Going on exchange was def one of the BEST experiences I had in university! The biggest problem was that I didn't have enough funds 😅 and my family wasn't well-off so it wasn't something my parents could pay for either.
But I was super determined to go, so if any of you guys are in a similar position, here's me sharing how I pulled it off eventually:
⭐ 1. Plan ahead
Right from year 1, I already asked seniors who had come back from their exchange programmes on how much they spent. That allowed me to start planning early to make sure I'd have enough.
Most of them spent between S$18k – S$24k (including accomodation, living expenses and travelling around the US) so I estimated that I should plan for $20k to be safe?
I started working from my second month in uni (after all the orientation camps) to get there!
⭐ 2. Get jobs that allow time flexibility
As a student, it's important to get jobs that give you flexibility so you don't have to miss too many classes which might affect your grades. I was on a scholarship too so I needed to maintain my GPA 😳
These were the jobs I did:
– taught tuition
– freelance writing
– ghostwriting
At my busiest, I was teaching 7 tuition students (mostly near my campus / house when I went home on weekends)! I limited to only Upper Secondary and JC students as the hourly rate for those were higher, earning $40-$60 per hour.
I earned another $200 / month from ghostwriting for my internship boss, while freelance writing projects paid anywhere between $50 – $150 per assignment! Mostly online.
Oh! and I did crash courses (aka extra lessons) during school holidays for my kids, which helped me earn a bit more too. Do try that if you haven't already!
⭐ 3. Study on the go
I often did my homework and revision on public transport while travelling to and fro for tuition. It wasn't the easiest to concentrate but definitely still doable!
⭐ 4. Remind yourself why you're doing this
NGL, there were times when I kept questioning – do I really need to work so hard? but I kept reminding myself that this was something I REALLY wanted and it'll be a pity to let money (or the lack thereof) stand in the way! I didn't want to regret it next time so I was pretty determined to keep going.
⁉️ WAS IT WORTH THE SACRIFICE?!
🥹😬🥳🥳 YES! and tbh, I learnt so much about being productive + scheduling my time better as a result of the experience.
ok but plot twist: I worked my ass off but only managed to clock $14k which wasn't enough to go on my exchange 😭😭 luckily we managed to get a $10k loan from my aunt, so I GOT TO GO IN THE END!!!!
Hope my sharing helps!
🙋♀️Any one of you guys here also in a similar situation with no PMS (Papa Mama Scholarship) for your exchange studies? Let me know if you have any questions for me!
#Adulting101 #exchangestudent #universitylife #universitytips #finance #savemoney #parttimejobs
