Studying & travelling: A guide to doing both

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The humble backpack. Carrier of essentials, companion throughout both the journey of academics and the path of life. Most people, at some point, will use a backpack. It will carry the most important things to the user wherever they go. No matter what it's been used for, the staple purpose of the backpack is travel; whether on the holiday of a lifetime or the commute from home to school.

What if it were both simultaneously?

Travelling abroad while studying is becoming increasingly popular for many wanderlust-driven scholars. The appeal of seeing the world while studying a vocation is an intriguing prospect, blending new knowledge with new experiences and horizons. It's a potent mix, guaranteed to open eyes and offer new perspectives - but like most things worth doing, it can be exceedingly difficult if you go into it without first researching how to go about it. However, like all journeys, we begin with a single step.

Just about every tertiary education body offers courses online. Whether it's a Bachelor of Economics or a Diploma of Counselling, online offerings are available for just about every kind of student imaginable.

Because of this, travelling while studying is more accessible than ever before! The important thing is to make sure that your workload over the next few years of study will allow you to reap the benefits of trekking while learning, otherwise, the unique experience of doing both simultaneously will be lost.

Once you're sure of what you want to do, find a good online course that will allow you ample time to sightsee and expand your horizons, while also giving you a good time budget in which to research and study.

It's no surprise that with both academic excellence and the stresses of adventuring, a schedule and alarm system should become your new best friend. While you're abroad there are sights to see, experiences to witness, people to meet, and nic-nacs to buy.

However, there's also research to do, assignments to craft, and classes to attend. All of this will saddle you with a very unique kind of time budget. It's important to understand what deadlines are coming up and for what, and to allocate study periods to those deadlines.

After all, while abroad it can be easy to get lost in the majesty and magic of where you're touring. It may be a good idea to complete as much study as possible before setting out on your great journey. Getting ahead is not only good insurance academically, but it frees up time for you to experience all the joys of your holiday as well.

A good suggestion is to research where you're going before you book anything. Look at what events and romps are available where you're going, and draft up a calendar/schedule that coincides with your academic calendar.

Plan out and book things as accurately as you can, and on the approach to the holiday, do as much work as you possibly can - even getting ahead of the coursework. Most courses have an overview of what will be covered in future units. Do a little forward studying so that you can take on any upcoming assessments with ease.

Remember that rather philosophical introductory paragraph about the nature of the backpack? Well, now we get to actually what to fill that backpack with. Being that it's likely the bag you'll be carrying with you all the time, it's recommended to think of your backpack not just as a luggage container, but as a receptacle for all the things you're going to need daily.

It's important to get a backpack that is capable of holding all your necessary items, but also won't wear you down with bulk and poor back support. To that end, if you're studying and travelling, here's a short list of some essentials that should always be in your backpack:

This machine has your world on it. It's what you do assessments on, possibly keep notes on, video call with friends and family back home, and attend video conference classes. While abroad your laptop will contain both your school and your home. Make sure your backpack accommodates this.

Probably equally important to your laptop is your phone! Let's say the worst thing happens and your laptop is lost, broken, or stolen. Most modern smartphones can perform all the same jobs as laptops, with similar functionality. Make sure it never leaves your side.

All kinds of accidents can happen abroad, and in crises, a language barrier can be a big hindrance to getting urgent medical assistance. A first aid kit can be a literal lifesaver and is very easy to put together. For a minimum of effort and space, a first aid kit offers monumental security while abroad.

Unless you're some fancy-pants art or photography student, you don't need a high-quality DSLR camera to take amazing pictures of your holiday. There are a plethora of perfectly respectable point-and-shoot cameras that will help you catch all the most amazing moments of your trip.

If you're going somewhere that you're not familiar with linguistically, a guide book can be a massive boon. It's important to be able to communicate with locals, even if you're on a guided tour. What if you get lost?

What do you do if you get separated from your group? How do you ask where a toilet is? How to borrow a phone? These guide books contain not only marvellous travel tips but key phrases to be used in day-to-day situations, and some basics on pronunciation.

This is a good start, but this guide is just a drop in the water of what can be done to make your experience studying while travelling easier. This, however, does cover the fundamentals you will need to stick to like glue for the entirety of your journey.

Just remember that although difficult, studying while travelling can be incredibly eye-opening, and in the wise words of J.R.R Tolkien: Not all those who wander are lost.