You carry the sacrifices and worries of the people who stayed behind. And a huge part of that worry circles around one question: will you be fine?

Most students spend months worrying about getting admission, writing SOPs, and chasing visa appointments. Very few actually stop to think about what comes after the plane lands.

We spoke to Bangladeshi students already studying abroad to get the most honest advice possible. This article is for those few, or really, for everyone who should be thinking about it right now.

Sort out your medications

This one gets ignored more than almost anything else. If you are on any regular medication, whether for blood pressure, thyroid, anxiety, asthma, or anything else, you need to find out whether that medication is available in the country you are going to, and whether the specific brand or chemical composition you use at home is permitted there. You should carry your prescriptions, and bring more supply than you think you will need for the first few months, because getting a new prescription from a local doctor abroad might take time.

Culture shock is real

People imagine culture shock as the feeling of not understanding customs or finding the food strange. That is true, but it is usually the small things that actually give you the uncomfortable feeling. Maybe the silence on public transport when you are used to noise everywhere. Maybe a directness in conversation that you are not used to and might feel rude even when it is not meant to be. The absence of warmth that you get automatically in Bangladesh just from being around family and friends.

Then after the initial excitement of being somewhere new, you start missing home in specific ways, like the chai in the morning, or the way your mother calls to check if you have eaten. Give yourself permission to feel that. Students studying abroad say that it passes. Joining student societies, talking to other international students, and simply leaving your room regularly helps more than forcing yourself to feel fine.

Your mental health needs more work abroad

Back home, mental health support often comes passively, through family around you, friends dropping by, a familiar environment. Abroad, all of that disappears overnight and you have to build a support system from scratch while also managing coursework, finances, and a new city.

Nafia Naushin, a Bangladeshi student studying at Edith Cowan University in Australia, says: “Having a strong mindset is very important because you will have to manage everything on your own. In Bangladesh, we mostly focus on studies, while our families handle groceries, finances, and daily tasks. Abroad, you’ll need to manage grocery shopping, budgeting, cooking, and living without family support. At first, this can feel like a lot of pressure. However, it’s not impossible, just come with the mindset that you will learn gradually. Mental preparation is key. Be ready to take responsibility for your own life.”

Before you go, check whether your university has a counselling service and what it covers. Many universities abroad offer free or subsidised mental health sessions for enrolled students. You should look it up before you go if you suffer from mental health problems.

Your roommate matters more than you think

Roommate selection does not get nearly enough attention in the pre-departure conversations students have. In many universities, especially in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, you will be asked to fill out a roommate preference form before being assigned housing. Take it seriously. Think about sleep schedules, cleanliness standards, whether you pray, whether you need quiet time, whether you cook at home. These things sound minor until you are living with someone whose habits are the exact opposite of yours.

Abrar Azim Hrittek, a Bangladeshi student at the University of British Columbia in Canada, says: “In most cases you don’t get to choose your roommate in the first year. But my advice would be if you have any problem with your roommate, try to go through an official process to sort it out. Because in most cases we don’t do that. In abroad, they pay a lot of attention to that; they either resolve the conflict or separate you if you are having a problem with your roommate.” Do not try to quietly manage a bad living situation out of politeness or because it feels awkward to escalate. The process exists for exactly this reason.

If you have the option to request a specific roommate, be mindful and careful about whom you choose.

Choose where you live carefully

Mohammad Tanjimur Rahman, a Bangladeshi student at Rhodes College in the US, breaks it down: “In some colleges you need to stay on campus for a certain time and in other cases you can choose your own staying location. In the US, most LACs are in such a position that you don’t get that many options for off-campus housing, so it might be a little bit more helpful to live on campus.” His broader advice is to research your specific university’s policy early and plan your accommodation accordingly.

On the question of safety, Tanjimur provides quite helpful guidelines. If your university is located in an area with a high crime rate, on-campus housing is likely the safer bet. For off-campus housing, research the crime rate of the specific neighbourhood, not just the city, because the numbers can vary significantly from one street to the next. On-campus housing is almost always the better choice for your first year. You are closer to everything, and if something goes wrong there is support around you. Most cities have public crime maps or police district statistics available online. Use them before you commit to an address.

Study your budget well

Most students going abroad have a rough sense of their tuition and housing costs but have not actually sat down and worked out a monthly budget. You should do it before moving abroad. Try to include rent, food, transport, phone, internet, study materials, personal care, and a small buffer for unexpected things. Research the actual cost of groceries, not the tourist price but what a resident pays at a regular supermarket.

Before you leave Bangladesh, understand how you will receive money from your family and what fees apply. Also research whether the country operates primarily on cards or cash, because some countries still rely heavily on cash while others are almost entirely card-based.

On the topic of part-time work, Nafia Naushin has a warning that many students do not see coming: “Sometimes students don’t get enough shifts due to classes and assignments, which can make it difficult to cover tuition fees and living expenses. Some students need financial support from home, but not everyone can rely on that.” Do not arrive assuming work will be easy to find or that shifts will always be available when you need them. Also check carefully what your visa allows before you look for work. Violating your visa conditions has serious consequences.

Laws and norms can be different there

Studying laws and social norms is really important. In some countries, noise ordinances are taken seriously and your neighbours can call the police if your flat is too loud after a certain hour. Breaking some serious laws can result in deportation for international students. Then there are social etiquettes too. In Germany or the Netherlands, directness in conversation is a norm and not an insult. The point is not to become someone else. It is to be aware, so you do not accidentally cause offence or get into trouble by doing something that would be completely normal at home. Study all these before you leave.

Find your community

Almost every university with a significant international student population has a Bangladeshi student association or at minimum a South Asian student society. Find it. Because when you are struggling with something specifically cultural, whether it is halal food, Eid prayers, or just someone who understands what it is like to come from where you come from, that community is invaluable.

But Sarika Saiyara, a Bangladeshi student at Bryn Mawr College in the US, offers a perspective which is really important: “Your community doesn’t have to be exclusively Bangladeshi. This is especially true at a small liberal arts college where you might be the only Bangladeshi in your entire class year. Waiting for that might leave you very alone. Find your South Asians, find your internationals. You’ll discover you have more in common than expected.”

She also challenges the way most students think about building connections altogether. “A mindset shift that helped me was to stop looking for best friends and start just being genuinely curious and interested about people around you. The pressure of ‘finding your people’ creates a lot of drama and a lot of isolation. What you actually need is a loose network of people who notice when you seem off, someone who’ll get you food when you’re sick, check in when you go quiet. That, for me, is a community.”

Figure out food before you land

For many Bangladeshi students, particularly those who eat halal, this is a daily logistical question. In cities like London, Birmingham, Toronto, or Melbourne, halal options are more available. In smaller university towns in central Europe or parts of the US, you may be cooking almost entirely at home. Even if you are not concerned about halal, think about whether you can cook the kind of food that actually makes you feel well and comfortable.

Students who cannot find food they are comfortable eating end up eating poorly, which affects their energy, their sleep, and their concentration. Find out whether there is an Asian grocery store nearby, learn to cook a few basic Bangladeshi dishes before you leave, and if your dietary needs are more specific, email the university’s housing office and dining services in advance. Many universities have accommodation for dietary needs if you ask properly.

Nobody leaves fully ready. You will forget something, feel lonely at a moment you did not expect, and wonder briefly if this was the right call. It does not mean you made a mistake. It is just the first few months. Most people get through it. You probably will too.