How to travel when you are a student?

So if you have ever wanted to travel as a student, you must have probably come across these questions:

1. Isn’t travel dangerous?
2. How are you going to manage the amount of money you need for traveling?
3. And how are you going to make up your studies along with it?

Yes just like every new step, even traveling is dangerous if you do not plan properly and prepare accordingly. But as a student, this is the time you have to make the best choices in life. You do not have a lot of responsibilities hanging over your head.

Hence to gain exposure to how the world out there functions is almost a necessity in today’s world. People are stuck in technology and completely forget how beautiful the earth is. And we believe all you need is just one trip to set all your fears aside. This will help you learn how wonderful it is to travel as a student at such a fine.

At the end of the day, all that matters is if you just did it, hence all we would like to tell you as an introduction to this post is: gain the information, plan your dream and just do it.

We will be dividing this whole post into four parts,

1. Know and pursue your dream to travel.
2. Plan your schedule.
3. Budget your dream to travel as a student.
4. Student offers and discounts for you.

Step 1 – Pursuing your dreams to travel.

1. What should I pursue if I love traveling?

There are several jobs and opportunities out there for people who love to travel. Some of the best ones are ESL teacher, Bio-Technology, Photographer, Au pair, Diving instructor, Event coordinator, International tour guide, Ski instructor, and freelancer.

One can also work as a digital nomad and this particular opportunity is actually on a rise because of technology. Hence the opportunities ahead of you if you are a student who loves to travel, are limitless.

In almost all professions, there might be a part that involves traveling. So if you find yourself attached to a certain profession, search for all the options in the profession and choose one that includes traveling.

For example, if you love to be a doctor and travel, there is a program called Doctors without Borders. This is an international organization that provides international medical care.

2. Shouldn’t work and the dream to travel be kept separate, especially for a good income?

Well, the short answer to this is, no. Many six-figure bloggers travel to places they want and still earn a passive income. Some people do multiple businesses online and travel to a lot of countries and still earn more than regular employees.

But you will only be successful if you have a liking for it and want to give society something unique. If you are doing this for the economical benefits, then it is a huge doubt if you will ever succeed. Many people love traveling and choose to pursue it side by side with their careers.

This often ends up in people pushing their love for traveling to a time they get free. But this doesn’t work for most people as a hectic schedule does not get away that fast. So if you are craving to travel across the world, choosing it as a parallel option to another career can end up crushing your dream.

Hence the best thing to do is to make traveling itself the sole center of your career. While studying, we tend to forget to pursue our passion and end up going after degrees that seem to have more opportunities. The actual truth is that, when you pursue your passion, you create your own opportunity. And no one else can create that for you.

Hence if you are a student who loves to travel, there are a lot of opportunities out there for you. Do not panic, just believe in yourself and your dream!

3. Semester abroad years in Universities.

This is another tip that we used while choosing our university. If you have already chosen your dream course and now is in the hassle of choosing a university to apply to, make a note to check for universities that offer study abroad or semester abroad programs during your course.

Observing a different culture, experiencing a lot of perspectives, seeing the beauty of this planet, and creating unique memories are all going to become the most important wealth you have ever earned for yourself. Hence get out of that comfort zone of yours, and let’s be adventurous.

Most universities offer the option to choose a year of study to study abroad. You will be able to choose from a set of countries and pursue the same degree there, maybe for a year or even 6 months.

4. What are the other ways to travel as a student other than a semester abroad or vacation travel?

Well, the first thing we would advise all of you is to plan a journey for yourself to a country you want with the tips that we have given below and just set out. This is the time you can be adventurous without having any responsibilities to look after so make sure you utilize the time.

Most universities offer a study abroad program especially if you are taking a language degree. If they do not inform you of this, make a note to ask them about it. But do not worry, even if your college does not offer you this feature, there are a number of other opportunities for you to travel abroad.

And if you think that you are not ready to set out on a journey by yourself or with your friends to a dream place and that you need some more time and experience, that is normal.

If the university does not offer the semester abroad program, then you can start looking for internships or volunteering opportunities abroad or in a place you love to visit. This not only will allow you to travel to your dream place but will also offer you a certificate. Some universities offer ticket and accommodation charges for the internships.

If you choose any volunteering opportunities, they will mostly provide you with accommodation and food. The first thing to do is to approach your university and enquire about the internship opportunities they provide abroad. If your university does not provide any internship opportunities then you can check them up online.

One amazing recommended internship abroad is Massey University’s internship. You will be able to travel to New Zealand and work while you tour the place.

There are a number of volunteering and working opportunities you will receive abroad.

Workaway, Worldpackers, and Helpx are amazing sites where you can find volunteering opportunities, work abroad vacancies, and cultural exchanges around the world.

In return for doing these seasonal jobs such as helping around the house, garden, tutoring English or working in hostels, you will receive free accommodation and sometimes payment too. You can choose the country you want the opportunity in and then explore while you work there.

If you love working on farms, then check out the worldwide opportunities on organic farms (WWOOF). This will give you chances to work on farms in exchange for free accommodation. This will cover all your expenses and give you a great chance to travel too.

You can even work as an AuPair or an English teacher abroad.

There are a lot of summer camps that help you to travel. Camp America is a cultural exchange program that offers a very unique opportunity for students internationally. You can spend your summer holiday in America, meet a lot of new people, have fun and then travel around America for another 30 days. The prices are comparatively very less since you are a student.

Step 2 – Plan your schedule.

1. How do I plan my schedule?

If you have come across any traveler and asked them what the most important thing to keep in mind while traveling is, they will instantly reply, ‘Planning’. So, if you are a student who wishes to travel, the first step to take is without a doubt, planning.

Now we know, planning your travel can be quite overwhelming as a student who loves to travel. It is hard to know where to start from and what all to be ready for. Hence we will give you a list of items to start planning right away. This will help by giving you a push to start.

• Know your vacations and weekly schedules:– Because when you are a student who loves to travel, vacations are the best time. Hence keep a note of when all you get vacations if you are planning a trip to another country. If you are planning a trip within your country, calculate the time to reach and get back and set out on a weekend or on any holidays that you get during your course.
• Now, choose the place you want to go:- So you have allocated a time of the year or the month for you to start your journey. Now, let’s choose a place. Make sure you have an idea of the countries that require more budget and the countries that comparatively require less. For example, countries in Europe and Australia require a higher budget than the countries in Asia. This doesn’t mean that Asia has anything less to offer, the cost is generally lower there.
• Plan your itinerary: -Mark all the places you want to go to in the country, note down the experiences you want to feel and the food you want to eat. Also, watch a lot of videos about the country or the places that you want to visit and read some blog posts too. This will help you to be mentally prepared for the place that you are traveling to. And once you reach there, it would not be so overwhelming.
• Plan your mode of transportation:– Okay so now you are mentally prepared for your journey. You have also allocated a suitable date for it. So now, let us plan how we travel to and within the country. This is why you would need to choose an offseason to travel to as the ticket price would go much down. What we suggest normally is to use Skyscanner or google flights and turn on notifications for the lowest prices. You can also book from any of the sites we have mentioned below for availing of student discounts.
• Calculate the duration of your stay:- You are completely prepared to start your journey now. Now is the time you choose the duration of your stay. This would be directly proportional to the experiences, food, and places you want to have and go to during your holiday.
• Travel Insurance:- once you have finalized your planning for the journey, start comparing the best travel insurance out there, and insure yourself.
• And Finally, your budget: – After carefully going through all of the above, you would now have in mind an approximate amount of money that is required for you to make this dream possible. Write it down by mentioning in detail your budget list. You can also read our detailed post on how to maintain your budget at a low cost, here.

Step 3 – Budget your travel.

1. Is it possible to fund your travel as a student?

To fund your own travel while being a student looks too good to be true. But with a dream and a mind to work hard for it, earning for your own traveling is possible. As a student, you would want the freedom of time and hence working as a freelancer would be something you love.

If you have something to offer to the world, and if it is in demand, then you can earn to fund your travel budget. You can put out all the information you have through, Youtube, podcasts, social media, and even a blog. You can also be a digital nomad. If you want to know more about ways to earn money while traveling, check out our post here.

Taking surveys is also a small but renowned way in today’s age to make money. Sites such as Swagbucks and opinion panels are receiving a lot of positive comments these days.

The income may be unsteady in the beginning but it’s totally worth it. And as you gain experience in the field, you can always evolve and look for ways to earn more as a freelancer.

2. How to minimize your travel budget?

The main reason for your budget to increase while traveling would be the cost of food, transportation, accommodation, the places you want to visit, and the activities there. We usually minimize the cost of accommodation which helps us to have all the food and experiences we want from a place.

1. Couchsurfing and global freeloaders are two websites from where you can find places that let you stay for free. You get a room, a mattress, or maybe just a couch but the best thing is, it’s free. Also, you get to make a lot of new friends and groups which will allow you to travel to new places and get free accommodations there as well. 

2. Another tip is to choose hostels and dorms over hotels as the rent is way less and the authentic experiences you gain are a bit more.

4. If you are traveling alone, you can go to sites such as eatwith and blablacar for sharing your meals and rides. This will reduce the expense of your budget.

5. Finding like-minded friends and sharing the cost of traveling is also a brilliant way to reduce the expense and maximize the activities. While being a student, it is quite natural to have a lot of friends. Ask your friends if they share a similar dream and if yes, start planning along with them. Not only is the fun going to be maximum, but the expenses are also going to be shared between you all thus ultimately less.

You can read our detailed post on budget traveling here. This will help you as a student to reduce your budget from all aspects while traveling.

Step 4- Student offers

1. Student discounts in booking sites

• LookupFare
• CheapoAir
• Student Universe
• Travel Cuts

2. Transportation discounts for students

• Amtrak – For any student who loves to travel in New York.
• blablacar – A carpooling site for those traveling in Europe.

3. Airlines that offer discount for students

• IndiGo Airline
• Qatar Airways
• Emirates Airline
• Etihad Airways
• GoAir Airline
• SpiceJet Airline
• Singapore Airline
• Air India Airline
• Vistara Airlines

4. Special student discounts internationally

• International Student Identity Card (ISIC): This card is available to all students above 12 years. It provides offers and discounts internationally in almost 120 countries.
• UNiDAYS: All students can register for free here and then get access to many travel discounts from different travel-based brands.
• Student Advantage Discount Card: This card is very similar to the International Student Identity Card. You will have to pay a small fee after which you can get access to a lot of discounts domestically.
• National Union of Students (NUS) card: – This is for the students in the UK. It offers a great discount, especially for bus trips.
• StudentBeans – You do not have to pay any registration fee for getting access to this website. It offers a lot of discounts for students in several countries.
• Save the student– This is another website that offers a lot of discounts for students studying in the UK. Again, there is no registration fee and you can access all discounts for free.

Conclusion

Okay, we didn’t mention this in the content section but here are some bonus tips that we think are going to help you a lot:

1. Study the transportation available in the country that you are visiting and make sure you take the cheapest ones. For example, if the metro is available, then it is much cheaper than Uber. Even carpooling is great if the country you are going to offers it.
2. Airbnb is definitely going to come in handy.
3. Eating out and stocking up food from supermarkets have a big difference in terms of money, so know your options.
4. Search if the area offers any free tours before paying for any.
5. Going out and drinking is eventually going to drain your money (and health), so think twice before doing it.

AND THE BEST TIP THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER TODAY!!

Talk to someone who has done it rather than talking to people who have not (Yes, find yourself another student who loves to travel). They will be able to provide you with their experiences and some great advice and you will be motivated too by the end of the day.

Other than all of this, we just hope you make the first move towards your dream. Because in the end, the only thing that matters is the memories that we did create, right? 😉

And if you have loved our post and have found it useful or if you know anything more about being a student traveler that you’d like to recommend to us, feel free to tell us through email or the comment section below. We would love to interact and know more about you.