“I’ve kind of tried to find a way, even though I chose university over a gap year, to still incorporate travel into my lifestyle.”
It’s not uncommon for the travel bug to come around and tempt us with relaxing holidays and exciting vacations. While many of us would drop everything to explore the world, the reality is travel isn’t cheap, especially when you’re a university student. When all your money is going into your education and trying to stay alive on Super Noodles, it’s hard to imagine yourself being a jet setter, but what if we told you it was possible?
Jack Edwards has managed to fit his love of travel into his day-to-day life as a student, and one of the things he gets asked the most by his viewers is how he’s able to do so. As he explains in his video, there’s nothing he loves more than “getting to travel and see the world”, so he made travelling a priority, even during his time at university. As such, he’s learnt a few tricks.
The first tip Jack offers is regarding plane tickets. He recommends using Skyscanner, a website that searches for cheap flights. Similarly, he recommends staying at hostels and Airbnbs over hotels, as these tend to be cheaper and are often situated in the heart of the cities you’re visiting, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the culture.
“Don’t always go on the beaten track,” he suggests in regards to deciding what to do whilst on holiday. While it’s important to visit renown landmarks and tourist attractions, be sure to do your research and explore areas most tourists don’t – and all that doesn’t have to be done in a week or two. As Jack explains, you shouldn’t “underestimate how much you can do in a weekend”. By simply taking off the Friday before or the Monday after, you’ll be able to see everything you want, while also not disrupting your regular work or school week.
Jack understands that money is a big issue for university students who wish to travel, so he offers advice on how to save money beforehand and what to spend it on once you’re away. While he suggests looking at different options when it comes to deciding where to eat, an important tip he shares is to take public transport over traditional taxis. Even though taking the bus or train will take longer, you’ll be paying a fraction of what it would cost to take a taxi.
There are also perks specifically for being a student, one being in the form of your student ID. “Whenever you go abroad, always bring your student card with you because you can usually get a student discount at attractions or museums, or loads of different things, including sometimes free entry,” he explains. Another trick is to take advantage of the flexibility your university schedule affords you by traveling on non-term dates.
“One way that I really like to look at it is that you have different ways and different options of how you spend your money,” Jack explains when talking about ways students can save. “If you’re someone who has the habit of always buying a coffee whenever you go past, say, Starbucks, think of how much that adds up, and if you cut out that coffee that you got every day, every other day, every week, how much money would you actually save?” He advocates taking a look at your bank statement and seeing if there are any unnecessary expenses that can be cut. Through this, you’ll be able to save up for your dream trip faster than you thought you could.
Another way to save up money is to get a job, either through your university or at a business that regularly hires students. If your schedule is jam-packed, you could even offer to tutor other students in the evenings. Jobs are always available to university students and even the short amount of time you’re able to work will help your trip fund meet its goal.
“If you really, really focus on saving money with the ambition of using it to travel, you will eventually get there and you’ll be able to book an amazing trip and have the best time,” he says.
With these tips in mind, travel is within every student’s grasp.
Want More?
Amelia Mandeville recently spoke about her relationship with exercise and going to the gym. Alternatively, you could read about the letter Bethan Leadley filmed to her 27-year-old self.
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