Living on a limited college student budget is hard enough when you’re familiar with your surroundings, but it can become even more difficult when you elect to live abroad during your time in college. Whether you decide to see the world on your summer break or you plan to continue your studies in another country, you need to have a plan in place to cover living expenses.
Your college years provide ample opportunity for globe-trotting since most students have yet to get tied down with obligations like a family, a mortgage, a career, and so on, but limited funds can definitely prove problematic. Here are just a few tips and tricks to help you live abroad on a student budget.
Brush up on the Language
Before you travel, it’s best to have a solid understanding of the language of the country you intend to visit. While you may be able to find ample English speakers in some areas, there will be times when you’re out of luck.
This could make it difficult to find the best deals on travel, lodging, transportation, food, and more. In addition, you’ll find many foreigners more receptive if you at least make an effort to speak their language. This could net you better deals than the average American can get relying on English.
Pre-Plan for Travel and Lodgings
Planning ahead can help you to find great deals on travel, lodgings, and other living expenses. When you’re working with a tight budget, it’s best to have an idea of costs up front, and early planning can ensure that your budget is adequate for your needs when you’re living abroad in college.
Get an Appropriate Visa
If you’re planning to live abroad for a while, you might need to find work in order to support yourself. In order to do this. you’ll need an appropriate Visa. Your ability to obtain a work Visa or attach work status to a student Visa may depend on the country you’re traveling to. You can find information on Visas through the U.S. Department of State website at http://www.travel.state.gov/.
Take Advantage of Friendships
The best way to travel on a tight budget is to find places to stay for free, which is entirely possible if you have friends or extended family living in other countries. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of distant relations and online friendships, and offer to reciprocate when friends and relatives are in your neck of the woods.
Join a Study Abroad Program
Whether you attend San Diego State or you’re taking classes through AU Online, you might want to look into joining a study abroad program through your school. Many U.S. colleges have arrangements with foreign schools for exchanges that cost you nothing extra.
You’ll continue to pay the same tuition while you study abroad, you can take courses toward your major, and in most cases you can live in campus dorms or get placed with a local family for roughly the same cost you’d pay to live on campus normally. This is one of the best ways to stick to your budget while living abroad during college.