The Globetrotter’s Guide to Studying Abroad: weekend trips

Ash Pickett is a Business Administration Junior and opinion columnist for Mustang News. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang Media Group.

To all of the Mustangs considering studying abroad in the future, those who have already begun meticulously planning, or even those immersed in another country seeking guidance through this transformative journey: welcome to the complete guide to your international experience.

One of the most exciting aspects of studying abroad – particularly in Europe – is the accessibility of travel. Oftentimes, classes abroad are much less time-consuming than the ones at home. You might find yourself with multiple 3-day weekends, breaks built into your program and free days in the middle of the week. 

This means there’s a lot of room in your schedule to spice things up, so let’s talk about how you can make the most of that time.

Firstly, don’t jump the gun on planning these trips. It’s normal to be apprehensive about not knowing where, when or with whom you’ll be traveling. But filling up all of your weekends before you even land on foreign soil can limit the time you could otherwise spend forming relationships with new friends. 

Remember too, it’s relatively common for study abroad programs to plan short trips for their students, and they might not release information until you arrive. You wouldn’t want to miss out on a free trip.

It’s also important to be very mindful about who you decide to travel with. If you’re anything like me, the people you’re with can make or break your experience. Ask yourself if these people align with what you’re looking for. 

At the same time, remain open-minded and flexible. It’s easier said than done but being intentional about who you choose to travel with is just as crucial as any other part of the planning process. 

There are a million ways to go about choosing your destination: price, distance, ability to couch-surf at a friend’s place, living out a childhood dream, et cetera. 

The best cheat code I’ve found is Skyscanner. Enter your place of departure, dates you’re available and set your destination to “Explore everywhere.” The site will show you the cheapest flights for that time frame. Try to remain open to unexpected locations as you browse!

Although affordable flights are wonderful, please avoid over-compromising. What I mean is: don’t take that 5 a.m. flight unless you’re certain public transit is open late at night or early in the morning, or else you might end up spending way more money on an Uber. 

Don’t book a flight with anything smaller than an hour layover unless you’re okay with the very high probability that you will miss the connection. And most importantly: don’t underestimate Ryanair’s vigilance unless your backpack is actually at standard, because they will not hesitate to charge you an excess baggage fee.

Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration Junior Aja Tsutsumi is studying abroad this Fall in Copenhagen, Denmark, and recently she took a weekend trip to Interlaken, Switzerland. One piece of advice she’d give to students is to “research how expensive things are at the destination itself, and don’t choose a place just because the flight is cheap.” She loved Switzerland and it was her favorite weekend trip she’s taken abroad, but it was definitely more expensive than she expected!

It’s easy to get swept up into a travel bug, but make sure you’re also budgeting time to explore your home country. There’s a reason you chose it and you wouldn’t want to miss out on the chance to immerse yourself in the local culture. Try taking day trips to nearby cities or taking long walks around your neighborhood.

On that note, don’t feel pressured to travel every weekend or even at all. The fast-paced lifestyle can be very taxing on both the mind and the wallet, and it can be difficult to stay home when your friends return from remarkable cities with wild stories to tell. If your experience is defined mostly by exploring your study abroad city, that’s absolutely more than enough. 

No advice will ever prevent you from making mistakes or facing hurdles while traveling, so embrace the inevitable whirlwind! Being abroad is all about learning and growing, even if that means you have to deal with sunk costs, eye bags, and missed flights.

Go get ’em, globetrotter.