DepartSmart for Students

Welcome to DepartSmart. By working through the DepartSmart modules you can prepare yourself for a safe and successful experience abroad. The modules cover information on topics which are particularly relevant for those pursuing academic travel. Remember, it is your responsibility to ensure you are adequately prepared for your trip. Travelling is a test of your self-reliance and organizational skills and putting those skills to use begins now, before you leave.

Canadian Content
DepartSmart has been designed for the Canadian academic context. Wherever possible information from Canadian sources has been used. If you are not a Canadian citizen, DepartSmart still has considerable useful information to offer and links to alternative sources are provided where appropriate.

How to use this course
Depending on your travel preparation needs it should take you between 6 and 10 hours to complete the appropriate modules in DepartSmart. Don't expect to cover everything in one sitting. What you learn from DepartSmart will generate activities and tasks you must accomplish to ensure you are well prepared for your trip so start several months in advance and work at the course one step at a time. Work through the modules listed on the table of contents to your left. Many of the modules contain worksheets or activities which can help you prepare and organize your trip.

General Instructions:
Complete the modules in a step-by-step fashion using the left-hand navigation menu. The information is not country specific so some items may be more applicable to your trip than others. Remember, it is your responsibility to ensure you have reviewed all the information relevant for your trip. DepartSmart is intended to assist you in discovering what you need to learn more about, however, it is your job to follow through and get the information you need.

  •  If you have a question and cannot find the answer, click on the Ask a Question button. This will enable you to send an e-mail to someone at your institution who can answer your question or direct you to other resources.
  • To get a list of all the activities click on the Worksheets/Activities button at the top of the screen.
  • For a comprehensive list of useful travel websites, click on the Resources button.

External links will open in a new window. To return to your DepartSmart module, simply close the browser window of the external website.

Travel to The U.S.A.
If you are travelling to the USA the module For Those Travelling to the U.S. (under Travel Preparation on the left-hand navigation menu) should provide you with all the information you need for travel preparation to the USA. However, you should also use the left-hand navigation menu to view the other DepartSmart modules on Site Specific Risks, Safety, Health and Wellness, Cross-cultural Living, Leaving People Behind, While You're Away, and When You Return.

 

Going Abroad