Everyone says the best time to travel is when you are young – in your 20s with the zeal and energy it takes to adventure the world. However, at this age, many young adults are also students in college who live busy schedules day and night. The good thing is there is still room to live your dream of traveling the world with the commitment of college. Here are six underrated ways to see the world while in school:
1. Study abroad for a summer or semester
I know… you’ve probably heard this one a lot. It is the most obvious way to experience another city or even continent while in school. There are numerous ways to study abroad, including faculty-led summer programs or the traditional semester long program. If you’re interested, my advice is to start attending study abroad fairs and information sessions in your first and second year of college. It can take a lot of planning to actually make a study abroad experience happen, and if you start early, you’re guaranteed to have the opportunity to live abroad.
2. Join student organizations
Colleges and universities offer hundreds of clubs and organizations for students to join. When students think of student organizations, finding a community in college or pursuing hobbies are what initially come to mind. That’s what college is for, but students may not realize that they can also travel depending on the organization they join. Colleges offer a variety of organizations, and some clubs like dance and acapella teams often travel domestically for competitions. In addition, there are professional organizations like Global Health Brigades or KIVA that travel abroad for nonprofit work. There’s something for everybody, whether you’re looking to gain a hobby or develop professionally!
3. Take weekend trips with friends
Take advantage of off-season traveling by spending a fun weekend with your friends. You can find places that are driving distance from your college or get discounted flight deals on carriers like ScholarTrip. There are plenty of budget-friendly options across the US for a weekend getaway!
4. Apply to scholarship programs
Do you have an interest or passion for a specific subject of study? Some colleges offer research programs or scholarship awards for students to conduct a project in their area of choosing and travel there to implement it. Talk to your professors or department heads to learn if your school offers opportunities like these. Other scholarship awards give students the chance to go abroad for enriching educational experiences, such as the Fulbright Scholarship.
5. Complete an internship in another city
Students often spend their summers working jobs or completing internships. If you’re interested in going abroad or traveling to another state, look for jobs or internships in cities you’d like to live in. This could be a great reason to travel to the West or East coast and enjoy city life or even get a “study abroad” experience but with work instead. In addition, you can search online for special programs that will help you achieve your academic goals and explore your professional interests. For example, if you are interested in law or policy work, you could apply to the Archer Fellowship, which funds semester-long internships in DC.
6. Book your vacation breaks ahead of time
The semesters fly by when you’re wrapped up with classes, deadlines, and organizational commitments. Spring and Winter break come around faster than you expect, so if you want to travel during the breaks, make sure to book your trips ahead of time to lock in the best deals!
