As a student you may get some form of encouragement from society to travel abroad. Weather for work, study, or pleasure, traveling is beneficial to everyone. It is better to experience the thrill, excitement, and challenges that come with international travel earlier in your life as opposed to later. In your younger years, your experiences overseas may have a positive effect on your life. The exposure you gain changes your perception of the world. As a student traveling abroad, you get to enjoy different cultures. A stint outside your comfort zone may help you build cultural sensitivity and tolerance towards other religions, cultural practices, and philosophies. Travel also breaks the monotony of school. Another reason for traveling while you are still in school is to get out of your comfort zone. When you are in a different country, away from your friends, family, and your daily routine, you are forced to venture into the unknown to meet new people, network, and make new memories. The change of environment helps you build your social skills and gives you the confidence to take new and daring tasks.
Technology saves us a lot of luggage space
Before the smartphone, you had to carry a map, a bunch of compact disks, a camera, and some books to keep you company, a diary, and a phrasebook. These days, through Google Maps, you can squeeze the whole world into your slim smartphone. Through music streaming sites like Spotify, Tidal, and Sound Cloud, you can listen to the world’s stories through melody. You do not even have to tolerate the boring selection of movies that are common in hotels and planes; you can catch up on your favorite television shows and movies on your phone or laptop.
Today’s technology eliminates the language barrier
Less than a decade ago, you had to walk around with a phrasebook in the native tongue. That was not even the hardest part; you had to try and pronounce the word from a language that you did not understand to get services. With the support of mobile applications like Google Translate (on Android) and iTranslate (on IOS), communication is as simple as whispering to your phone and letting an app speak for you. Do you have a problem reading menus, public notices, flyers, and street signs? No problem, take a photo of the text through your mobile app and let it translate the information for you. In addition to translation, applications like DuoLingo teach you new languages and improve your accent. If you need to improve your writing skills you can always use companies like Pro-Papers and immediately get to grips with writing tricks.
Technology has revolutionized how we book flights and hotels
The logistics of travel, you have to book a hotel, flights, and touring services. Thanks to the internet, all the solutions are available online. You can book flights and reserve a hotel space from your home. With add-ons and extensions like Chat Bot, you can communicate and get instant replies through Facebook messenger via the artificial assistant. Traditional hotels are expensive, thus making alternative arrangements like Airbnb popular. Through the click of a button or the touch of a screen, you can book an affordable place to stay. The best part of an Airbnb arrangement is the fact that you enjoy constant contact with the natives. This type of connection helps you appreciate the local culture. Dive into the internet, do some online research on the natives to get a better understanding of what to expect.
Cashless Technology is safer
Google Wallet, Pay Pal, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay are but a few options out there in electronic payment platforms. Before this age, tourists had to walk around with lots of cash; virtually painting a target on their backs.
Technology helps you maintain constant communication with your folks and friends at home
There was a time before social media, a time before the mobile phone. A time when you had to send postcards and heartwarming letters home to let your parents know about your welfare abroad. Thanks to social media, you can communicate in ways that are greater than words. You can share pictures, locations, and documents detailing your experience. You can even make video calls to your loved ones. Communication is cheaper, internet channels of communication are way more economical than landlines and traditional phone calls. The world is and will forever be on the move. Everyday people venture out of their comfort zones in search of opportunity and escape. As a student who is finding your way through life, international experience will do you a lot of good. A stint abroad equips you with the kind of exposure that will instill a sense of responsibility and focus in your life.
