If you’re here, hopefully, you’ve already explored Part 1, where I discussed why the student years offer unparalleled opportunities for travel. Building on those insights, this post delves into lesser-known, underrated strategies to maximize your travel experiences.
1) Work With Professors
Collaborating with professors engaged in international projects presents another avenue to secure free travel opportunities. By assisting a professor over a long period of time, you can become an integral part of their lab or team. Generous professors with surplus funding may extend invitations for international engagements, either to provide additional support during programs or to accompany them in presenting research.
During my sophomore year, I had the chance to accompany a professor to Brazil to help in planning a LATAM convention. I ended up not taking this gig because it was a huge time commitment and I opted to study abroad in Spain, but if I had taken on the extra work, I would have had a free trip to Sao Paulo. Similarly, my sister secured a free trip to Canada by supporting a professor at a conference where he presented research they had collaborated on the previous summer. Many friends, especially at the graduate level, have enjoyed complimentary trips to various countries by attending conferences tied to their research labs. While such opportunities may entail additional work, they offer invaluable resume-building experiences and enriching travel adventures.
2) Research Abroad
For students eyeing academic careers, engaging in research abroad can be immensely rewarding, especially if your interests have an international focus. My passion for transit-oriented development and urban planning in developing countries led me to conduct research in Medellin, Colombia—a city renowned for its transit-based urban transformation. You can usually access funding from your university to conduct research projects. My department was literally searching for students to give money away to as they already have an annual budget for student research that was still largely untouched.
Outside of your academic institution, other universities offer programs that sponsor research opportunities for international students in their departments. For instance, the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology in Japan runs a research internship program covering accommodation, living expenses, and travel costs for students undertaking research internships lasting 2 to 6 months in their labs. Similar initiatives exist in numerous other institutions worldwide. These programs not only enhance academic experience and global networking but also provide valuable support and orientation in navigating the new destination. If your academic institution has limited funding, it’s worth it to check out what is being offered by other universities willing to let you work with their faculty!
3) Make Travel-Oriented & International Friends
My college freshman roommate and I have visited over ten countries together in the past six years. Many of these adventures wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t nudged me to stop procrastinating on flight ticket purchases. Planning group trips as adults often involves the Herculean task of aligning everyone’s schedules—a challenge alleviated by the synchronized academic calendars in college! Building friendships with fellow travel enthusiasts as a student fosters a supportive environment for trip planning and exploration even after graduation.
Universities are melting pots of diverse cultures, offering ample opportunities to forge connections with international students. Interacting with peers from around the world exposes you to new perspectives and destinations you may not have considered. Moreover, befriending international students can provide invaluable insights, recommendations, and even local hospitality when visiting their home countries. When I conducted research in Colombia, my academic advisor connected me with a Colombian student who helped me contact the companies and research institutions that were vital to my research. My trips to Mexico, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Brazil, Croatia, Vietnam, Kenya, Japan, Korea, Romania, Panama, Egypt, and Bolivia were all much better than they would have been because I was able to get help from phenomenal college/high school friends that were locals. In the same way, if any of my friends decided to visit Nigeria, they know they would be able to leverage me as a resource throughout their visit. Overall, your student years offer an ideal time to expand your circle of friends to enhance your travel experiences.
4) Study A New Language
Studying a new language is a transformative way to broaden your travel horizons. It opens doors to a plethora of countries and cultures, enriching your experiences abroad. Personally, minoring in Spanish during college proved invaluable during my travels through South America, facilitating deeper connections with locals and a richer cultural immersion. Moreover, if you plan to study abroad, it’s important to note that many universities have language requirements before studying abroad in specific locations, so you could be ruling out some destinations by not taking the extra effort to learn the language.
While popular languages like French, Spanish, or Arabic are widely spoken across multiple countries, learning less common languages is equally rewarding. Universities provide the infrastructure and resources to learn these languages effectively, often offering classes that are challenging to access independently. For instance, I took Malagasy, the language spoken in Madagascar, during college—a decision that almost led to a heavily discounted trip to the country through a global program at my university. Despite the trip being canceled due to the pandemic, I gained pen pals from Madagascar through the class, offering valuable insights and connections for potential future visits. Learning a new language unlocks countless opportunities for enhanced travel experiences, and the student years offer the perfect time to begin this linguistic journey.
So there you have it…
Hopefully, this post gave you some nuggets of knowledge you can put into action before graduation. Look out for Part 3 for more tips and don’t forget to comment about what you found the most helpful!
