Studying abroad is an opportunity each student at the University of Central Florida can take advantage of, yet most avoid. The primary concern of students is the cost. To be fair, the flight to and from these destinations can be expensive, but a term abroad doesn’t have to be costly.
This article is specific to my experiences with the UCF Exchange program, but I still encourage readers to reach out and get more information at their own schools. To get further information, please email the study abroad team at your college, and they can recommend specific programs to enroll in.
First, I would like to dispel a few misconceptions about studying abroad. At the UCF exchange program, students don’t pay money to the school they are attending abroad. Instead, they pay tuition to UCF. Students can also receive grants or scholarships at no extra cost. The student would have already factored in the cost of tuition even if they weren’t studying abroad. There are also scholarships specific to studying abroad, so be sure to check those out!
Naturally, it depends on where students decide to study, but in my case, I found that housing was cheaper than anything in Orlando. Talking with friends in Orlando, while living with roommates, they pay $800-$1,000 monthly for their apartments. Apartment List reports that the median rent in the city is around $1,582. In Surrey, England, the school I attended, I paid about $2,500 for around four and a half months, a significant reduction in money spent. Of course, this depends on the housing you book, but you still have well-priced options.
Groceries are the same, just about. Produce was cheaper for me in England, but ramen was more expensive. Ultimately, eating healthier was cheaper abroad than it is in the United States.
When studying abroad, for many students, the main goal isn’t to actually study; it’s to travel. That’s where things can get expensive.
You must account for travel, hotels/hostels, food, and activities. However, it’s still possible to do fun things and not break the bank. The main trick to this is planning.
Before I even left the U.S., I made an extensive plan on Google Docs. I figured out which weekends I was available and how long spring break would be, then picked out places I would go. With that done, I would find a hostel to stay at, then find a few things for each day, including how I would get to and from each place. Watching some videos about your destination on YouTube is also very helpful!
I documented the price for each item or activity that cost money (just make sure to convert the currency to U.S. dollars). I would also pick out specific restaurants to eat at, but that’s not completely necessary.
Though planning may not be enjoyable for people who decide on activities impulsively, it helps in the long run. Following this plan, I estimated spending around $500 per trip, lasting three to four days. At least with this kind of plan, people can have a general idea of how much they will spend.
Picking flights is also vital to saving money. Flights will be more expensive on the weekends and Fridays, especially during the day. Sometimes, to get the cheapest flights, people must go for flights at unappealing moments of the day.
Flying to Venice from England was pricey, so to save some money, I took a 6:45 a.m. flight, which meant I had to wake up at 4:30 a.m., wait for the bus, and check in to get there on time.
Once you know the city you’d like to go to, the next step is to pick a hotel or hostel.
Hostels are generally cheaper if someone is traveling solo. However, if someone is traveling with friends, it might be better to split the cost of a hotel room. I used a hostel website to show the ratings of different hostels and their distance from the city center.
Now, in terms of a place to stay, in this instance, sometimes it is better to pay the extra money to remain safe. I visited Dover, England, and booked a hostel. The ratings were good, and it was cheap, so I booked a night with them. I got there, and there were no employees, the sheets were damp, and they ran out of toilet paper (and didn’t replenish it). I regret going there and would’ve gone to a hotel instead to be safer. So, safety over money, please!
Ultimately, the costs of the flight to and from are the only additional costs of studying abroad. Even if people don’t travel outside of the school they’ve been placed at, living abroad is an experience that changed my life and helped me grow more independent. I highly recommend looking into studying abroad, as it is more accessible than people think it is. Traveling the world can be done on a budget, so safe journeys!