Studying abroad is something that everyone should experience during their time in college. It helps you experience the world in a whole new way. It is an easy way to see the world at a young age and meet other students from every country. Whether you are studying abroad for 2 months or a year there are some major tips that you can use to make the most out of your time abroad.
1. Travel alone.
I think that I have had the best experience abroad by traveling alone. Traveling alone gives you the opportunity to be friends with everyone. I see some people who have traveled with their friends and they tend to stay with them the whole time and not make a lot of friends. I was lucky enough to be the only American during my semester abroad and I was able to make friends from every country. If you plan to travel with a friend just make sure that you are still meeting other people and going on trips with new groups of people because it is the best way to make more friends during your time abroad. Remember to not be afraid to travel abroad alone because I promise it will be some of the best times of your life.
2. Keep a journal or blog of your time abroad.
Keeping a journal or blog is one of the best things that you can do to remember all of your time abroad. Writing about each trip that you have taken is a great way that you can reflect back on your time and tell people about everything that you did while abroad. Being able to tell others 10 years from now all your stories from being abroad will be a lot easier if you take the time to write down all your memories. You can also have friends sign your journal before leaving so you have personal messages from each person you met!
3. Save money before you go.
I can not stress how important it is to save money before you travel abroad. Being in Europe for 5 months is not the cheapest thing to ever do, but being able to travel to new cities is always best if you have the money to do it. In Europe it is very easy to get from city to city. Whether it be by bus, train or airplane the transportation is not very expensive, but the hostels may be if you do not book ahead. It is also very important to save money because you will not be working while you are abroad and you have to make sure you will have enough money to do everything that you want to do and have money for all the fun activities your school or friends may have planned.
4. Plan your trips in advance.
Every trip I went on while abroad I wish I would have planned more than 2 weeks before I went. Bus, train and airplane tickets are always cheaper in advance and it is best to try and book it way before you plan to go. Also booking your hostel or hotel in advance is important, especially if you are traveling with a group. Waiting last minute to book a hostel will make it hard for everyone to be in the same room together, and the prices will be a lot higher the closer to the date you plan to travel. If you wait as well you will not get a good Hostel in the city center and if you do it will be a very high price. So remember to plan every trip ahead and you will save money and get the better deals!
5. Stay in touch with all your friends from abroad after you leave.
I think the most important thing to do when studying abroad is to make sure that you stay in touch with all everyone once you leave. Make sure you add them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or even LinkedIn. Even if you are not close with someone add them because it may help you in the future! If you plan to travel again soon you can stay in contact and meet up with all your friends and even have a place to stay for free when traveling.
