How I Traveled (Across the World) as a Struggling College Student

This summer, I spent two months in Cambodia. Overall, my experience was memorable and I absolutely love telling people all about my travels. For instance, how I managed to travel all the way to Asia as a struggling 20-year-old college student. Well after my trip, my friends would bombard me with a whole bunch of questions like the prior. And then I simply tell them this:

1. Set Goals

From the moment I got accepted into college, I knew that I wanted to travel. In fact, college is probably one of the only times where you can travel with flexibility. I mean, think about it. College marks that awkward stage in your life where you’re not a teenager and not yet an adult. As a teen, you had to live under your parents’ rules. When you get a job after college, the real world starts. You only have a certain amount of vacation days. So yea. College is the perfect time to travel. I told myself that traveling was a top priority as a student. I had that mindset all throughout college and I eventually did accomplish my goal.

2. Say Goodbye to the Pleasures

In order to travel, you (obviously) need to have money. I always said that my savings were for my trips and I stuck to that idea for over a year. When I found out that I was actually going to Cambodia for two months, I stopped eating out all the time and buying clothes. I asked myself if I would rather spend money online shopping or in a country that I’ve never been to? The answer is pretty obvious. I started taking the bus more often, I stopped buying my expensive beauty products and I kept track of how much I spent. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

3. Don’t Go for the Traditional Study Abroad Programs

Traditional study abroad programs are very expensive and I always stay away from them. If you have the money or if you find the perfect scholarship, then go for it. But for struggling college students like me, the study abroad program is out of the picture. I usually gear more towards programs that involve exchanges or working with nonprofit organizations. I went to Cambodia through an organization on FSU’s campus called Global Peace Exchange (GPE). GPE works towards creating sustainable partnerships with nonprofit organizations. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, so I joined the club. There are also global exchanges that allow you to study abroad for a semester. For these, you pay the exact amount of tuition as you would pay at your host school. I highly recommend talking to someone and finding out about the numerous global programs offered.

4. Get a Job

Unless you magically get money thrown at you, start filling out job applications! I was lucky enough to find a convenient job my freshman year of college. I kept saving part of that money for my travels. Sometimes I’d even work long hours but I’d tell myself that it’ll be worth it in the end (p.s. it was).

5. Do Your Research

Many people say that they can’t travel because it’s too expensive. I simply tell them to do their research. There are cheap hostels and Airbnb’s to stay at. Groupon even has some pretty good deals. There are also blog posts from travelers that leave you reviews and recommendations. You’d be very surprised to find out that staying in a country for two months is not that expensive. For example, I spent about $2-$6 per meal in Cambodia.

So get to traveling, collegiettes!

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