Having a passport is like having a ticket to the entire world. When I got my passport last summer, just holding it in my hands for the first time made me feel like I had access to any location and to an extent, I do.

At the time, I hadn’t officially applied to Keimyung University, the school I will be attending in a few weeks, but I knew before I got too far into the application process that I was going to need my passport.

A lot of people have had the privilege to travel outside the U.S. and may already have their passport, but if you’re like me and have lived for 22 years in the same part of the country, you probably don’t have one.

In short — if you are a student who is thinking about studying abroad and you don’t already have a passport, this should be a high priority on your to-do list.

While applying for one is easier than getting a visa for particular countries, it’s not as simple as filling out a piece of paper and mailing it off. A website provided by the U.S. government, www.travel.state.gov, lists off the “steps” of applying in a fairly simple fashion and it’s your best guide to reference.

In the case of a first-time passport applicant, you have to collect and fill out a number of documents that must be presented and sent off in person.

1) Your first step should be filling out a DS-11 form. This form can be found on www.travel.state.gov.

It asks for standard information, such as your name, home address, date of birth, Social Security number and so on. Once you’ve filled out the form, print it out and keep it in a safe place for the time being.

2) The next thing you will need is your birth certificate for proof of your U.S. citizenship.

While some other documents can be used as substitutes for this step, such as early school records, your best bet is finding your legitimate birth certificate for the most trouble-free situation.

One important note is that you must present your legitimate birth certificate and not a copy.

3) You need to have some identification ready to be presented upon sending these documents off. The most common answer to this is a driver’s license, but a military ID or a government ID will work if necessary.

4) Whatever identification you are using for the previous step, make a copy of it.

Just scan it and print it out, as this copy has to be sent off as well.

5) You’re going to want to pay the passport fee in cash.

I learned this the hard way. As of right now, a passport book and card for an adult is $165 dollars when totaled together.

6) You need to provide two passport-size photos.

My recommendation is to go the nearest Walgreen’s and tell an employee at the photo department you need your passport photos taken. They specialize in this, and will take your photo with the proper background and print them on the spot.

The final step is to find a location where you can submit all these documents and actually apply for a passport (http://iafdb.www.travel.state.gov/).

In my case, I brought my completed DS-11 form, birth certificate, driver’s license, a copy of my driver’s license, $165 dollars in cash, and two “2-x-2-inch” passport photos. Everything except for my actual driver’s license, which I only needed to show, was sent off and processed.

The waiting time for a passport to be processed can take anywhere from four to six weeks.

More information, along with any other circumstances I didn’t go over, can be found at www.travel.state.gov.

Getting a passport is a huge step in traveling.

I can’t describe how cool it is to open that little blue book and see my face on that glossy paper with a printing of the preamble to the United States Constitution above. I recently had to send my passport off for a few weeks to get a student visa. I ran into a few complications with that process, but my passport is safely back in my hands, ready to depart with me.

I officially leave the country in late February, likely around the 25th.

I hope my early articles about my studying abroad experience have proved to be somewhat beneficial to anyone out there, considering I haven’t even left the country yet.

As for what happens next?

I really don’t know what to expect, but this isn’t the last you’ll hear of me and my experience.

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