Might sound crazy during your semester abroad, especially if you know me, but this week’s travel tip is to do your homework.
Student Travel companies offer a unique opportunity for study abroaders to have less stress while traveling, through the comfort of the knowledgeable and experienced trip leaders and direct travel. And less stress, especially in travel, is always a good thing.
However, in my opinion, there can be too much of a good thing. I fear that too many group travelers rest on their laurels, proud to have chosen an amazing city to tour, and they do not take the time to do even the slightest bit of homework on the their destination.
And homework, in this sense, is not writing a thesis or crunching numbers. A quick Google search on city prior to arrival can take a good trip and make it amazing. For instance, a quick Google image search of Pál-völgyi Cave , Sedlec Ossuary or St. Stephen’s Cathedral could totally change the course of your trip to Budapest, Prague and Vienna. While other people might be totally content with finding the nearest Starbucks and BBMing their boyfriend, you will off on the adventure of a lifetime three miles into a monster cave, contemplating the skeletons of some 50,000 people or mesmerized by the beauty and harshness of gothic architecture.
I know most people don’t study abroad to necessarily study. But I am not suggesting that you memorize your Frommer’s Guide to Prague either. So, while studying abroad, do at least some homework – because believe me when I say, even little bit of preparation can make all the difference.
Until next week – safe travels,
Tony
