Essential Apps for a Smooth Transition Abroad: A Student's Guide

Moving to a new country for studies involves countless adjustments—from finding your way around unfamiliar streets to managing finances on a student budget. Fortunately, the right smartphone applications can make this transition significantly easier. Here's a comprehensive guide to the most useful apps for international students, organized by category.

Travel & Navigation

Finding your way in unfamiliar territory is much easier with these travel companions:

Google Maps remains indispensable for finding your way in a new city, showing public transportation routes, estimated travel times, and offline maps for areas with poor connectivity. For more detailed public transport options, Citymapper offers real-time updates on delays or cancellations in major cities. When planning longer journeys, Rome2Rio helps by comparing different transportation methods (flights, trains, buses) along with costs and durations, while Moovit provides excellent public transit information in over 3,000 cities worldwide, often with more accurate local transit details than larger apps.

Student Discounts & Budget Management

Managing your money wisely is important when studying abroad. UNiDAYS verifies your student status and provides access to discounts across fashion, technology, food, and entertainment brands internationally, while Student Beans offers similar student verification and discounts, with particularly strong offerings in the UK, US, and Australia. For sharing expenses with roommates or travel companions, Splitwise makes the process simple and transparent: perfect for managing shared housing costs, and tracking apps like Mint or YNAB (You Need A Budget) help monitor expenses in multiple currencies, essential for managing an international student budget.

Food & Essentials

Eating well on a student budget becomes simple with these helpful apps:

Too Good To Go connects you with restaurants and stores offering discounted food that would otherwise go to waste—perfect for budget-conscious students. For delivery options, look for popular local delivery apps which vary by country, such as Deliveroo, Just Eat, or Uber Eats in Europe; DoorDash, Grubhub, or Uber Eats in North America; Swiggy or Zomato in India; and Meituan or Ele.me in China. When you need groceries but are unfamiliar with local shopping options, grocery delivery apps like Instacart (US/Canada), Getir (Europe), or country-specific supermarket apps can save time and effort.

Internship & Job Search

Finding work opportunities becomes more manageable with the right job search tools. LinkedIn remains valuable worldwide for professional networking and job hunting, particularly for internships at multinational companies, while Indeed aggregates job listings across countries and industries, with localized versions for many countries. To evaluate potential employers in unfamiliar markets, Glassdoor provides company reviews and salary information, and Handshake connects students with employers specifically looking for university talent, with growing international presence. For local opportunities, country-specific job boards often yield better results, such as SEEK in Australia, Reed or CV-Library in the UK, StepStone in Germany, and Welcome to the Jungle in France.

Communication & Language

Breaking through language barriers is essential for connecting in a new country. WhatsApp is essential in most countries outside the US for staying connected with new classmates and friends, while language learning apps like Duolingo or Babbel help build basic language skills before and during your stay. For immediate translation needs, Google Translate with its camera feature can instantly translate signs, menus, and documents. These are invaluable in countries with unfamiliar alphabets.

Local Services & Information

Getting involved in your new community can transform your experience. Meetup helps find groups with shared interests, from language exchange to hiking clubs, while Eventbrite lists local events, many free or discounted for students. To connect with your specific neighborhood, Nextdoor is useful for finding roommates or buying secondhand furniture and getting local recommendations.

Banking & Finances

Managing your money across borders requires specialized financial tools. Wise (formerly TransferWise) offers much better currency exchange rates than traditional banks, making it easier to transfer money internationally. For day-to-day banking needs, digital banks like Revolut or Monzo provide easy-to-open accounts with international features designed for travelers and expats, often with lower fees and better exchange rates.

Final Thoughts

The right collection of apps can transform your international experience from overwhelming to manageable. Before departure, research country-specific apps that locals actually use rather than relying solely on familiar options from home. This small preparation step will help you connect more quickly with your new community and make the most of your time abroad.