Weekend plans in college often include going out to parties, studying and even bed-rotting. When it comes time for a break, most people are ready to catch up on their z's, but what about catching up on those flights?
Student travel is a great way to rest up and relax while visiting new places during your college career. From quick day trips to full-on summer experiences, ASU students have gotten out and have been able to make travel a useful way to spend some time away from home and campus.
Sarah Kohler, a junior studying nursing, enjoys quick day trips, especially hiking. Arizona offers many places within driving distance that have great paths and mountainous ranges.
"Day trips are so much easier … it's just a lot more feasible with a college schedule because a lot of the time, I don't ever have the time to leave my apartment," Kohler said. "We've gone up to Sedona a few times. We went up to Blue Ridge Reservoir once — that was really, really pretty."
If driving isn't your thing, or a car isn't an option, then consider flying to places nearby. There are a variety of flights available through Frontier Airlines from Phoenix, often starting from around $39.
Trips don't have to be small and quick, though. Oftentimes, large trips can be something to look forward to. These trips can range from out of state to even out of country.
John Tamayo, a senior studying physics and philosophy, has traveled mainly out of the country in college.
"I've traveled a bit around, mainly in kind of southeastern Asia and Japan," Tamayo said.
For Tamayo, traveling internationally is one of the most rewarding experiences in college.
"Especially being able to expand your mental and cognitive horizons, just getting to see and experience a fully different culture, it pays dividends," Tamayo said.
Traveling across the world as a college student opens up new opportunities and new cultures to those who go. It might seem unfeasible at first, but carefully planning and getting ahead is a key to making sure those travel plans make it out of the group chat.
"I definitely would suggest starting as soon as you have the idea to even go traveling and to just, for a period of time, continually check plane ticket prices," Tamayo said.
Although ticket prices may be expensive, utilizing a variety of websites that run through multiple airlines and dates may end up giving students the cheapest option.
Air is also not the only way to travel. For freshman Reagan Leary, who is studying computer information systems, family trips in college often involve cruises and friends.
"Utilizing breaks is definitely good when you don't have homework and you don't have exams to worry about," Leary said.
Leary said she likes to bring her college friends on these trips. For all three students, finding a good group of friends who want to travel and explore allows these trips to be much cheaper and more rewarding.
Part of this reason is due to being able to split costs, such as meals, snacks and gas prices.
Whether you have downtime during weekends or need a quick break, starting to explore places outside Phoenix and even Arizona can be a great refresher.
Especially with spring break coming up, a quick trip might be all you need to get a real break. And if you do go, consider bringing your friends along for a much more rewarding and cost-efficient time.
So, what are your weekend plans?
Edited by Andrew Dirst, Abigail Beck and Natalia Jarrett.
Reach the reporter at gachatht@asu.edu.
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Gokul is a sophomore studying actuarial science. This is his fourth semester with The State Press.
