How to find travel opportunities in community college

When I was in Boston last week, I happened to overhear a group of students discussing some of their plans for studying abroad next semester.

And it got me thinking, and wishing in fact, that every student could have that amazing opportunity.

The thing is – I think every student can have those amazing opportunities – I just think the responsibility falls upon the individual to find those opportunities. And not only find them, but make them happen (even if you're broke).

Sometimes that means extra work, extra classes, and extra risks.

But it also can mean an extra experience, an expanded perspective, and often amazing relationships. 

So below are three tips (It is Three for Thursday after all;) for you to use your college as your own personal travel agency and see what opportunities it can open up for you.

1. Clubs offer the most accessible pathways for student travel.

Not every club or scholarship organization has a budget that can afford to send everyone of its students on a trip. But quite a few do.

I wrote about the opportunities clubs offer in my book; I had never been on an airplane until my Sophomore year of college – Phi Theta Kappa offered that opportunity because our budget afforded officers to travel to their international convention. And that trip led to me building friendships that I still have six years later.

Even if a club can only offer you a few trips around your state or locally – those opportunities are ones that can really serve to expand your day-to-day college journey, especially if you are at a two-year school and live at home. 

Those trips also forge bonds between you and your fellow club members.

And those bonds are the ones that can last even after you transfer to your next destination. 

2. Community colleges offer travel opportunities – sometimes at a cost – but at one that you should consider.

The 2-year college that I attended offered honors students a free opportunity to participate in a global summit with students from around the world in Austria.

Now, I'd be lying to say that they took just any student - in fact, the program was very selective and usually only took a handful of students a year. 

But why can't you be one of the handful of students on your campus? Your school might not have the exact same programs, but you should certainly contact your Honors program director to see what is out there.  

If your community college doesn't offer a program like this, the odds are they still have a study abroad program (or a partnership with a local college who has one).  

I researched five different community college study abroad programs for this post, and the trips aren't cheap - they can cost anywhere from $2000 - $5000 for a program (depending on its length and scope of travel). But here is the catch - most of those programs have scholarship opportunities and grants that they allow students to apply for. 

In fact, one college that I researched offered awards to students of up to $5000 to pay for the program! The important step is to plan ahead and think creatively to make it happen (e.g. some of the colleges offered monthly payment plans for the programs as well). 

I know that it's hard enough just to cover tuition, let alone anything else. But if you close off your mind immediately, it will 100% never happen. Set a goal, ask a lot of advice, and work really hard. I promise you it is possible for you.

3. Study abroad programs at your transfer destination can also be an option.

When I transferred to a university, I took a class that included a two-week trip to England as part of the curriculum.

My scholarship covered the cost of the class – I had to work to pay for the rest of the cost of the trip. That meant that I had to work quite a few extra hours at my part time job – but I honestly can say that at no point in my life would the opportunity have ever presented itself otherwise.

And I think that is what is important to remember about these kinds of opportunities.

I constantly hear students (and even adults) mentioning the “college experience” – I don’t think a lot of people think about what that actually means.

I think the “college experience” should mean that you have this rare opportunity to expand your horizons in ways that you never had thought possible growing up.

If you’re a student like me, one that comes from a family that didn’t have the financial means to really see a lot of things outside of where you grew up, college can be a vehicle for you to see parts of the world you never would see otherwise.

The most enriching experiences aren't always the easiest or the cheapest. But they are worth the effort - and there is always a way to make it happen if you're dedicated enough. 


The best way to start? Ask someone who has studied abroad for their advice :)

To read more about Isa's personal story & how you can build relationships to: make positive friends, be more successful in academics and work, find the right people to connect with, and access the hidden job market, grab a FREE e-copy of the first chapter of Community College Success: How to Finish with Friends, Scholarships, Internships, and the Career of Your Dreams! Claim your free copy on the Facebook page!

What Jeremy Lin can teach us about college success

Hi everyone! It is Thursday and time for this week’s Three for Thursday – and Linsanity has even infiltrated my college success blog.

If you don’t know what Linsanity is, you probably aren’t into sports. That is totally fine – I just got fully into basketball this year. But, so that you can better understand the ideas I am sharing with you, I will catch you up on his story really quickly:

The rise of Jeremy Lin, a professional basketball player currently playing in the NBA, is one of the most captivating success stories that I have seen in media. To witness someone going from being a relative unknown to the absolute apex of popularity in his or her field (within the time frame of a week) is pretty amazing. We're used to this when it comes to the YouTube viral videos of the world, but you don't just become good at sports overnight. You can, however, become popular with the national media and the general masses. But why? 

What has made this story explode, and what allows me (by no means a sports journalist) to have any sort of license to offer advice based upon it, is the back-story of Lin's journey. The characteristics and circumstances of his rise to the top are pretty unique:

• He graduated from Harvard University (not traditionally a school from where NBA players develop).
• He is the first Taiwanese-American to play in the NBA.
• He was not selected in the NBA Draft.
• He was cut by two teams that had previously signed him.
• He spent time in what essentially be the Junior Varsity of the NBA (called the NBDL or d-league).
• He was almost cut by the New York Knicks before getting an opportunity to start for the team.
• He has led his team to six straight victories (some without their two best players) and is the focal point of pretty much every sports outlet right now. 

These are the things that I find most fascinating about sports: the stories, the unexpected, the hard work, the dedication, the teamwork, the people. Because I think there is a lot to learn. And I think any student striving for success can learn something from this story - some might say "three" things ;)

1. Opportunity requires patience and readiness --  This particular story is great because of the unexpected nature of the phenomenon.  There wasn’t a lead-up moment where sports pundits said, “Alright, now it is time for Jeremy Lin to be a superstar.”  And honestly, I would bet, judging from interviews like this one on ESPN, that Lin himself didn’t expect the opportunity to arise when it did.  

But the opportunity did. And it only did because of that perseverance – the kind of perseverance that reminds us that we can’t always write our own timelines – but that patience can be rewarded if we continue to push forward. 

A reminder - this guy earned an economics degree from Harvard – it isn’t like he couldn’t have abandoned the NBA dream and moved into a career elsewhere.  

But he possessed an intense readiness – and when the opportunity presented itself, he applied those skills he had developed. Imagine if he hadn’t been prepared. If he hadn't, I imagine that none of us non-hard-core sports fans would even know his name.

But we do – because of his patience and preparedness.

Are you focused on your dreams and prepared for when opportunity presents itself? Do you ever feel like giving up because it seems like things are going nowhere? Success only comes to those who push through the times when it feels like nothing is happening. It's called patience, and it's hard work. 

2. Confidence can amplify hard work – Being confident in yourself is important. But what is really amazing is what can happen when others believe in you. 

One of the things that is amazing about Jeremy Lin’s story is that momentum continues to build and build.

And as that momentum builds, Lin’s success seems to develop some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. 

People believe that he is going to save his team from mediocrity – and he is drawing upon that belief to do so. 

Always be on the lookout for your cheering squad, and don't be afraid to seek them out (e.g. mentors). Surround yourself with those who believe in you and draw upon that belief that motivate you to work hard. 

3. Genuine character is magnetic in any field – I watched highlights of a game the other night in which Lin hit a shot in the last second to beat the Toronto Raptors.  And the crowd went insane.

What’s so special about that?

The game was in Toronto.

I doubt that Lin was cheered the entire game – in fact – I am sure that he was booed or jeered just like any other star player in another town. 

But, at the end of the game, it seemed the crowd had no choice but to cheer. 

And it wasn’t just because the guy is playing his sport well.  It certainly wasn’t the first time someone has beaten a team in the last second. 

But there is an authentic humility with Lin; there is an authentic positive, encouraging, and self-aware character. And there is a teammate. In every interview I have seen with Jeremy Lin, he has used collective verbiage whenever referring to success: our, we, this team, our coach tells us…

And that leadership resounds.  It is infectious.  And it can teach us another lesson:

Let people recognize your efforts for you; you don’t have to place yourself on a pedestal in order to relish in your successes. 

Instead, by showing humility, you will find that there are others (not everyone at every time) who will want to help carry you even higher. 

And those are the supporters who will be with you throughout your journey, win or lose. 

If this advice interested you, remember to mark your calendars for March 15th, 2012, when my book, Community College Success, will be published by Norlights Press and will be available on Amazon.com.  It was inspired by a couple of other people who came to New York to make a life for themselves - my grandparents who moved to NYC from Puerto Rico :)