Two of the ideal things in life that many people dream of being the ability to travel the world and get a quality education. These two goals are very important to a lot of people and can help improve life drastically. Travel gives the adventure and fun of exploring our world and education opens up a lot of opportunities like jobs and connections.
The question is usually how to combine these two pursuits. It used to be hard to imagine a life where you could balance these dreams, but in the modern age, it is becoming a significantly easier possibility. This is how you can combine travel and education.
Exchange Programs
Probably one of the most well-known ways to travel and get an education at the same time is an exchange program. Before it used to be a mostly high school/secondary school level program that sent one student to another country abroad in return for another but it has changed a lot since then. Post-secondary colleges and universities are offering exchange programs as a way to improve relations with sister cities or similar universities and create a stronger international connection. These programs are usually slightly more expensive than a typical semester/year of tuition, but it is still relatively close to the typical cost and provides a great way to become ingrained in the culture of another country and make friends much easier.
School Trips
Another classic option that has grown in possibility over the past few decades has created a much more impressive educational experience for students on a school trip. Usually, when you think of a school trip you imagine somewhere local within your city or within a region, but you never expect to go to a foreign country. For Berlin school trips, you can see one of the most historical cities in the world and experience a school trip that is far beyond the ordinary, and they are just one of many international school trips available now. These school trips are becoming much more popular because they are significantly less expensive than they used to be and give students a once in a lifetime experience. Local history is important, but taking high school students to another country to experience world history is something that would not have been so easily possible just 20 years ago and is an amazing marriage of travel and education.
Online Schooling
One of the unexpected consequences of the internet was the possibility of taking an entire education through the internet. Online schooling is primarily used as a way to cut some costs for schools and provide programs regardless of location but it has allowed many institutions, mostly college or university, to give students their entire course load for a full program through their computer. Online schooling is one of the most flexible ways to combine travel and education. You need a reliable computer, an internet stick or portable router, and the schedule for your classes, but with these checked off you can virtually be anywhere in the world while still attaining your diploma or degree. As time goes by, more schools are offering more programs online too which makes it even easier to travel and get your education at the same time.
Study Abroad
Instead of just choosing a student exchange program or a program that features a compulsory exchange course, you can choose to study abroad in its entirety. What this means is that you can attend a school in another country based on their programs. There are a lot of schools in Europe, for example, that offer programs in English as it is a very popular language there as well. This is really great if you want to learn in your native language while still attending a great institution. These schools can sometimes be cheaper than getting a degree or diploma from schools in your own country. Some countries even offer subsidies for students coming from abroad to attract more international students as this helps their school as well. Germany and the Netherlands are examples of schools that offer very reasonably priced programs for students coming to study from abroad and are definitely worthwhile options.
Combining the fun and adventure of travel and the career-building pursuit of education has been and is still a dream for many people. For good reason, people want to be able to see the world, but still, be able to say they have attained higher education. It used to be hard to combine these passions, but as the world moves forward things are becoming much easier to do and these are some of the options on how to enjoy the freedom to see the world and get your education.