globaled – Page 76

Studying abroad and budgeting are two words you normally do not find in the same sentence. Although it takes time, effort and dedication, it is absolutely possible to stick to a budget while abroad – I’m the proof! As a study abroad returnee from the University of Glasgow in Scotland, I dealt with (and overcame) bad exchange rates, a missed flight, ATM withdraw fees… everything that can make or break a budget. If you are preparing for your adventure of a lifetime and worried about stretching your money, read on for tips on how to maximize your budget!

Mikaela pic — My friend Rahela and I at Versailles happy as could be… before we missed our flight back to Glasgow.

1. Sit down and figure out how much money you can afford to spend while abroad.

You’d be surprised how many of my friends had virtually no idea how much money with which they started the semester. It seems basic, but if you don’t know how much money you have, how can you budget? Remember to take into consideration any expenses you will have while abroad – credit cards, car and insurance payments, etc.

2. Ask your bank if they partner with any banks in your study abroad city – or if they are willing to waive the ATM fees for you!

$5 ATM fees add up quickly! If it all possible, use your bank’s “sister bank.” For me, it was Barclay’s in the UK and I got free withdrawals! Some banks are willing to waive the ATM fees entirely – it never hurts to ask!

3. Get a credit card (if you don’t already have one) – preferably a MasterCard or Capital One.

Credit cards are a necessity while abroad, especially for booking tickets online. If you can, get a MasterCardã – which only charges a 1% fee for international use – or a Capital One – which doesn’t charge anything.

4. Plan your trips as far in advance as possible.

Spontaneity is great… for everything but your wallet. If you book trips in advance, you will get far better deals. I booked most of my trips at least 2 weeks in advance and was able to go to London for $25 roundtrip on the bus.

5. Check the up-to-date exchange rate often.

While I was in Glasgow, the rate dropped significantly, so I withdrew a lot of cash that week and had enough money for a month. The seemingly small savings in a lower exchange rate can really make a difference!

6. Check and see if your city offers student discounted rail (transportation) cards.

If you plan to take the train, for example, often, it might be worthwhile to buy a rail card. In the UK, they cost about 30 pounds up front and then you get 1/3 off all fares! Great deal!

7. Take advantage of the student discounts – they are likely everywhere!

Unlike in the United States, most countries offer great student discounts on virtually everything, restaurants, movies, coffee, books, etc! Make sure you keep your student id with you at all times and always ask what kind of deal you can get

8. Re-budget often. For me, it was once a week on Sunday nights.

It’s important to take a look at your finances every so often to make sure you’re still on track. I spent 15 minutes every Sunday night looking over my online banking statements and checking how much cash I was going to start the week with.

9. When something doesn’t go as planned and costs you extra money, relax.

No matter how much planning and budgeting you do, it is possible that something will go wrong and cost you more money than expected. For my friends and I, when we missed our flight back from Paris, we ended up spending over $300 to rebook on the next flight. Although it was awful, we just had to be especially careful with our money for the remainder of the semester.

10. Keep everything in perspective. If you’ve been DYING to go to London since you were 10, make it happen even if it’s pricey.

Some trips, items, meals are worth the splurge! Just because you’re sticking to a budget doesn’t mean you can’t be extravagant once in a while.

Mikaela Gibson, DU Study Abroad Alum, University of Glasgow ‘11

I would be genuinely surprised if anyone reading this is not aware of the presidential election coming up in November! Whether it is the campaign signs propped up in our neighbor’s yard or the constant discussions of the candidates on the evening news, it is obvious that our entire country is preparing for that special day on November 6^th; a day when every citizen will be able to exercise their right to vote for who they think will best lead our country over the next four years. I, for one, am super excited to finally be able to have the opportunity to vote come November, as during the last presidential election I was a few months too young and so had to sit back and watch the rest of my friends head out to the polls during my senior year. Many of you will also FINALLY be able to vote, but if you will be studying abroad during the fall of 2012, you will be having the time of your life in another country and won’t be present here to cast your vote! But don’t worry…our government has a really awesome program called absentee voting that will allow you to vote outside the good old US of A! Let me give you a quick rundown of the absentee voting system and how it can help with this dilemma.

Absentee voting is designed to help someone unable to attend an official polling station on Election Day to still be able to vote, and is seen as a great way to increase voter turnout and participation. Specifically for American citizens and active military personnel who are overseas (that means YOU in a few months’ time) the U.S. government enacted the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) which provides a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot for all registered voters. So, STEP 1 of voting abroad: register to vote here in the U.S. before you go! Your voting residence is usually either your parent’s address or your college address (depending on your own personal preferences), so make sure you understand the requirements and processes to register in the state you choose. The Federal Voting Assistance Program has a great resource online that gives you state-specific registration information here, as well as all the required forms to request an absentee ballot. Once you have submitted all the necessary documents, your state’s officials will approve your request and will send you absentee ballots for each federal election that calendar year. STEP 2: VOTE! Make sure that while you are abroad you fill out your absentee ballot AND send it back in time to meet your state’s deadlines.

As you can see, executing your civic duty of voting while you are abroad is whole lot easier than you might have thought! And, if for some reason you don’t get this all done before you leave for abroad, you can still do all of these steps overseas (it just takes a bit longer). If you find yourself in that situation, contact your nearest U.S. embassy or consulate in your country to get all of your questions answered and to get your ballot. There are also tons of resources at your disposal to learn more about the candidates and what their positions are: Project Smart Vote, Democrats Abroad, and Republicans Abroad are just a few websites that will get you informed of everything politics-related if you ever feel out-of-the-loop.

It seems like you really have no excuses NOT to vote while you are studying abroad! Just DU it and feel accomplished that YOUR voice will heard back here in the states even if you are an ocean away.

Happy voting!

Samson Eberhart, OIE Peer Advisor

Tag: globaled

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Don’t Disappoint Uncle Sam: Vote While You Are Abroad!