The university experience is full of change, with every new academic year requiring students to mediate a transition into the next stage of their degree. The year abroad, however, often presents a unique challenge for students, which can seem daunting in the beginning.  While preparing to embark on the year abroad, students frequently find themselves bombarded with advice, from both tutors and fellow students. It can quickly feel overwhelming and hard to remember the suggestions being thrown your way. During the 2019/2020 academic year, I completed my year abroad in a small city just outside Düsseldorf, Germany.  (Below is a picture of me on a trip to Heidelberg, just one of the many beautiful German cities I visited during the year!) This blog post sets out some of the advice that I remember hearing before I left for my year abroad but wish I had paid closer attention to!