Globetrotters find it difficult to keep learning while they travel the world. The reason why they have to face this problem is that their schedule can be chaotic at times, and the traditional ways of studying no longer apply. This is why you should get informed about methods that encourage lifelong learning while on the go. There are several activities that – once included in your schedule – will help you learn something new each day. Here is a list of them:
Internships
Being an intern abroad combines both the beauty of traveling and the benefits of learning and practicing what you love. Like any other internship experience, it will offer you a professional advantage that you can use in the future, regardless of what you plan to do. Many internships are paid and part-time, so you should handle your finances better than before while still having a lot of time to explore the location you selected. Internships abroad also offer you the chance to raise your cultural awareness. Gaining different perspectives depending on how people live their lives in various parts of the world will help you grow as a person.
A lot of reading
Squeezing in some time for reading while you travel can help you tremendously in the long run. The information you assimilate while reading, regardless of the book’s type, gives you the opportunity to discover something new each time you open it. You probably found yourself in the situation of carrying a book with you during traveling and never really opened it. This happened because you didn’t schedule it beforehand. When you leisurely take a walk in a garden in a foreign city, take your book with you and enjoy ten minutes of peaceful reading. It will slowly become a habit that you can’t get rid of any longer.
Volunteering
One way to combine learning and traveling would be enrolling in a volunteering program. When you volunteer abroad, you have the chance to visit different locations without paying any money for it. The learning experience of volunteering is tremendous because you get to study foreign people and nature up-close. If you know English quite well, you can actually teach English in impoverished countries such as Sudan. Learning more about natural habitats such as the ones found in Australia and New Zealand and promoting ecotourism in that area will surely develop your knowledge in this field. Volunteering is an opportunity that all travel lovers should take at least once in a lifetime. Plus, in most cases, it’s free! Accommodation can vary from campsites, bunkers to tents or community centers.
Exchange programs
The country you’re in has a poor education system? Why not get a glimpse of education systems in other countries? Exchange programs allow students to study in different countries, in a foreign language. Besides finding new interests and improving numerous skills, you will have the chance to see the world and boost your career opportunities. In often cases, exchange programs convince students to work abroad for a while. The main benefit of exchange programs is represented by the accentuated personal development process. Discovering both yourself and the culture that surrounds you is the true definition of learning.
Visiting museums
In many cases, tourists tend to skip some of the museums in the location they are visiting because they prefer trying a bar, a club or a mall in the area. This is not necessarily a mistake, considering that each person does whatever she or he wants with the time spent here, but if your goal is to learn as much as possible about that location, you might want to organize your time depending on how long you will spend there. Checking the schedules of all the museums you can find in the area and visiting them won’t take that long, and is an activity that’s surely worth it. Try websites such as Trip Advisor to come up with a list of all the things you need to visit.
Studying wildlife
Vulnerable wildlife became a focal point in today’s society. If you happen to travel in locations that have a noticeable wildlife, a volunteering gap year is a perfect way to improve your knowledge tremendously in that direction. From Thailand to South Africa, nature awaits. In case you are passionate about helping endangered species and raising awareness regarding this issue, studying wildlife is definitely for you. You’d be amazed how many things you can learn by just working with wildlife or being around it for a while. Taking care of elephants and turtles, visiting sanctuaries or swimming among sharks and dolphins might be the highlights of your life.
Taking online courses
A gap year can seem longer than you expected, and running from one part of the world to the other can be tiring at times. When your goal is to learn new things, you must find methods to keep in touch with information. If you took a break from university, but you still want to remember the things you’ve studied, you should take online courses. They are not expensive, they are very convenient and you can always decide when you want to study. Since online learning is on the rise, you shouldn’t worry about the quality of information you receive. The people who teach others are thoroughly prepared and explain each thing patiently, taking into account how prepared you are.
Historic sites
Reading some facts about the place you’re about to visit is surely a good idea. Reading and then actually seeing the place with your own eyes will solidify the information in your memory, and you won’t forget it as easy as you would if you just read it. Visiting historic sites and comparing the way you imagined things with the way they truly are in reality is going to be a great experience. This sort of activities transforms traveling in an activity that helps people grow from all perspectives.
