One of my regrets from college is that I never studied abroad. I went back and forth about it, but realized I wouldn’t be able to focus on the actual “study” portion of the equation, instead getting travel A.D.D. with so many destinations at my disposal. In the end, I decided to travel with every college break I had.
While I never needed these study abroad resources myself, I’ve used my knowledge of travel planning to create this post. If you have any to add, be sure to leave them in the comments!
Blogs and Websites
Go Overseas is one of the top websites when it comes to study abroad and volunteer abroad programs. They include helpful articles, like “40 Fundraising Ideas for Your Study Abroad,” as well as reviews of specific programs so you don’t end up in one you don’t like. GoAbroad is similarly focused on opportunities abroad.
Among the travel bloggers I know who have plenty of study abroad content on their blog, I recommend Young Adventuress if you’re going to Salamanca, Adventurous Kate if you’re going to Florence and Ali’s Adventures if you’re going to Quito.
Start your own blog to show your friends and family back home what’s going on in your life abroad. There are free and cheap options like Blogger, TypePad and Tumblr, but I personally recommend WordPress.com for best free functionality. Be sure to send the link to anyone who donated money to your trip.
University Resources
Check what your school’s study abroad office has to offer. They are more help than just taking your deposit money. The office usually has information on EuRail passes, student discount cards like the ISIC and other ways to save you money.
Packing Lists
Knowing what to pack for months to a year away can be overwhelming. Thankfully many study abroad alums have offered their wisdom around the web, from studying in Australia to Italy to Semester at Sea. Here are a few of my favorites.
- Ultimate Female Packing List for Studying Abroad at Oxford in the Fall, Her Packing List
- Ultimate Female Packing List for Studying Abroad in Germany, Her Packing List
- Ultimate Female Packing List for Studying Abroad in the South of France, Her Packing List
Tour Companies
You won’t be a local immediately upon arrival, so taking a free walking tour of your new home is an ideal way to get to know it. If you’re looking to travel elsewhere in your country or region, check out Urban Adventures, Intrepid Travel’s day trips all over the world.
If you’re based in Europe, Andy Steves’ Weekend Student Adventures was designed with study abroad students in mind. And of course, I love Mike’s Bike Tours in Munich and Fat Tire Bike Tours in Berlin for a fun, cheap way to explore!
Accommodation
When I’m traveling anywhere, my first instinct is to stay in a hostel. It makes the most sense for my budget and I enjoy their social vibe. I’ve also found many luxurious accommodations on a budget, far from the grimy bedbug-ridden spots I’ve seen in the past. Hostels are a student traveler’s best bet while traveling on their study abroad.
If you want a more local experience, I recommend CouchSurfing or renting an apartment. I’ve had good luck with AirBnB and Wimdu, but Go with the Oh, Roomorama and Housetrip are a few others found worldwide. Apartment rentals in particular can be cheaper if you’re splitting costs with friends.
Transportation
Get to know the budget airlines of your region. In North America it’s Spirit, Southwest, JetBlue and WestJet. In Asia and the Pacific, it’s Tiger, JetStar and Virgin Australia. And of course, in Europe it’s Ryanair and Easyjet, among many others. Also look into trains and buses, like Megabus and the Eurail passes.
Budgeting and Saving Tips
As soon as you’ve booked your study abroad trip, I recommend immediately purchasing an ISIC card. I also recommend snagging a membership card for the hostel chain of your choice or a Hostelworld Gold Card to give you discounts if you plan on traveling a lot.
Social Media Tools
Pinterest is a fantastic tool for planning your study abroad trip. Not only are many schools’ study abroad programs on Pinterest, you can use it to create a board for inspiration or as a packing list like so. There are a number of accounts and boards I recommend following:
- Study Abroad by Her Packing List– This board is maintained by two full-time pinners, in addition to myself and Brooke, who focus completely on the best of study abroad pins.
- Student and Postgrad Travel by Caroline in the City– Yes, this is my board, specifically about keeping travels cheap as a student and recent graduate.
- InterRail.eu
- Hostelling International
- Hostelworld.com
- Go Abroad
- Weekend Student Adventures
- Students Gone Global
- Berkeley Study Abroad
I need to school outside my country.I like to school at London