No, I haven’t got the question wrong in case you’re wondering if I meant to explore if it’s possible to travel while you’re a student. Those students whose wanderlust can’t even be put on hold by their hectic academic programmes will understand fully why there’s a need to address the question of whether or not it is indeed possible to study while travelling, because we all know it definitely is possible to travel while you’re studying.
The challenge which comes into play is that of finding the time, energy and drive to get some work done while you’re on your retreat. It’s something which even freelancers struggle with and those so-called digital nomads who have made working on the road their lives as well.
“Flexi” Study Options
The higher education and learning sector is fast waking up to the changing realities of the modern-day work structure, which is a structure that’s gravitating away from the traditional eight-hour working day spent at the office and moving more towards flexi working hours and the ability for workers to work remotely. It hasn’t quite fully caught on with the major tertiary institutions, particularly those traditionally prestigious ones, but it’s certainly something that’s gradually being worked into modern day academic programmes, that being the ability to essentially complete portions of your course remotely.
More and more classes are becoming available remotely, which is some progress added onto those institutions of higher learning which offer correspondence programmes. So if you can access your class notes and lesson-plans remotely, submit your assignments remotely as well and in some instances watch lectures live online, that makes for the perfect opportunity to feed your wanderlust and get in some good travel while you’re studying.
That’s where it gets tricky though because it’s hard to focus. The money to take a retreat every now and then isn’t the issue, especially with special offers like discounted bus pass prices and other student discounts. The issue is trying to settle down while on the road to build up some momentum and get cracking with your work. You could be tired from a long flight or a long commute or you could be lodging at a particularly noisy destination, or whatever. Distractions are aplenty and so it becomes about discipline and developing your ability to focus.
Fixed Work Timetable
You can take a leaf out of the books of freelancers and digital nomads, since most of these remote workers ironically have fixed timetables, despite the fact that they can work flexi hours — well certainly the most successful of them, that is. The typical digital nomad who is making a real success out of working remotely often maintains working hours akin to those of someone working from eight to four, with the rest of their time left for exploring their retreat and engaging in all sorts of fun activities. The only real difference is that these digital nomads earn money based on the amount of work they do as opposed to the time spent doing that work, so as a travelling student you could adopt the same model.
Don’t go out and explore until you’ve finished the work you’ve allocated yourself for the day.