I have once lived in ignorance of the benefits of traveling as a student. But once I figured travel and schooling out, it became my go-to. As a student, I took countless college trips and visited 15+ countries all around 5 continents of the world. I did all these without quitting school and maintaining good grades. It sounds unbelievable, right? But I am living proof!
Traveling as a full-time student is possible but requires forethought, sacrifice, and creativity. Nevertheless, I did it, and I am sharing my tips on how to travel while acing college as well.
- Be smart with your money
Being wise with finances is one of the easy ways to travel as a student. However, I was able to travel because I constantly stayed out of debt and saved. I discovered early on in my freshman year that food is one-way students spend a lot. Knowing this, I mostly ate at home and usually took snacks out with me while going to classes and working my part-time job.
However, I developed a critical saving technique that helped me save every day. Rather than buying new clothes every chance I get or going for dinner with friends, I save a percentage of my designated spending money every day.
- Think outside the typical student box
Rather than thinking, I’m a university student, and it is best to think of yourself as a person taking a course that takes up to 20 hours a week. Maintaining a great CGPA is essential. This makes the trip much more fun and interesting because you are rewarding yourself for good grades rather than running away from bad grades. Typically, thinking outside the student box doesn’t mean taking your academics less seriously. Studying for me, even while on a trip, has become very easy with a reference to plagiarism fixer that made my school papers 100% unique. It has helped me navigate study and travel in the best way possible.
- Knowing and understanding the times to travel
Off seasons have proven to be the best time to travel as a college student. This is because certain deals you will get during the off season are more expensive. Therefore get creative with not just summer breaks but spring breaks as well. When a trip is envisioned, most people immediately think of summer. But summer trips are quite pricey, and as a student trying to travel on a budget, that might seem next to impossible. Therefore it’s best to travel during the off-season to save money.
- Where to go
Before taking a road trip, budding that bus out of town, or booking that flight, it is best to know where you want to go. However, research on preferred locations has proven to work best.
- Find out about travel requirements
Due to the new travel rules that have been issued globally, it is important to consider the covid -19 travel guides. In addition, most parts of the world are still experiencing the pandemic, and to be able to travel to these places stress-free, you should check out the travel requirements.
- Choose your travel buddies wisely
Fun for everyone is different, especially for students from different walks of life who meet up in college. If you are one to take trips with others, it is best to declare what you will be willing to spend money on and what fun is for everyone.
- Check your college for study/volunteer programs
Most colleges have options for volunteer programs that students could participate in. Volunteering is the best option if you are looking to travel the world with almost zero to no money. Of course, you will have to enjoy the program you are volunteering for because you’ll have to do the work before you get to explore the destination on your own.
Also, there is a study abroad programs that you could apply for. However, to apply for this, your CGPA must be 3.0 or above to be considered for these opportunities. Study and travel are one of the best options to travel in college. These opportunities are open to all students, but only great students are considered. You can either decide to study abroad out of your pocket or your guardian’s (s) pocket, or you could look for study scholarships internationally.
- Search for international internships
Internships are one of the best ways of being a good student by maintaining your grades and getting the opportunity to reap the benefits of these grades. Good grades are very crucial to getting international internships. However, most internship positions are only open to good students and those who have worked. Some internships offer a full-paid experience while you work, and some do not. As a good student, it is beneficial to find the preferred internship that works best for you and your career path.
- Have a budget
Traveling with a budget is easier said than done. To travel cost-effectively, a budget has to be involved. However, this budget will help with spending and easier ways to have a good time even on a budget.
- Travel
This might look weird, but many people make traveling inquiries all year round and never actually travel. So what’s a better way to education than to travel and explore this culture you’ve always read about. I have personally learned over the years that one great way to learn is to also relax as well. Relaxation is a necessity after a whole session/year of school work.
Author’s Bio
Robert Everett is a travel enthusiast that started his journey of world backpacking during college for research work and fell in love with traveling. Graduated with excellent grades, Robert still got to see the world while at it. He has been to 15+ countries in 5 continents out of 7.
