Are you delaying traveling in college because you think it will hurt your grades? Well go ahead and book that flight because, with these tips, you will be able to get good grades while traveling in college! Being a college traveler does require some sacrifices, but your grades don’t have to be one of them!
These tips are for on-campus students who want to travel during the semester. However, they are also great for those studying abroad or taking courses online. From study methods, tips to study on the road, and cheap travel hacks, these tips are sure to help keep your grades up while traveling.
These tips are coming from a full-time college student, who takes trips every other month (at least) while still getting A’s and B’s in tough classes (anatomy, organic chemistry, physiology, etc.)
1. Plan Your Study Goals Ahead of Time
Before you travel or at the beginning of the week, plan and WRITE DOWN what you need to get done each day. Even better, plan what time each day you will do that work.
If you are on campus and leaving for a trip, try to grind as much as you can before departing. Figure out what homework would be most easy for you to do on a plane, car, or at your destination. Also, keep your internet access in mind.
2. Bring Headphones or Earplugs to Limit Distractions
3. Travel the Week After Exams
Traveling the week or weekend after a hefty set of exams will be such a great break for your brain. Your studying and assignments will be less urgent, and you will have a few weeks to catch up! This means a little less studying and stress on your trip! Click here to learn how to Plan & Master a Three-Day Weekend Trip.
4. Bring only the Notes you Need
If your luggage is small, and let’s be real, who pays for luggage? Rip out only the notes you need instead of your entire notebook.
You could also take pictures of your notes or have backups on your computer! If your WIFI situation is iffy, it’s a good idea to download any lectures or schoolwork that you must do.
If you can, do clicker/participation points from your phone during your scheduled class time!
5. Maintain Your Sleep Schedule
For shorter trips, it is especially important to maintain a similar sleep routine to the one you have at home. When when you return to campus, you can jump right back into your normal schedule. This way trips won’t throw you off too much. Plus, your post-travel depression may slightly decrease.
6. Schedule your Semester Wisely
Are you a road trip warrior? Or more of a cheap flight connoisseur? Even if you don’t have your trips planned, think about how you can make your class schedule as optimized as possible for trips. Keep Friday afternoons clear, don’t do Monday afternoon labs, and try to fit as many classes in a few days as possible.
Read How to Travel Often in College for more scheduling and money-saving travel tips crafted for college students!
7. Take Advantage of Down Time
Do homework at the most convenient times during your trip. Maybe when everyone else is still sleeping, or during an afternoon nap time. This will minimize FOMO and keep those grades up!
I usually wake up early on trips and return to my Airbnb from about 2:00-4:00 for a little couch time. This is a good time to do at least an hour of studying and helps me to get good grades while I travel in college.
8. Think About Your Future Self
Before leaving for your trip, study as much as you can, clean your room and make it as easy as possible for yourself to get back into your routine.
I recommend doing 30 extra minutes of homework, housework, or studying each day starting the week before your trip.
Think about your future self, who after having the best three days of your life has to come back to a messy house and a page-long to-do list. Give yourself a break. Set yourself up for success, so you make your future self happy and get good grades while traveling in college.
9. Take Advantage of Your Days Off
Utilize your 3-day weekends to see the world! Use Google Flights or Skiplagged‘s “Anywhere” option on those days to find the cheapest flights!
The week before the spring semester is another cheap time to travel. Flight and accommodation prices generally lower after the holiday demand. Bonus: you won’t have any homework to worry about.
10. Have Good Habits to Fall Back On
Have a routine during the week, and jump right back in after a trip. You will want to have good study habits established, so they can carry over into your travels.
Some study methods that have worked for me are:
- Pomodoro Method: doing 25 minutes of focused work, with a 5-minute active break. I usually do 4 rounds of this (so 2 hours total). During this time my phone is OFF.
- Spaced Repetition is a productive method that helps you remember information by recalling it in increasing intervals of time.
- Turn off your phone, TV, limit distractions, and try to get as much done in a reasonable amount of time. Humans are not capable of multitasking. It also takes time after a distraction, such as looking at your phone, to re-engage in a task. So even if you are studying for two hours, you will not be getting the same value for those hours if you are distracted or looking at your phone.
Conclusion
I hope these tips help you to travel more in college while keeping your grades up! Building a consistent routine will be the most beneficial in getting good grades, and having the freedom to travel in college. Make efforts to study on your trips, but obviously spend the majority of that time having fun!
Travel will always be worth it! Don’t let college delay your travels.
