents, other family members, friends at home, and/or a therapist. Think about how to obtain meaningful support while abroad for identities or matters that may be important to you, for example, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, race, ethnicity, disability, religion or spiritual practice, sobriety, and so forth.
Get adequate sleep. Sleep is foundational for optimal physical and mental health. Traveling internationally across time zones or adjusting to a new environment with its distinct sleeping arrangements can lead to disrupted sleep. Bring along ear plugs or listen to relaxation apps to help you fall asleep in new situations.
Consider diet. New foods and eating customs are an important part of the study abroad experience, but diet changes can sometimes disrupt gastrointestinal functioning. Keep an open mind and enjoy the local cuisine, but also bring along over-the-counter remedies or calming teas and identify bland foods in -country that you can rely on if you don’t feel well.
Incorporate exercise into your routine. Maintaining physical activity is important for well-being. Find out about local resources/options in-country for exercise or sports. If you are a jogger or like to take yoga classes but will be in a location where those activities are not an option, investigate other ways to get exercise that are culturally appropriate and available.
Develop communication strategies and know how to ask for help. Know your early warning signs of stress, anxiety, depression, or other health conditions. Practice communicating your symptoms both in English and the host language. Write down translations of specific terminology in the host language that you may need to communicate with a health professional. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between normal adjustments to a new environment versus symptoms of a more serious health issue. When in doubt, it is best to consult with a health professional. Do not wait until your symptoms are severe and interfere with functioning; inform your academic director, program director, or other staff as soon as possible.
Plan to build a new routine. Being in a new cultural environment can help us explore new parts of ourselves, but maintaining certain routines that keep us grounded may not be possible. Once you become more familiar with your program location, try to develop new self-soothing routines to promote well-being.
Planning in advance is the first step in proactively shaping an enjoyable study abroad experience. But there is much that cannot be predicted or controlled, and many experiences will surprise you once you are immersed in the new setting. After all, that’s part of the attraction of studying abroad! Maintaining flexibility and a positive attitude will go a long way in helping you adapt to and embrace your cross-cultural experience.
Please do not hesitate to ask questions or address your concerns at any point along the way.
BEFORE YOU COME HOME
REQUEST AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT FROM YOUR PROGRAM
- Official transcripts must be sent to the Office of Global Education at the address below:
Electronic transcripts should be sent to [email protected]
- Muhlenberg pays any school of record fees for the first official transcript. The student will be responsible for the cost of any future transcript requests.
- Once the Office of Global Education receives your official transcript from your time abroad, it will be processed and approved by the Dean of Global Education, all necessary documents will be forwarded to the Registrar's Office.
- The transcript process can take a few months, but your study abroad courses will be listed in Workday once the transcript has been approved by the Dean of Global Education and subsequently processed by the Registrar's Office.
‘BERG REGISTRATION for Your Return Semester:
Contact: The Registrar‘s Office: [email protected]
You will hear from the Registrar via your Muhlenberg email account with registration instructions that will enable you to register for courses online on your assigned day and time. Be sure to consider the time difference when planning your registration!
- Registration - nothing new: Students successfully register for their next semester classes while abroad, as the online registration process is identical whether you are on or off campus. You may begin registering at 8:30 am EST on the registration day for your class year. You will need to determine what time this will be in your local time zone.
- Look for an email from the Registrar’s Office: Around the middle of October (fall abroad) or March (spring abroad) the Registrar’s Office will be sending an email with registration information for the next semester, including the date that the course schedule will be published and your registration date.
- Course Schedule: Will be online late October or March; the Registrar’s Office will inform you of the exact date.
- Academic Progress: You can check the status of your GARs and progress in your major(s) by viewing your academic progress in Workday.
- Approval of your Academic Plan: You still need your major advisor’s approval of your academic plan before registration. Remember that if you are a double major, you will need approval from both advisors.
- Instructor Approval: If you need instructor approval for any of your desired courses due to a missing prerequisite, you may submit that request by using the “Request Course Section Prerequisite Override” task in Workday.
- You can register for courses that require special forms (i.e. Independent Study, Internships) by using the digital forms available on your Academics dashboard in Workday. They are also available on the Registrar’s website.
- If you are traveling during your registration time, you can still register. In past years students have successfully registered for their next semester by going to an internet café, a local library or using the computer in the hotel or hostel in which they are staying. Students also register on their phones. Exceptions to this are students who are participating in projects in remote areas without connections to the outside world. In that case, please inform the Registrar’s Office.
- Once abroad or anytime, if you have any concerns or questions, contact the Registrar’s Office. When contacting the office, please use your Muhlenberg email account.
‘BERG HOUSING for Your Return Semester:
Contact: The Housing Office [email protected]
In the first few weeks of the new semester, you will hear from the Housing Office via your Muhlenberg email account with information you will need in order to indicate your housing preferences for your first semester back at Muhlenberg. You will be able to participate in the housing lottery through a proxy, as if you were here on campus.
All housing forms and lottery information are on the housing website at www.muhlenberg.edu/housing
