Are You Who You Say You Are?

       I think one of the biggest anxieties among students traveling overseas, especially since we are traveling, maybe for the first time, without our parents or a wiser family member, is the fear of not being allowed into the country, of being sent away for one reason or another, or even for not being able to get back into the States. That is why it is paramount to have every piece of documentation your could ever need with you, safe at all times.

What Documents You Need:

• Driver's License/State ID - if you're going somewhere where you'll be allowed to drink, you may be carded, and a driver's license is the easiest way to prove your age
• Passport - this is obvious, but you will need it to leave and get back into the country and to prove your identity at the airport and customs 
• Insurance Cards - your American insurance cards probably won't be much help overseas, but having them is part of the "better safe than sorry" side of the argument; you will most likely also have an insurance card and/or insurance information from the program, and this card/information should always be on your in your wallet/purse in case of emergency
• Student ID - you'll want to have your home school student ID on you, not only for the program, but also for any concession rates offered; you may also receive an international student card, and it is important that is always on you so that you can prove you're a student
• Entry Letter - most likely you're program will give you an Entry Letter to present to the boarder patrol which will prove that you are coming into their country to study and are enrolled in a program 
• Flight Itinerary - because you are on a student/work visa, you will have to show proof of departure and intention to leave the country within the confines of your visa 

The easiest way to keep all these things together is to get a folder or some kind of document holder - document holders can be found anywhere, but Etsy offers from great homemade and unique ones for not bad prices. 

This is mine - it's cloth with an old map design and has two passport holders and two card holders; it kept all my documents safe and together during my trip!

I bought it from The Ruby Cottage (https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheRubyCottage?ref=l2-shopheader-name) whom I found on Pinterest 

Also, be sure to make copies of all your documents before you leave! Make a copy for yourself, which after you arrive should be hidden separately from your actual documents, and a copy for your parents to keep should both your copies and your originals get stolen/lost.