Are you looking for the ultimate study abroad bucket list?
These are the best things to do while studying abroad!
Studying abroad was my favorite memory from college. I spent a semester at an exchange university in Paris, France and I had the best time.
But one thing to know about studying abroad, whether you’re going for a shorter summer program, a semester, or a full year, is that it ends up flying by!
Make the most of your time by creating a study abroad bucket list with things you want to accomplish before the experience is over.
Here are some of the best study abroad bucket list ideas to get you started:
1. Learn the local language.
One of the top goals you can have while studying abroad is to learn the local language.
This obviously doesn’t apply if you’re studying abroad in an English speaking country, but for everyone else, challenge yourself to pick up the local language.
Since I studied abroad in France, I was enrolled in a French course in addition to my other classes, which helped me improve my French speaking abilities.
However, I also challenged myself to actually use my French outside the classroom — in Europe, it can be easy to just speak English since many people speak it and will revert to it once they detect your accent, but I recommend continuing to speak the local language instead so you can get as much practice in as possible.
2. Make local friends.
Making local friends is another thing you should try to do while studying abroad.
I’ll admit, I struggled a bit with this one. I had lots of international friends during my study abroad, but my core friend group ended up being American, Canadian, and Scottish.
I did have one class where I was able to make a couple of French friends though. It’s worth putting yourself out there to make local friends rather than just sticking with your group of other international exchange students.
3. Attend an event put on by your exchange university.
Studying abroad is a great way to experience life at a foreign university.
If your exchange university offers any types of events, be sure to go! Unlike American colleges, collegiate sports are not a big deal in Europe and other parts of the world.
But you may have other types of events you can attend. My exchange university put on a formal ball, which was a lot of fun!
4. Go on as many weekend trips as you can.
While you’re studying abroad, be sure to travel as much as you can. If you’re studying abroad in Europe, taking weekend trips is especially easy and affordable.
However, even if you’re studying in another part of the world, like Southeast Asia or Latin America, you can still take weekend trips.
When I was in Paris, I took weekend trips to destinations like London, England, Copenhagen, Denmark, and Lake Como, Italy.
5. Stay in a hostel.
Staying in hostels is a great way to save money while traveling as a student.
If you don’t mind staying in a hostel dorm room, you can pay as little as $25 a night for a bed in a hostel in Europe, or as little as $10 in other parts of the world.
Even private rooms at hostels are a budget-friendly option, with most of them costing way less than a hotel room — typically $50 to $100.
6. Get to know your city really well.
While it’s fun to travel and take weekend trips while you’re studying abroad, you also don’t want to miss out on spending time in your own city!
Since I studied abroad in Paris, I had no trouble staying in the city over most weekends because there was so much going on.
Make a list of all the museums, parks, and popular tourist destinations in your city, and make it your mission to visit all of them. (Most museums and attractions offer free or seriously discounted tickets to students!)
7. Buy a disposable camera or a Polaroid to capture photos of your study abroad.
One of the best things I did was bring some disposable cameras with me when I studied abroad. It was a fun way to document my experience.
Once I got home, I developed the photos from the previous semester and I was reminded all over again of the great times I had when I saw them.
You can get a couple of disposable cameras or a Polaroid camera and some instant film to bring with you when you study abroad.
8. Attend a local festival or celebration.
Be sure to attend a local festival or celebration while you study abroad. This is a great way to immerse yourself in the culture of your host country.
For example, if you’re studying abroad in Spain, don’t miss festivals like La Tomatina (a giant tomato fight!), the Festival of San Fermín (AKA the famous Running of the Bulls), or Semana Santa (some of the best Easter celebrations in the world.)
9. Stay out all night.
One item you have to add to your study abroad bucket list is staying out all night (okay, you’ll probably do this more than once — just don’t do it too often!)
Experiencing the nightlife in your study abroad city is a lot of fun. In Paris, the Metro closed kind of early (sometimes before 1 AM) and didn’t reopen until 6 AM, so there were definitely a few nights where we just stayed out until the morning when the Metro reopened.
10. Try all the local foods.
A great way to immerse yourself in the culture of your host country is by trying all the local foods you can and learning about the cuisine.
This is something you can do no matter where you’re studying abroad. Make a list of all the foods you want to try and restaurants you want to go to, and spend your free time eating your way through that list.
11. Document your study abroad in some way.
One of the most important things you can do while studying abroad is documenting your experience in some way. Trust me, you will be SO GLAD you did this!
You might feel like you’re too busy, or you might not feel like doing it all the time, but set a goal to document your study abroad experience and stick with it.
This could be starting a blog to write about your experiences and share them with the world, sending email updates to friends and family at home, or even just keeping a study abroad journal that only you will see.
Whichever option you choose, you will be so happy you documented your study abroad.
12. Go to a concert.
Going to a concert while you’re studying abroad is a lot of fun. Check out the tour dates for your favorite artists to see if they’ll be performing in your study abroad city or nearby.
You can also go to a music festival while studying abroad. Something like Tomorrowland in Belgium or Ultra in Croatia would be an epic experience.
13. Take a train trip.
Traveling by train is a unique and scenic way to get around. If you’re studying abroad in Europe, you should definitely take at least one train journey.
Before you go, be sure to look into the student and youth discounts that are available through things like the Eurail Pass.
14. Enroll in a fun class you wouldn’t normally take at home.
Studying abroad gives you the chance to expand your horizons and enroll in a fun and interesting class you wouldn’t normally take at home.
I used most of my electives when I studied abroad, which meant that instead of taking boring business classes, I got to take classes on topics that intrigued me, like African development, travel writing, and even Shakespearean acting.
I also had a friend who took a wine appreciation class, which as you can imagine included field trips to wine bars and vineyards!
15. Go on as many day trips as you can.
Taking weekend trips to other countries is fun, but you also shouldn’t overlook taking day trips locally. This is easy and affordable, and it’s a great way to see more of your host country.
When I studied abroad in Paris, I took all kinds of day trips, including visiting the Palace of Versailles and exploring Monet’s gardens at Giverny. I even went to Disneyland Paris!
Do some research on the best day trips from your study abroad city before you go and make a list of the ones you want to do the most. You can usually do day trips cheaply by taking the train or bus and packing a lunch to bring with you.
16. Buy the cheapest round-trip flight you can find.
This one is mainly for students who are studying abroad in Europe, although you can try this anywhere — but Europe typically has the cheapest budget flights!
On airlines like EasyJet and Ryanair, you can often find round-trip flights for crazy-low prices. Think $20 for a round-trip flight from Paris to Milan (speaking from experience here.)
As long as you bring just a backpack with you (luggage is an extra fee!) you can take extremely cheap weekend trips using budget airlines.
17. Make good grades.
Finally, making good grades is an important goal for studying abroad!
Don’t forget the “studying” part of studying abroad! It can be easy to let your grades slip or not take your classes as seriously, but challenge yourself to stay focused on academics.
I personally liked finding great study spots (Paris has some amazing and beautiful libraries open to students) where I could go and focus on my schoolwork.
The Ultimate Study Abroad Bucket List
These are some of the best ideas to add to your study abroad bucket list.
Studying abroad is an amazing experience, and creating a bucket list will help you make the most of your time and create treasured memories.
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