Spotted a great piece in USA Today: "10 great incentives for students considering study abroad," an article that points up much of what we like to talk about here: go travel! The benefits of, cost of, and ease of study abroad and student travel in general just boggle -- get a few incentives (one is all it takes!) and get going:

• Incentives to Study Abroad

Related Reading: About Study Abroad | Study Abroad Financial Aid | Study Abroad Scholarships | How to Study Abroad in High School | How to Pay for Travel | Be an Exchange Student

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After an (always) epic Festival First Night shindig in the streets got the whole shebang off to a great start January 9, Sydney Festival 2012 has one more week to roll Oz's biggest city, and you're invited if you're down under. Drop by this three week festival by the 29th for plenty of paid-entry entertainment, like The Whitest Boy Alive & New Navy at the open-air Keystone Festival Bar (wait in line for the release of house seats if shows sell out), plus lotsa free fun (we're talking some decent sounds, not just face painting) . And you can always queue up for "Tix for Next to Nix" -- $25 for all of that day's shows (plus massage and free wifi while you wait in line).

Coming up in Oz: Australia Day, January 26.

• Sydney Festival 2012 website
• Top Sydney Hostels

Related Reading: Sydney Hostel Reviews and Photos | Australia Hostels | Backpackers' Cars in Australia and Driving Down Under

Photo: Crackers Pyrotechnic Show, © Sydney Festival | Student Travel blog home

The snow is here in the Rockies! I'm sitting in Crested Butte now, sipping coffee and watching the flakes fall. It's expected to continue, so that means Western ski resorts are going to be cool hot spots for spring break 2012 -- check out the list of top ski resorts for spring break ski trips, like Whistler, Jackson Hole, Heavenly, the sweetest Colorado slopes, and a few quieter spots:

• Spring Break Ski Trips 2012

Related Reading: Spring Break 2012 | Top Spring Break Hot Spots 2012 | Spring Break Without a Passport | Spring Break Ideas

Photo courtesy Whistler Blackcomb | Student Travel Blog Home

Travel resolutions aren't just for New Year's Day: late winter is an awesome time to resolve to travel well, travel smart and travel a lot this spring and summer. One idea: resolve to try a solo trip. Traveling solo is a bit (okay, maybe seriously) scary at first -- who will help you? What if you get lost? To whom will you talk? You'll quickly get past those fears...

• Try a Solo Trip
• Travel Resolutions

"The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready, and it may be a long time before they get off."

--Henry David Thoreau

Related Reading: Women's Travel Tips | Student Travel Safety

Photo © Kathleen Crislip | Student Travel blog home