Studying Abroad
The two most important things to take with you when you study abroad are 'curiosity' and 'courage.' Why do we need them and how do we use them?
Let's start with curiosity.  This basically means the desire to learn. You hear something or see a word on a billboard or a strange sign and want to know what it means. Of course, you need some tools to help you remember  these things.  The most basic are a notebook and pen. Then you can write the new word or expression down or, ask the person you are talking to to write it down for you. This may be a little old fashioned these days, so perhaps you can just use your iphone. Ask the person  speaking to you to record the word they just used, perhaps putting it in a sentence to help you learn it. When you do this it is very important to note the situation in which you experienced the word, where you were, what you were feeling and doing and so on. The reason for this is that just taking notes in this way is only half the story. When you get home in the evening you should sit down and write out the new words and phrases in a proper language diary with columns. Consulting a dictionary and finding example sentences to copy out is also invaluable. The time when you heard and first wrote down the word was only step one. Step two is to review and learn the word in depth by remembering the context you met it in and the situation it is associated with. Relive that experience in your mind. All this can be written in your language diary.  Step two is basically 'overlearning 'the word or expression so it stays with you forever. Of course, retrieval is more important than input in language learning so you need to test yourself on all the new words you are learning everyday.
'Courage' means talking to people. Studying textbooks is a very small part of learning a language. One thing all 'polyglots' do is go out and talk to people using all and any language they have, including gestures. They make huge mistakes, possibly look foolish at times, but as a result of this struggle they learn new languages very quickly. There are so many different ways to practice speaking in a foreign country: open a bank account; order food at a restaurant; ask the way to somewhere (even when you know the way); ask somebody how a ticket machine works (even if you know) and so on. Just go out and do something.
In the end, the worst mistake we can make is to think of studying abroad as 'studying' in the conventional sense. We have to immerse ourselves in the life and culture of that country and absorb the language through communication, note taking and review. If you are not spending everyday enjoying new challenges that push you to new heights then step up your curiosity and Go For It!