This post is all about how to travel as a college student.
I remember when I was in college, all I could think about was exploring new and exotic places. The fact that my bank account wasn’t on the same page meant that I had to get creative. I frequently found myself attending obscure information sessions and scrolling through the web to find new opportunities. Surprisingly there was a ton of information for how to travel as a broke college student! This post is going to cover just some of the information I managed to uncover during that time, including how to travel as a college student and even how to travel for free as a college student!
How to Travel as a College Student
1) Study Abroad Programs
The most obvious way to incorporate travel into your education is to go on a study abroad program. Many colleges and universities offer study abroad programs that are affordable and allow you to explore new places. For instance, my school had agreements with a ton of schools abroad that would allow you to pay the exact same rate of tuition. So ideally as long as you pick a place in the world with a lower cost of living than your home institution then you can actually save money! The only additional expense that needs to be budgeted for is a plane ticket. More on easy ways to save up can be found in this article:
RELATED POST:13 Flexible Side Hustles for Students
Studying abroad can be a great way to learn about other cultures and see the world while still being in school. If your college doesn’t offer a study abroad program, you can always find a program through a study abroad organization.
Some popular organizations include:
One of the best ways to travel on a budget is definitely to study abroad!
2) Internships
Internships are a great way to gain work experience and learn about another culture. There are many internship programs that offer placements all over the world. Interning abroad can be a great way to improve your resume and networking opportunities.
Be sure to check out if there are any organizations at your school that offer international internships. The school I was at had a chapter of AIESEC . I wish I found this opportunity sooner! But alas, I found it eventually and was able to intern at a nursing home in Venezuela for 2 months between my 3rd and 4th year of university.
They have internships ranging in fields from engineering, to teaching to marketing. If you’re wondering how to travel as a college student for free then AEISEC Is the perfect solution!
There is a program fee (approx. 500-600USD per program) if you apply to a position and are selected, however, most of the positions have monthly compensation. Some positions even include accommodation, food, and transportation. I recognize that taking a position during the summer means eating into the time you could be spending to work and save for the following year. So, it’s as simple as picking a project that either is a short enough duration that it doesn’t interfere with your ability to save or pick a project that has a reasonable salary.
Projects range from 6 weeks to 18 months. If you’re looking for more of a long-term international experience. Not to mention if you pick a project in your field, that’s a great experience for the resume when you graduate! So not only does an international internship give you the opportunity to travel, but it also allows you to build up work experience.
You can check out a full listing of their potential internships here.
3) Work Abroad
If you’re looking for a longer-term travel option, consider working abroad. You can either do this during your summer or even take a gap year, to save some money for your tuition.
This is a great way to see the world while still earning money to support yourself. Consider getting a highly transferrable skill like hospitality or bartending and use these skills abroad!
Youth is definitely on your side. Typically being in the age range of 18-30 will qualify you for a ton of work visas internationally.
If you’re interested in not only traveling to but genuinely living and working in a different country then this is a great option. Some popular jobs abroad include: teaching English, nannying, or hospitality jobs.
These are some programs that could be of interest:
4) Volunteer Opportunities
Another great way to travel on a budget is to volunteer your time. There are many volunteer organizations that offer opportunities all over the world. Not only will you be able to help others, but you’ll also get to see new places and meet new people. You can either find these options through your school or through external organizations.
If travel and global advocacy is something that you’re truly passionate about, then you should even consider catering your school applications to colleges that have strong programs for this type of work. I went to a college where every student has to complete basic requirements for global citizenship throughout their program. This requirement meant that they heavily subsidized programs to volunteer abroad. I had the chance to go to Finland and Nicaragua and my only expense was the airfare! So definitely check to see if your school has something similar!
One thing that’s important is to be aware of the potentially negative impacts of volunteer tourism (aka voluntourism). I’ll be the first the admit that I have participated in some projects in the past where I thought I was making a positive impact. However, in retrospect, I realize I was just falling into the trap of voluntourism.
They say hindsight is 20/20 and this is definitely one of those cases, but like Maya Angelou says “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better do better.”
So, learn from my mistakes and be sure to pick a project that is sustainable in the long term and genuinely will benefit the country in some way. For more information on the negative impacts of voluntourism check out this article.
Having said that, there are still a ton of volunteer opportunities abroad where you can truly make a positive impact.
Some well-known volunteer abroad organizations are:
5) Backpacking
I will always hold a special place in my heart for solo backpacking trips. It gives you the freedom to explore the world on your own terms and forces you to grow and adapt. I highly recommend that every person do at least one solo trip in their lifetime.
The key to backpacking on the cheap is being open to the spontaneous. Start by figuring out how much money you can reasonably budget for a trip.
RELATED POST: {How to Create a Monthly Budget for College Students}
Next, hop on google maps and enter your departing city and the dates I’m interested in. Search the entire world map to see where the cheapest flights will take you. Then I quickly check the location and add up the daily average costs to see if you’ll have enough for the trip.
From my experience a reasonable budget for some major regions is:
SE Asia: 30-40 USD/day
Western Europe: 75-85 USD/day
Eastern Europe: 40-50 USD/day
Latin America: 30-40 USD/day
These daily budgets account for accommodation, in-city transportation, and food. It doesn’t however account for roundtrip flights or travel medical insurance. (Tip: check your school benefits and credit cards to see if either includes travel medical insurance).
RELATED POST: {21 Best Ways to Save Money While Traveling}
You can absolutely get by on less than these amounts (and I frequently have!). However, it’s important to have a small buffer in your budget in case of unexpected expenses. The last thing that you want to happen is realizing that you’re running short on the last couple of days of your trip, and miss out on life-changing opportunities, or have skipped out on meals. I’ve definitely had to do both and can say from experience it was not fun.
Using this method I explored places like Costa Rica, Peru, Portugal, and The Czech Republic!
While you’re traveling, it’s also a good idea to track your expenses. In the process of monitoring your expenses, you can make sure you’re not under or over budget. If you’re over budget then you need to make some adjustments so you aren’t running out of money. If you’re under budget you can choose to allocate that extra money to something else in your trip or to save the money.
Travel Budgeting Applications
Some great budgeting applications while you’re traveling include:
Trabee Pocket : Helps travelers organize and track expenses. Free versions let you track one currency. The paid version lets you track multiple currencies
TravelSpend : Travel Specific app that lets you track expenses as they happen. It works offline and converts foreign currencies.
Mint: General personal finance application that will also track your travel expenses
Other posts you may enjoy:
RELATED POST {11 Simple Money Management Tips for College Students}
RELATED POST {12 Perfect Jobs That Pay You To Travel Around The World}
Hopefully, you learned some information that will allow you to start exploring!
This post was all about how to travel as a college student.
