Hola everyone! The following article was submitted to me as a guest post for this blog. It has some great tips, including several I followed myself during my time abroad, so check it out: -Shannon
The college years of your life are a time of self-exploration, so students should take advantage of the opportunities they have to see the world while they are young. Of course, what complicates this for many students is the fact that travel costs money. However, you might be surprised to realize how affordable a lengthy trip to a foreign country can be if you do a little planning ahead of time. You are likely to remember your overseas journeys for the rest of your life, and if you have an adventurous spirit, you’ll regret missing a prime chance to visit another country. Why waste time on regrets? Any student can muster up the resources to spend one summer or even several traveling the world. If it’s something you want to do, then do what it takes to make it happen.
The first consideration is money. How are you going to pay for that trip? If you don’t already have a credit card, now is the time to get one. Most college students can get them easily; recruiters sometimes even come to campuses trying to sign up students. It’s important to be responsible with a credit card, but avoiding them altogether isn’t a good idea in this increasingly digital world. As long as you have a credit or debit card with a decent limit, you should be able to finance your trip. Your card will pay for most of your expenses once you get to your destination as well, though you’ll need to get some cash out for street vendors and some attractions-which is where having a debit card will be handy. Otherwise, live on the edge a little and put the cost of the trip on the card, even if it means having to work extra hours the next school year to help pay it off. Besides, if you plan ahead and work a part-time job, you can find ways of dramatically cutting your costs.
One way to travel inexpensively is to stay in hostels. These lodgings house large numbers of people, usually with several people to a room. They are much cheaper than hotels and some of them offer free breakfast and amenities like free Wi-Fi and guided tours of the city. Don’t forget to flash your student ID at the desk! Many hostels offer a discount, and for that matter, so do many tourist destinations. If you don’t like the thought of staying with so many people, consider hooking up with a network of people offering to houseguests in their own homes. This is especially nice if you are traveling with a companion, since you will have each other to help you feel secure in a stranger’s home. Some of the people who offer their homes in this manner don’t even charge, as they are primarily interested in meeting people from around the world. They might even offer to spend the day giving you an insider’s view of the city. The program I use for this is called Couchsurfing. The organization is great, the people are nice and it is free!
Another way to make your life easier while traveling is to pack the essentials, thereby avoiding having to run to stores for things like clothes and toiletries. Buy a lightweight backpack that you can stuff a lot of items into and make sure you have at least a couple of shirts and pairs of socks, pants and underwear. Scope out the laundry situation so that you can get your clothes clean in an emergency, while remembering that you’re trying to rough it a bit, so a little dirt won’t hurt. Make sure you have good walking shoes, and pack a camera and lots of batteries. Another great moneysaving tip: souvenirs are a waste of money. Everyone buys them and then never uses them once they return home. Take pictures and enjoy yourself while you’re there.
KC Owens has written and submitted this article. KC is a college student who loves traveling, college life, fitness and a good survival kit. He enjoys studying different cultures, meeting new people and leaving his footprint somewhere most people only read about.
Shannon en Sevilla 