Leah Bowman remembers a time when she sat in class at Saddleback College daydreaming about going abroad and falling in love with a charming man with a British accent. Bowman decided to make her dreams come true and ventured overseas with the Saddleback’s Oxford study abroad program.
“Going abroad makes you feel like life isn't just passing by in a haze of quizzes and work shifts and rising gasoline prices,” Bowman remarked, “but instead that you are using your college years to their fullest. It's the wind in the hair, jumping on a train to anywhere.”
When Bowman flips through her photo album from England, she cherishes most the photos of her in a white wedding dress with her handsome Callum’s arms wrapped around her. Bowman met the English gentleman of her daydreams while in London, and they married on December 29 of last year. They are now enjoying the newlywed life in Surrey, England.
To a beginner traveler like Bowman, the idea of going abroad seemed more of a dream than actual reality, but with appropriate research, it was achievable. Unforgettable experiences abroad wait for students, and with summer approaching, now is the time to start planning, saving up money, and mapping out where to visit in Europe.
Take Baby Steps:
Obviously, the first step in going abroad is saving up money. Stop spending the $3 a day on coffee and learn how to brew your own cup at home. Don’t spend so much money on clothes, or hanging out with friends. You’ll have to change your lifestyle for a while, but when you’re in Paris drinking coffee under the Eiffel Tower, you’ll be glad you made the sacrifices.
You’ll never go anywhere without a passport, so make sure you apply for one quickly. Getting a passport far in advance will help reduce it’s cost. This link for applying for a passport at the U.S. Post Office will help you get started: https://www.usps.com/shop/
Marcia Milchiker, a member of the South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees ,and her family used Saddleback’s study abroad program to live in Salamanca, Spain.
Milchiker advises travelers to “Make copies of your passport and leave a copy at home and take copies with you that you can put in various places just in case your passport gets lost or stolen.”
Some important information that Milchiker recommends to travelers preparing for a trip is to “See if you need a Visa and get it. Check out our government’s travel warnings: http://travel.state.gov/t ravel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.
Start reading travel books and mapping out where you’d like to go. A suggested blog to check out is nomadicmatt.com, which is a great source to find informative and detailed articles on traveling locations. Make sure you sign up to receive emails from Nomadic Matt, that way you’ll receive weekly transportation discounts.
19-year-old Saddleback student, Shannon Richards, studied abroad in the Oxford program last year. Her secret to getting discounts was purchasing an international student discount card at UCI. It’s only $22, and flashing it will help you save money at restaurants, travel agencies, hotels, and much more.
Purchase the Flight:
Even though flying isn’t going to be the most fun part of your trip, it is certainly going to eat up most of your money. There are some important ways to make sure the airlines don’t take every cent you save though.
Getting a rewards credit card will really help you out in the long run. Using the card when you purchase your flight or groceries will really help you rack up points. Gain enough points, and that’s a plane trip somewhere!
Since you’re a student, statravel.com is an important website to check. They give students special discounts on transportation and places to stay.
Try to be flexible with the dates you want to travel and aim at purchasing a flight midweek. Using those two tips while booking will cut down on the costs of the flight.
Richards learned an important tip to getting a cheaper flight. “Booking in advance is number one,” Richards said. “I literally watched a plane ticket to France double.”
Where To Go:
Determining which places to go to will be the hardest part of planning your trip. Each place will have it’s own beauty, culture, and memorable experiences. Deciding what kind of traveling adventure you want will ultimately help you decide on where to go.
Leah Bowman used Saddleback’s Oxford study abroad program to get overseas. On the weekends and breaks, she would travel to surrounding countries and cities.
Bowman revealed that her favorite locations in England aren’t the bustling cities, but the quaint areas far away from city life.
“Small English towns are some of the most charming places on earth. Tiny pubs, beautiful churches, and little thatched houses make just about anyone want to stand still and revel in the surviving past,” Bowman commented.
Even though the small towns will make an excellent trip, the cities offer important museums and landmarks.
One of Bowman’s favorite memories from her trip was a worthwhile excursion to Paris.
“Traveling to Paris was a really magical experience,” Bowman commented, “People often characterize their trips this way and I personally find it somewhat cheesy, but I can't help it in this case as it really was! I had the chance to stand in Notre Dame, tour the Paris Catacombs, see Marie Antoinette's bedroom at Versailles, sit in front of Monet's water lilies, and eat dinner in the Eiffel Tower. No trip was as astonishingly rich in culture and adventure and it was only a short two hour train ride from London.”
Going to historic landmarks and art museums were one of Richards favorite aspects of the trip. She was able to learn important things from European history while actually being at the places where the events occurred.
Richards recommends visiting British Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Pompeii, Camden, Stonehenge, and many other historical locations.
Hostels:
Sharing a room with people you don’t know may not be your ideal accommodation, but it will sure save you some money. Hostels are a great way to get a cheap nights sleep and meet fellow travelers. Most hostels also offer lockers for your belongings so you won’t have to worry about people going through your stuff.
Matt Kepnes, author of “How to Travel the World on $50 a Day,”recommends to his readers to utilize hostels. According the Kepnes, most hostels provide hot showers, breakfast, free wi-fi, bars, and some even offers tours of the area you’re staying in.
Make sure you check whether the hostel has a lock out time before you leave it. Otherwise, you might get locked out after a certain time, and then you don’t have access to your things or a place to sleep.
If hostels truly are not your thing, then consider “pensions” or family-owned budget hotels. Pensions offer exactly what you need and no more: a room with privacy and a bed. You can find budget hotels using www.tripadvisor.com
Staying Safe:
Traveling to a foreign country can seem scary, and feeling unsafe can ruin your trip. Plus, your parents who are thousands of miles away don’t want to experience a real life version of the movie “Taken”.
Richards recommends if you’re a girl, travel in a group or even better, have a guy with you.
“Honestly, if we didn’t have a guy in our group, there were parts in Rome that I would not have gone to. In Rome [men] are not shy about their harassment. One of the girls got shot with a BB gun in the butt, people got groped. So yeah, you have to be really careful,” Richards warned.
Dr. Hedgecock, who leads the Oxford study abroad program, remembers a few of her students being victims of theft.
”One of the biggest issues is that students will go to a bar and lay out their iPod and laptop on the table totally exposed, and then they’ll go up to buy a drink at the bar. When they get back to their table, their stuff will be gone,” Hedgecock mentioned.
Hedgecock also stresses to always have your passport and money on you in a place where they can’t be stolen or fall out.
Professor Carmenmara Hernandez-Bravo, who leads the study abroad program in Salamanca, Spain, also urges students to stay safe.
“This is a very safe city,” Hernandez-Bravo tells her students, “but I repeat to my students million times, do not walk alone at night. In the past, one female student walked alone at night and twisted her ankle and could not walk for three hours and was seating in a doorway until someone open[ed] the door in the morning.”
Remember that you’re not the first person to travel abroad, and chances are that nothing horrible will happen to you. But there is still that chance, so just remember to take precautions.
Consider Studying Abroad:
If you want to travel to Europe during the school year, think about using Saddleback’s study abroad program. It’s 10 week program will immerse you in the culture, and you’ll even live with a loving host family. It costs a student under $7,000 to enroll in the program. Both Richards and Bowman participated in the program, and they loved every minute.
“The Oxford study abroad program is the fantastic chance for Saddleback students to wing off on a once in a lifetime trip, gallivanting around England without having to leave their studies behind,” Bowman encourages.
Studying abroad allows students to gain credits while exploring the culture. Students attend museums, historic places, and are able to learn first hand the information they are learning in class.
Marcia Milchiker recommends every Saddleback student to utilize the program.
“We now have a global economy,” Michiker expresses. “We do business with all countries. It’s important for students to have an understanding of other countries and their customs. It’s invaluable to be able to speak another language.”
Hernandez-Bravo notices that the experience from studying abroad doesn’t only impact a student for one semester, but for the rest of the student’s life.
“The experience is a life long experience,” Hernandez-Bravo noticed. “It is not only the academics that is only important, but to live in another country teach you that there are many ways to be happy[...], that money is not the only way to achieve a full life. Possessions are not the only things that make people happy, but relationships, sharing your culture, learning to appreciate other ways of living and embracing the culture you are experiencing. Sharing a meal with the whole family, laughing, drinking, and allowing yourself to be silly when trying to learn the language and culture.”
Get Going:
Now that you’ve read this article, you’re ready to get going. Don’t make any more excuses, and start planning your trip abroad today. Unforgettable experiences are calling your name.
Leah Bowman embarked on her greatest adventure while abroad: matrimony. Now is the time for your adventures to start... so get out there and find what unexpected adventures await for you!
To learn more about the study abroad programs offered in Europe, email
Program in Salamanca, Spain: Carmenmara Hernandez Bravo chernandezb@saddleback.edu
