As the most exuberant time of your life, college years give you a colossal experience to remember. But, as perfect as this period may seem, it still features some minor downsides that may prevent you from enjoying your life to the fullest. Yes, college takes up almost all of your time, depriving you of the many possibilities to obtain financial freedom. 

Studying abroad is more than just a fun experience - it is a great opportunity to enrich yourself with lessons that you wouldn’t learn at home. It gives you a chance to learn not only in another culture, but the chance to learn about and immerse yourself in another culture as well. 

Let’s be honest…looking for tarantulas on the ceiling before sitting down to dinner is not considered normal.

Travelling is one of the most important things you can do, in terms of global understanding, personal growth, and to improve your career. You can explore new places, make friends, or practice new occupations. You’ll learn from the plethora of people you will meet, and learn about different cultures, worldviews, and languages. You’ll have an adventure! You’ll be surprised by what you see and learn, and start to incorporate your new experiences into your own life (Vietnamese coffee, I’m looking at you!).

If there is a point in life when one is energetic, adventurous, and eager to learn about the world, it has to be during the college years. It is, therefore, sad that the majority of students do not get the opportunity to do things that would help them learn the most - like travel. Traveling helps students to explore the world, so that they can learn to connect with different people and become smarter and more confident in the process.

You’re investing a great deal of time, energy, and money preparing for your study abroad journey – and it seems that the list of things to do and buy still is endless. But it doesn’t have to be that way – and it doesn’t have to cost that much.

Hostelling International's 2-week program seeks 4 American participants