While your college years are probably the best time to explore the world with a backpack, many people believe that it is impossible to combine studies and traveling.
However, this way of thinking couldn’t be further from the truth, and there are only a few things you need to know how to travel and study simultaneously and with success. In this article, we have gathered some of the best tips and tricks to travel more while earning a postgraduate degree without breaking the bank. This advice has helped many students, and we are sure it will work for you as well.
Plan ahead
Although getting a train ticket and going off into the sunset may sound romantic, a more realistic approach to travel requires quite a bit of planning. The most important thing is deciding where you want to go. Recently, quite a few travel destinations for students have become more popular because of their accessibility and relatively low prices. Regardless of what continent interests you the most at the moment, there are endless countries and cities waiting for you. Before you leave, we also recommend that you make a list of the most important sightseeing places to see so that you don’t find yourself too overwhelmed upon arrival.
Find programs to study abroad
The easiest and most convenient way to combine education and traveling is to study abroad. If you are currently in school, reach out to your guidance counselor or an advisor and find out if your course offers a semester abroad in a partner university. Many schools around the world welcome transfer students, and you can easily become one of them. Check in with your college or university and find out what you need to apply; usually, you will have to submit a copy of your academic transcript and a cover letter.
Manage your budget
Probably the most common misconception about traveling is that you have to be rich to be able to afford it. Luckily for all of us, such is not true, and there are many ways to travel on a budget. As a student, you probably already know everything about research, and planning a trip also requires some homework. If you want to travel by plane, remember that airlines often hold sales, and certain days of the week tend to be associated with lower ticket prices. Besides, hostels are becoming more available all over the world, and they are usually a great place to meet other student travellers. There are hotels in universities as well. Before you go on a trip, know how much you can spend and remember that experiences are more valuable than souvenirs.
Focus on time management
One of the most important aspects of traveling in college is not neglecting your academic work. In order to succeed in both of these spheres, you will have to focus on time management and submit your assignments on time. In case you find yourself struggling with making deadlines leading up to your trip, you can read samples of papers from PapersOwl.com experts and find inspiration to produce your own work in a short time. A great advantage of staying on top of your assignments throughout the semester is that your professors will be likely to understand if you explain that you couldn’t be in class or submit something on time because of a trip.
Take weekend trips
Traveling doesn’t mean that you have to leave your city (or even country) for a few weeks at a time. At the beginning of the semester, you will receive a syllabus and know when you will have a free weekend or a short break. Although you probably won’t have enough time to go abroad over the weekend, exploring your own country is worth it as well. If you decide to study abroad, a short trip will be a great addition to your overall experience, and it will help you get more in touch with a different culture and new people. See the best cities for a weekend trip.
Hang out with foreign students
The best part of traveling is arguably getting to meet new people with different backgrounds, and college is a great playground for new friendships. If your school has foreign students, be sure to check in on them. If you do, you will not only make a friend and learn something interesting about another culture, but you will also potentially find a travel buddy or have someone to visit abroad. Foreign students can possibly give you some insight about visiting their home country, tell you a few tricks about traveling, and even teach you a few words in a different language.
Do not wait
Once you have made plans to travel, do not keep putting your trip off. It is easy to get caught up in study assignments, deadlines, and working, but taking a break will be worth it. Decide where you want to go, book a place to stay, gather a few friends, and go on an adventure.
We all know how hard students have to work almost around the clock to earn their postgraduate degree. However, being a successful scholar doesn’t mean that you can not have any time for traveling and exploring the world. Regardless of whether you go for a semester abroad or take a short weekend trip with your friends, there are many ways to travel and achieve academic success at the same time. Hopefully, you found at least some of these tips helpful, and you are now motivated to plan a gateway for a few days.
