Travelling is what makes life full of experience, emotions, and fun. Many people wait until they have enough money, when they retire, when they have more free time, when the kids are adults. Yet, it is vital to dare to catch the moment and travel here and now since it may be too late when you are finally ready to set on a journey.
The best and most popular time for travelling is student years. You are finally adult and independent, have plenty of student discounts, have some free time, have friends to travel with, are full of enthusiasm and ideas. So, learn some good tips and hacks and travel as a student with no limits.
Settle Your Dreams and Plans
Primarily it is important to realize what your desires and plans are. Make decisions on important points in advance:
- Destination
- Transport
- Solo or friend travel
- Budget
- Accommodation
- Duration
- Discounts to get the use of
- and many more.
Once you list the basics or create some visual board, it will be easier for you to get your plans realized. This way you will be able to control the progress and head to positive outcomes with ease.
Always Prearrange a Budget
It is very important to understand how expensive or cheap you want your travel to be. Then you need to study the upcoming expenses and prices at your travel destination. This will help you to create your travel budget. It is quite similar to your household budget but has some difference. The main thing is that your budget is to be flexible and cover unpredicted challenges. Get some helpful budget planning tools and apps to make the process easier.
Save Some Money
It is obvious that travelling requires big expenses, so unless you have some funds inherited, you’d better save some money in advance. Here some things you can save on as a student:
- Eating out
- Partying
- Hanging out with friends
- Shopping for clothes
- Buying coffee
If you manage to reduce expenses on the mentioned above things, you will gather a good sum of money on travelling with ease.
Get the Use of Students Discounts
Another thing to do is to save on travelling itself. Student years are the best time for travelling since you get the use of massive discounts as well. This way you can decrease expenses on literally everything:
- Transport
- Museum tickets
- Tours
- Travel-and-study programs
- and so many more.
Do research about bargains and special proposals for students to manage to plan everything accordingly.
Pay Off the Debts
If you have some study or any other personal debts, it’s better to pay them off before you set on travelling. This may cut down your travel budget significantly but it is certainly worth it. First of all, you may have neither time nor the possibility to process the regular payments on your debts. More to this, having dealt with your debts, you will release yourself from a burden and manage to enjoy the trip in full.
Clear Out Study Things
It is unlikely that you have time to study and cover some assignments while travelling, so better do everything in advance. Aim to complete all the necessary test, projects and assignments before you set on travelling so that you won’t have to spoil your journey time with homework hassle later on. If you lack the time or physical possibilities to cover everything on time, there are trustworthy platforms such as Pro-papers to help you out with your assignments.
Catch the Moment
Another problem that holds you back from travelling as a student is waiting for the best moment. But the thing is that there won’t be the perfect moment until you create or catch it. There is even no need to wait for long vacations. You should start with small weekend tours and spend a day off wandering around local mountains and valleys better than in front of the TV. Then you can add one or two prearranged day-offs to the weekends. Of course, don’t miss the opportunity to travel farther during winter and summer vacations.
Work and Study While Travelling
If you decide to go full-time travelling it doesn’t mean you will have to give up your job and study. There are multiple study programs that involve travelling, volunteering or internship abroad, summer courses and schools. This means that you won’t deteriorate as a student while travelling. But gain more knowledge, skills and experience on the contrast.
In addition, it is quite easy to find a part-time job to add to your travel budget straightly during the journey. Here are some ideas on how to earn money while travelling and travel while working:
- Work on a plane, train, cruise liner, etc.;
- Participate in some educational program;
- Work remotely;
- Work as a freelance writer, photographer, designer, etc.;
- Sell things online;
- Administer the website, blog, etc.
All in all, there are plenty of ways to add to your budget and stay in tune with both your studies and work. The only thing you need to have is the desire to find the way out and you will definitely succeed.
Solo vs Travelling with Friends
Another good thing to consider prior to the beginning of your journey is whether you are after solo travelling or want some friends to join you. On the one hand, travelling with friends means go cheap due to sharing accommodation, road expenses, food, etc. And it is safer to travel when there are at least two of you. On the other hand, if you sit and wait for the right company to travel with you may end up never go travelling at all. So, if you rely only on yourself it is easier to make flexible decisions and catch opportunities.
To sum up, it is quite possible and even necessary to travel as a student, you only need to find the best appropriate way to fulfil your dreams and plans.