Reading Time: 6 minutes These seven things will make it your best spring ever.

Reading Time: 7 minutes Thinking of studying abroad or traveling internationally? Here’s everything you need to know before, during, and after your trip.

Reading Time: 6 minutes Learn the ins and outs of budgeting including useful apps and tools and how money can help you reach long- and short-term goals.

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Steven Tran,

fourth-year undergraduate, New Jersey Institute of Technology

“Don’t we all want to feel welcomed when visiting a new city? Field Trip suggests off-the-beaten-path attractions at any destination, with advice from the locals on places to explore. Choose from six interest categories: Architecture; Historic Places & Events; Lifestyle; Food, Drinks, & Fun; Cool & Unique; and Arts & Museums. You can listen to info via headphones while walking to these places. It uses Google Maps to pinpoint your location, and it’s pretty cool.”

Useful?   

I used the app to visit New York City to see what types of attractions were nearby. It mostly brought me to restaurants. I stopped at an ice cream shop and, to be honest, it was really just average ice cream. However, some of the local attractions that were in walking distance from there were fun to explore.

Fun?  

Not gonna lie: The walk to get the ice cream was a bit shady. I didn’t expect to feel uncomfortable, but there isn’t really a guide on how to get to your destination safely. The idea of the app is fun, though.

Effective?  

Overall, this app does its job—and maybe in less-touristy places, I’d have a better experience. It’s a great tool to help narrow searches to attractions nearby, instead of using Google, where you might be overloaded by info.

Where to buy

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When you’re deep into the semester and maybe exams, your future travel and vacations are likely not high priority. But the summer is not so far away, and looking forward to it can feel good now, as well as helping to set you up for a change of scene later. Most students want to travel, according to a recent CampusWell survey. And you’re pretty clear that the benefits of travel (including study abroad programs) go way deeper than a tan.* “I feel like I am a much better person when I travel more,” says Molly D., a student at Humboldt State University in California. “Travel encourages me to appreciate the unknown while recognizing the familiar,” says Joe Foley, a second-year undergraduate at American University in Washington DC, who in 2014 became the youngest-ever National Geographic Traveler of the Year.

What’s blocking your exit route? Not surprisingly, by far the biggest barrier to travel is cost. “You need to have money saved up to cover airfares, accommodations, food, and other expenses. As a student, it’s very difficult to do this,” says Alejandro C., a third-year undergraduate at the University of California, Irvine. In our survey, 93 percent of students who responded said lack of funds was a barrier; only 4 percent said they were uncomfortable with the prospect of unfamiliar places.

*And, by the way, there’s no such thing as a healthy tan. Use SPF 30+, whatever your skin color or tone.

What you love about travel

“The cost of taking an airplane is a huge hassle. However, what’s living if you don’t spend your money to experience new things and go to new places?”
—Steven M., fourth-year undergraduate, University of Massachusetts Amherst

“How resourceful can you be when you’re out of money and 4,000 miles away from home? Do you panic? Do you run to the consulate? Do you go native? You learn that you can wash your undies in a hotel bathroom in Rome without embarrassment. You realize that street food really is the most delicious cuisine you’ll ever stuff in your face. Travel will grind you down to your truest self. Whether that is good or bad really is up to the person. In addition, foreign candy is legit way better. So the downside is you’ll never be happy with a Snickers™ again.”
—Lori T., third-year graduate student, San Diego State University, California

“Travel is the adventure of a new place and new people. Shortly after the earthquake in Haiti, I went on a cruise that visited a private beach in Haiti. I was taking an excursion to zip line across the ocean, which was amazing, but on the drive there, we drove through some rural areas of Haiti. Seeing the devastation of the population was just as impactful as the zip lining was. Now I’m all about helping people who need the help!”
—Laura B., second-year undergraduate, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador

“I love airports, planes, train stations, subways and underground metro systems, meeting new people, and dancing the night away.”
—Sarah A., third-year undergraduate, Saint Mary’s University, Minnesota

“Traveling is great because it can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. It can be a road trip to a different city or it can be a cruise or it can be a plane ride to a new country—there’s an option for many budgets and comfort zones!”
—Taylor R., fourth-year undergraduate, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, New York

“Travel experiences are built by the little things. The smiles, the first bite of a foreign country’s food, the hostel chitchat. Although the globalized world of Facebook, the golden arches, and American TV shows exist in every major city, the local cultures remain vibrant. The world today is as fascinating as it’s always been, and in most places it’s safer than ever to be a tourist. Travel gives us the thrill of adventure and somewhere new while reminding us of our shared humanity across cultures and encouraging us to push our horizons.”
—Joe Foley, second-year undergraduate, American University, Washington DC; National Geographic Traveler of the Year 2014

“It’s cool to immerse yourself in other cultures and environments around the world or in your own hometown. Just make sure to learn a bit of history, culture, customs, and experience non-touristy activities in addition to the well-known attractions.”
—Amy N., fourth-year undergraduate, Western Washington University

“You learn more through experience than books or articles.”
—Sarah M., third-year undergraduate, Millersville University, Pennsylvania

Stuff you might not think of

Before you go

Check which currencies are performing badly against the dollar—your money buys more in those places.

Apply early for a passport.

If you need vaccinations, go to your student health center.

Check the insurance that comes with your credit card. Check your health plan for international coverage too.

Let your bank and credit card company know your travel plans so your account isn’t flagged for fraud and possibly blocked.

When you go

Search online for free stuff to do in any tourist-friendly city (e.g., “Montreal free”).

Electronic guidebooks and maps (not books) reduce the schlep factor. Use Google Maps offline by typing “OK maps” in the search bar; the current area will be saved.

Check the comments on Foursquare for passwords of free Wi-Fi in local shops and cafés.

Keep your electronics charged. If you’re going international, bring a converter outlet plug.

Source: Student Health 101 survey, January 2017

Your barriers to travel

“Time lost that you could spend working to help pay down outrageous college debts.”
—Colin D., second-year undergraduate, Millersville University, Pennsylvania

“Your body might not be prepared for the different illnesses and pathogens in other countries.” [Ask at the student health center about vaccinations and preventive medications.] —Domo E., third-year undergraduate, University of Hawaii at Manoa

“The paperwork for international travel. The visas help keep track of visitors, but at the same time, it’s like having to complete a totally different job just to earn the right to relax from your normal one.”
—Tyler S., third-year undergraduate, University of the District of Columbia

“Looking at your depleted bank account.”
—Jonathan L., fifth-year undergraduate, California State University, San Marcos

“Packing. It seems you never pack enough, even though you have five bags for a weekend trip, but then you still end up leaving something important at home. Then, in the end, you only needed like a quarter of what you packed!”
—Verronika L., graduate student, Barry University, Florida

“Never wear heels when you have a short layover. If your first flight is delayed in air, and you have to run to your connecting [flight], heels are not conductive to that.”
—Ashe M., second-year undergraduate, Lakehead University, Ontario

How to land cheap flights

Tips

Flexible fliers get the best last-minute fares; be open to a variety of destinations.

Use a travel search engine: ThriftyNomads.com recommends Skyscanner, Airfarewatchdog, Google Flights, and several others.

Try searching for airfare deals around 1 a.m. The unsold deals from the day before will be reposted.

Before buying any ticket to anywhere, check for student discounts.

Keep your online searches incognito to find the lowest price.

Don’t make the mistakes everyone else makes.

Be smart about budget airlines.

Get cheaper domestic flights in other countries.

Find the best way to get where you’re going.

Spend less to go farther

Best sites & tools

Kayak’s Explore
Find out how far your money can take you

Adioso
Sort fares from your city by price

Get the Flight Out – free iOS app
The cheapest fares leaving from your city today

STA Travel
Expert travel itineraries and student discounts

Student Universe
Lower-cost airfares for students

One Travel
Cheaper flights for students

More cool tools
See Find out more today.

Cheap digs

Hotels, hovels, homes, & habitats

Homestay.com
Stay with a family who lives in the city you’re traveling to

Couchsurfing
Be a guest at someone’s house; check out the reviews

HomeAway
Find over a million rental lodges, which may offer more space than hotels

TripAdvisor
Recommendations and red flags from real people

Airbnb
B&Bs, apartments, and spare rooms for rent; try to negotiate the price.

Hostels.com
35,000 hostels in 180 countries (including US)

Hostelling International USA
Youth-geared US hostels

Hotels.com
Need a place tonight? Deals start at 50 percent off

Reserve America
Beautifully habitable campgrounds across the US

National Park Service
America’s best idea (really—the best)

Recreation.gov
Way more to do than you realized

More cool tools
See Find out more today.

Why travel? Here’s how to talk yourself (and others) into it

Be a better person

Most students who participated in an international exchange program felt it helped them become more trusting, open-minded, flexible, confident, and tolerant, says a 2006 study by the International Student Travel Confederation.

Go global

Students expect travel to make them more “global”—in other words, expand their knowledge, perspective, and social and cultural connections, according to a small study at California Polytechnic State University (2010).

Run free

Students associate travel with freedom (e.g., a break in academic and work expectations), a boost to emotional health and relaxation, and an opportunity to experience nature (CPSU study).

Step it up

Students who have taken a gap year perform better academically and report greater job satisfaction than do those who haven’t, research suggests. Gap year experiences can reignite a passion for learning and influence personal goals and values, including career paths, say Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson in The Gap-Year Advantage (Macmillan, 2005).

Stay healthy

Physically active leisure helps us maintain physical and mental health, especially during times of stress, according to a study of 20,000 people in the Canadian Journal of Public Health (2001).

Get creative

Knowing people from other cultures makes us more creative in tasks that draw on multicultural influences and more receptive to new ideas from outside our own experience, suggests a study from Harvard Business School (2011).

Love your life

Even the anticipation of vacation travel makes us feel good about our lives and health, according to a 2002 study in the Journal of Vacation Marketing.

Your best Instagram

“Climbing sand dunes in the desert of Al Ain (United Arab Emirates) made me push myself to the limits. I climbed until I literally couldn’t go further, and then I sat down and let the wind whip around me. I felt strong and at peace.”
—Jamie Teal, graduate student, Arkansas Tech University

Follow us on Instagram, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #SH101Travel

 

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

Reviewed episodes:

• 35          The Top 10 Ways to Save Money When Traveling
• 122        Money, Money, Money…When Traveling
• 223        The No Plans, No Problem Road Trip
• 235        Traveling Solo

Useful?

The tough parts of travel (e.g., money) are presented in a way that can inspire you to want to explore the world immediately (or at least one other country). I’ve already planned my next road trip, keeping their money-saving tips in mind (seriously, my car might be packed). Where’s the beach?

Fun?

From biking through Chicago to lounging in Miami and backpacking in the mountains, I enjoyed hearing about the hosts’ adventures—and how to have my own on a budget. #alloftheaboveplease

Effective?

I’ve traveled internationally before, but this podcast helped me feel more comfortable and realistic about it. I learned not to carry an excessive amount of cash, to contact my bank and phone company in advance, and which no-fee ATMs to use. As for food, a sit-down restaurant can be a one-time splurge, but street vendors will give you a more authentic feel for a cheaper price.

Where to buy

Sarah Kaya, third-year undergraduate majoring in social work and minoring in psychology, Defiance College, Ohio

“This podcast aims to inform and inspire the modern traveler, with episodes running 30–60 minutes. One of the biggest things stopping most people from traveling: money. This podcast explores how not to burn a hole through your wallet on vacation.

“The hosts are Travis and Heather, a married couple who travel the world together (goals, am I right?). Their motto is ‘travel more, spend less.’ Besides which ATM fees to avoid and how to tactfully use cash on the road, they also cover topics like taking spontaneous road trips or even traveling solo.” To find out why travel is good for you, and discover more budget resources, see No excuse needed: Why travel is good for your health.

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What’s your vacation destination situation? If funds are low or time is short, you may be resigned to not getting a summer break from your regular life. In that case, this word is for you: microtravel. Microtravel means experiencing your own town or state as a visitor or explorer would, putting aside your usual routine, and embracing discovery. (Yes, it’s pretty much the same concept as “staycation,” but without the hint of inertia.) Travel comes with health and wellness benefits, and our happiness comes from our experiences, not our stuff. Microtravel is a sure way to add to those experiences.

In a recent survey by Student Health 101, 63 percent of respondents said they’d had at least one microtravel experience or staycation. “It’s a blast if you plan it and don’t let yourself get stuck in the mindset that it’s just your town, there’s nothing to do there,” says Spencer R., a second-year undergraduate at the University of North Dakota.

6 motivations for microtravel

1. You won’t spend much money

“Staycations are tha bomb diggity. Cheap, low risk.” —Sal I., second-year undergraduate, Michigan Technological University

2. You’ll minimize travel stress

There’s little risk of flight delays or missed connections. And if the prospect of travel makes you anxious, this is a great way to start. “The best part is you’re already there, so you just get up, go, and explore!” —Paula L., first-year undergraduate, Clemson University, South Carolina

3. You can easily go solo or social

The logistics, time, and costs of microtravel are not too onerous, making it easy to team up with partners, friends, and family—if you want to.

4. Your discoveries will enrich your regular life

Those new eateries, friends, and activities—they’re keepers.

5. You’ll get to be spontaneous and flexible

Ever felt obligated to visit the ancient relics, or devastated that the volcano you came for was hidden in the clouds? When you’re microtraveling, the stakes are lower.

6. You can cherish your roots and your locality

Microtravel is a way to honor your family traditions (or make new ones) and explore your local heritage.

The freedom, health, & happiness of travel

Your microguide to microtravel

Consider a quirky theme or idea

A theme or project can help shape your microtravel explorations. “[You] definitely want to get creative, because [when] you’re so familiar with an area it can seem pretty mundane. Think outside of the box and you can’t not have a good time,” says Jonathan M., a fourth-year undergraduate at The College of New Jersey.

Students: Ideas that made our microtravels

Remember to do all the things

Microtravel means finally having time for that stuff you can’t usually do. “Keep a list throughout the year of places you want to go to but don’t necessarily have time to go to,” says Taylor S., a second-year undergraduate at Tulane University, Louisiana.

Students: What we did with that time when we got it

Seriously consider leaving home

When you microtravel, it’s vital to establish boundaries to protect against the distractions of regular life. That’s especially important if you’ll be based at home.

Students: When to lose (or keep) the homing instinct

Got public transportation? Use it

Even if public transportation doesn’t feature much in your regular life, take another look at the routes and schedules (if you have access to them). Buses and trains can deliver you affordably to many adventures.

Students: How we got around

Plan your plan

Figure out your policy on planning. The risk of going planless is that the demands of routine life may encroach on your precious exploration time. On the other hand, spontaneity is a rare pleasure. “Planning or spontaneity can set the tone for the vacation and can present its own set of pros and cons,” says Cristophet C., a first-year graduate student at the University of California, San Diego.

Students: The pros and cons of planning

Switch off when you can

To protect your downtime and your headspace, try a remote campsite or B&B beyond the reach of phone signals or wifi. You probably won’t get irretrievably lost in the woods—and a printed map (remember them?) is great for getting found again.

Students: How to disconnect

“If you are so in love with a town, it can change, and if you used to hate it, it can become the most beautiful city you have ever seen and experienced.”
—Callixte N., first-year graduate student, University of North Dakota

“I was so amazed by the old and the new that I have taken for granted for so long.”
—Emily L., third-year undergraduate, University of New England, Maine

“The key is to not think that this is what you’re doing because you can’t afford to do otherwise. You should be entirely into this and try to get the most out of it.”
—Elham M., graduate student, Clemson University, South Carolina

Students’ stories

“This was inside a sculpture in Madison Square Park. It’s easy for a native New Yorker like me to hide behind 8 million people and stay comfortable with where I am without ever leaving my neighborhood. But then I remember that I can always be a tourist in my own backyard, if I let myself.” —Persephone Tan, first-year graduate student, University of Pennsylvania

Follow us on Instagram and don’t forget to use the hashtag #Microtravel

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