Introduction
Hello fellow Bulls and travelers! If you are reading this, then you probably have either committed to an international trip/study abroad program or want to commit but are concerned about the cost. I am here to help! My name is Catherine, and I am a senior at the University of South Florida. Between my sophomore and junior year, I went on my first international trip to study abroad with USF in London in Summer 2016. Ever since then, I have had the travel bug and am always looking for new ways to afford my wanderlust.
I always wanted to travel the world, and many graduates I talked to said the one thing they regretting not doing in college was studying abroad, so I knew I had to do it. I had the desire, but like many, I was worried about not having the money to do it.(Here is more About Me.)
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As an accounting major, I try to stay aware of my personal spending and budgeting. After looking over my own situation as a “broke” college student with two jobs, I realized I could study abroad and travel if I made it a priority in my personal saving and spending. I spent all of spring semester planning, budgeting, saving, and researching so I could afford my dream summer in Europe. I was able to do it, and I believe that you can, too. I hope this blog provides you with the advice you need to help you achieve your travel goals.
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This blog is a part of my honors thesis, an undergraduate research project to help me graduate. I have compiled advice from my own experience, USF resources, other students, and other travelers. I mainly discuss budgeting for USF study abroad, but plenty of my advice can apply to other universities as well as general money-saving travel tips for anyone’s next adventure.
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The main components of this website are the budget worksheet, quiz, and blog posts. The budget worksheet will help breakdown the costs of your trip. The quiz will help pinpoint areas you need the most help with and direct you toward those articles so that you can better navigate the blog. Not every post may apply directly to you and your trip/program, but overall, I hope you will be able to find some helpful advice.
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Depending on where you want to get started, click here for the budget worksheet, click here for the quiz, and click here for the blog posts. I would recommend beginning with the budget worksheet, but using the quiz and then blog posts to help you realize the amounts you will need.