How to Plan for a Long Trip as a College Student

How to Plan for a Long Trip as a College Student

In step with the times: How to plan for a long trip in advance as a college student

You are finally in college. The anticipation of the new beginnings and the excitement of freedom all comes rushing together there. You are now on the way to getting a degree, a job and get the life sorted out.

But it is not just the education that gets college students to figure out their lives; it is the culmination of all the college experiences. And one of the most important among them is traveling.

Before college, the past traveling experiences one has might be with their families and others making the decisions for them. Now in college, all the responsibility falls on the already full brain of yours. So for students who are planning to take a long break, and use those holiday to widen the travel horizons, without further ado, get into the planning mode already.

1. Plan the Budget

First things first; one of the main concerns while traveling as a student is definitely the finances. As we all know and acknowledge, being a student is hard on the money part. To add more the load, then there have to be some serious rearrangements.

Taking a gap year or the option of studying abroad is one way to consider. However, it is not a viable option for everyone. But it is worth checking out; one might just realize that it does not cost as much. Plus, even financial aid might be available to use for traveling in this option.

The second way is to figure out how to earn some extra money that could contribute to traveling. There are many freelancing opportunities that allow working from any part of the world. Students can take up a number of freelance jobs to sustain a constant travel lifestyle. Here are some of the trusted online platforms which might come in handy for job seekers:

Upwork is one of the best online sources to find all kinds of freelancing jobs. From designing to strategy developments, students can find remote job postings that apply to a wide range of skills on this platform. Niche essay writer service like Essaypro that focuses on delivering high-quality academic work in including paper writings, editing, proofreading, academic tutoring, and consultancy. Freelancer has services for similar freelancing jobs across a variety of media and platforms including data entry, customer support representative or drop shipping that are high in demand in the online markets.

These remote jobs allow students to pick a filed most suited for their skills and interests while giving room to improve their academic standing with experience.  Moreover, the jobs are perfect accommodating any schedule while traveling itself.

2. Account for the Education

Travelling does teach a lot, but don’t let that alone override the education paid for in college. If the travel plan is for a long time, make sure that you don’t fall behind the classes or required attendance back in college. A semester spent abroad might need special arrangements and prerequisites. Ensure that all such requirements are taken care of before the journey starts.

At the same time, embrace what one can learn from the travel experiences too. There is no other way to enrich the cultural palette in every way.

3. Get a Student ID

Guess what, being a student comes with a lot of perks. Many museums in Europe offer a reduced entry fee or no fee for students. The privileges also extend to significant discounts on travel cards, hostels, and a lot more.

Though in many countries the University ID won’t be sufficient. Students would need an international student id card valid everywhere. So along with the passport, add this to the travel checklist.

4. Make Plans with the Bank

All the money in the world is still worthless if you cant use it. Let your bank know that travel plans are made and try to get a credit or debit card with no foreign transaction fee. This will also give a chance to consider any offers for international travel cards the bank might be providing. Just like the previous point, being a student might get discounts here also.

It is essential that the bank visit is done in advance, so the credit card comes with a fee, there would be a need to sort out other options. Also, remember to exchange the currency of the destination country in cash too.

5. Do the Homework

It's true that no blog can prepare anyone to a cent percent, but still, just like this one here, it could give really useful tips. Do as much research to get insight on what to expect, things to prepare for, etc. Most bloggers would also respond if someone contacts them with personal queries.

The biggest asset of college students is the campus itself. There would be definitely others who have done this before. Reach out to them and get inputs. There are also many exclusive websites that offer guidance for study abroad students. This information could come in handy even if the travel is not a part of study programs.

6. Take Back up Devices

We are too dependant on the electronic devices now that without them we are close to being lost. So it is only imminent that preparations are made for such things not to happen. Try to have another backup device for the smartphone and a hard disk with all the necessary documents. So God forbid, if something happens to the primary device, it gives anyone a breathing room to whip up a solution.

Even if it is a flip phone or the everlasting Nokia, it could turn out to be useful, and preferably wi-fi enabled. There is no need to stress about power banks while traveling.

So there it is. Now you have got your bases somewhat covered for any trip. In the process, more learning will come by and make you an expert.