Hello sailors! If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either interested in going abroad or you already plan to. Well, I’m here with a few financial tips to help you along on your journey, wherever your destination may be. Personally, I have set my eyes on the lovely city of Dublin, Ireland. My decision to travel there has been entirely arbitrary based on what classes I needed and what classes were already submitted in the course equivalency database, but I am still extremely happy with the decision I made. I’ve spent the past four months of this summer readying myself to journey overseas, and the following ramble details what I have learned over this process.
The lion’s share of my preparation thus far has been dedicated to sniffing out the money I need for this trip. As an American student in Ireland, I cannot work while I am in the country, so saving for this trip has been a major focus of mine over the summer (it’s important to check whether your visa allows you to work while abroad!). This summer, I worked in a lab on campus during the week, and I picked up a second job to work on the weekends. But no matter how many paychecks you’re receiving, income is nothing without savings! It can be tough to work out, but budgeting your money to account for building up a savings account is a necessity. I recommend putting together a rough budget for yourself to see how much you spend a month (on gas, groceries, eating out, etc.) and sticking to that budget. It’ll also help you get an idea of how much you can reasonably put aside for savings, so that you can automatically do that when you receive a paycheck.
The second thing to consider in terms of finances is scholarships. UA has a whole mess of scholarships you can apply for, and there are myriad other sources as well. Everyone knows this. But I’ll let you in on a little secret hack that has helped me find extra scholarships: begging. Never, ever, underestimate the power of a quick email to the right source. Or several emails to the wrong sources and eventually one that hits the mark. Email your advisors, or the people in charge of your department’s scholarships. The truth is that these people all want to help you! If you need scholarships or financial aid, don’t be afraid to ask for it.
All this talk about money is kind of a lot, no? Makes you a little bit anxious, even? Well then, you’ll love my most important lesson in preparing for a study abroad trip: relax. It’s a lot easier to say than to do, but I’m not kidding around when I say that this is the most crucial thing I have learned while preparing for my semester abroad. You can save all the money in the world, collect all the scholarships, plan your itinerary out down to the second, and you still won’t have the slightest bit of fun unless you let yourself calm down. Having multiple jobs is stressful! Budgeting is stressful! Planning for a four-month trip is (you’ll never guess) stressful! You need to give yourself space to breathe. Lean on your friends, let them cheer you up when you’re freaking out. Lean on your parents, your relatives, your guardians, and ask them if they will share the financial burden with you. You do not have to do this alone, and you especially don’t have to stress out over every little detail. So, take this moment to ignore everything I said about budgeting. This is the real deal, so listen up: take yourself out to dinner. Or go shopping. Or buy yourself a cake, or bake one if you’d like. Let yourself have a treat. Yes, it is important to save money to prepare for your departure. But you can’t always sacrifice this moment for the future. You have to live in the now so that you can make it to the then. You deserve to treat yourself.
So, in conclusion, have fun with it! Studying abroad is an incredible opportunity. You’ve worked hard to be where you are, and that’s awesome! But make sure you let yourself play hard as well, or you’ll be burnt out long before you can make it abroad.