A. Wherever you are going, the first - and by far the most important - consideration is: OBEY THE LAW. If you break the law and are caught, if you are lucky, you will be deported. If you're not lucky, you will learn more about the criminal 'justice' system of your host country than you ever cared to know. You will learn that the legal rights and protection you enjoy while in this country become inoperative the moment you leave it. You may very well experience lengthy pre-trial detention under primitive and abusive conditions, no possibility for bail, trial without jury or legal assistance and advice, and a long jail sentence.
To be sure, at Swarthmore we have, unfortunately, our quota of law breaking, involving especially alcohol and drugs and vandalism and theft. Our few local lawbreakers sometimes suffer sanctions but, because of the cocoon which enwraps Swarthmore students in residence, are normally immune from serious long range consequences of their misbehavior. When you go abroad, you are stepping outside of this protective cocoon. If while abroad you run afoul of the local law, chances are neither the American embassy nor your program nor Swarthmore College nor your parents nor anybody at all will be able to shield you from very serious adverse consequences, possibly life ruining consequences.
B. Of course, you will be crossing international borders - at the very least, entering your host country and returning to the US. Many of you will travel as well to other countries while you are abroad. About this, a few important considerations: i) Always be prepared to present your passport when crossing a border, although a few countries, especially in Europe, may not require you to do so. This means that you should carry it on your person, and not in, e.g., checked luggage. ii) When you enter a country, normally you will also go through customs. Often, there is no inspection at all; but customs inspectors everywhere have the right to search your luggage and possessions and person. Also, you may be required to fill out a customs declaration form to present to customs officials upon entering a country. If so, do not falsify your customs declaration: this is a form of lawbreaking, which takes us back to (8,A), above. iii) These days, most travelers everywhere find that passport and customs procedures go quickly and smoothly and without a hitch. But, please remember that passport and custom officials everywhere have the authority arbitrarily to visit great inconvenience and even grief upon you, up to and including refusing you permission to enter the country. When you're dealing with these folks, it's a real good idea to be unfailingly polite and cooperative and patient, to follow instructions, and to present a neat and well groomed appearance. iv) If, when leaving these shores, you are taking with you, e.g., a pc or camera, it's a good idea to register such items before you go so that the possibility of having to pay duty on them when you return will not arise. And, still thinking ahead to your return, please remember that you can bring home with you $400 worth of personal items purchased abroad, duty free. While shopping abroad, it's a good idea to get and keep receipts for purchased items that you will be bringing back when you return. v) By writing to P.O. Box 7407, Wash, D.C., 20044 you can get from the US Customs Office a copy of their publication, Know Before You Go, which tells all (or at least an awful lot) about US customs procedures.
C. If while abroad you find that you urgently need assistance with an unusual situation or an emergency, normally your first recourse will be your program or the university you are attending, and the people and resources disposed of by same. Beyond this, US Embassies and Consulates provide assistance to US citizens. If you are not a US citizen, you should be in touch for assistance with the embassy or consulate of the country of which you are a citizen. The Bureau of Consular Affairs of the US Department of State has materials that may be of use and interest to you in this regard, including especially two pamphlets, entitled, “A Safe Trip Abroad ”(available in the Office for Foreign Study) and, “ Your Trip Abroad,” respectively. Often, these are available for free at passport offices (closest one of which is in Media, PA, at the County Courthouse); and each can be purchased from The Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 20402, 202 512-1800 or http://travel.state.gov. For US citizens living abroad for an extended period of time (e.g., a semester), it’s a real good idea to register with the local US embassy or consulate. Of course, should you ever think that it might be useful to do so, you should be in touch directly with this office (610 328-7826; fax: 610 328-7323; spiker1@swarthmore.edu or rbernar1@swarthmore.edu; and Steve Piker’s home phone is 610 543-1480.