5 of the cheapest ski resorts in America
While skiing and snowboarding is a thrilling sport that many students enjoy on their winter break from college, it doesn’t come cheap. Gear (whether rented or bought new), lodging, food and lift tickets all exact a heavy toll on one’s wallet, making getting away seem a fleeting dream to many.
Don’t lose heart, as there are still resorts across America where one can get a lift ticket for a reasonable price. The resorts below are among the cheapest ski resorts in America, so scourge through your couch for change and return those beer bottles, and you might have that snowsports trip that you’ve been longing for recently…
But, before getting all exited and booking your ticket after reading the post, make sure you apply for your ESTA visa before heading there or you’ll be just dreaming about hitting the slopes on the plane back home.
1) Bridger Bowl (Montana)
A 2,600 foot vertical drop, 350 inches of snow annually, and there’s rarely ever a wait at the lifts … sounds like a place that you would shred in your dreams, or at least when you are out in the real world with a job? Nope. As it turns out, you can ski or board Bridger Bowl for the paltry sum of $49.
Even better, your apres ski will have you living it up in Bozeman, one of America’s highest ranked college towns for parties, atmosphere and overall quality of life. Ummm … one plane ticket to Bozeman please!
2) Powderhorn (Colorado)
Colorado may be filled with snow resorts, but most seem to be obsessed with becoming the next Vail or Aspen, making them unsuitable for our purposes.
For those of us that take skiing or boarding seriously (so much so that our gear bills leave us close to broke), places like Powderhorn are a breath of fresh Rocky Mountain air, as this area offers some of the best technical skiing in the state, as well as views of the rusty red rocks that herald the start of the deserts of the American southwest.
At only $61 for a lift ticket, you won’t believe your luck as you blast through powder stashes in challenging glades that get tracked out in hours at other resorts.
3) Mount Shasta Board and Ski Park (California)
Located in the shadow of Mount Shasta, California’s 14,000 foot sleeping volcano, you’ll find a ski and boarding park that offers something that’s really hard to find in this state these days – an honest-to-goodness deal.
For $49 for a weekday adult lift ticket, you can shred 275 inches of powder (and with El Nino set to roll through this winter, it may be a lot more than that!) over 425 acres of controlled terrain, during the day or at night.
With 75% of all trails being rated beginner or intermediate, Shasta is also a friendly place to bring your neophyte friends to get them hooked on the powder bug, and with an excellent snowsports school here, they’ll be planning a return trip with you before you know it!
4) Burke Mountain (Vermont)
In the northeast, Vermont has some of the best skiing, as the Appalachians has blessed them with some truly epic pistes. With the price inflation induced by affluent New Yorkers and Bostonians though, you may find that your wallet will be a lot lighter after visiting your average hill here.
Burke Mountain is the rare convergence of a quality hill at an unbeatable price, as $64 will buy you access to a peak full of runs that will test your mettle. 86% of the runs at Burke rank as intermediate or harder, keeping out the yuppies that cause collisions with their inattention, leaving only those that revel in a true mountain experience.
5) Dartmouth Skiway (New Hampshire)
In case you are wondering if there a college that actually has a snow resort in its backyard … yes. Yes, there is.
Dartmouth College in New Hampshire owns a hill 20 miles north of its campus in Hanover, using it to train its collegiate snowsports athletes, but also allowing the general public to carve up its nearly 1,000 feet of vertical for no more than $47 per lift ticket.
Looking for a reason to take a road trip up to see your Greek brothers or sisters in the ol’ NH? Now you have your excuse!
BONUS: Grouse Mountain (British Columbia, Canada)
While this is a list of American ski/boarding areas, we realize some of you have your passport and want to visit our Canuck cousins this winter. While you might be frightened by the cost of living up there, there are even snow areas here that are totally affordable.
Mix in a visit to friends at UBC with an outing to Grouse Mountain on the North Shore of Vancouver. With 1,300 feet of vertical, massive Pacific dumps of snow, and a killer view of one of North America’s most modern cities below, it is a killer deal, especially when you can get a lift ticket for no more than $58 CDN (~$64 USD).
Go at night, when the floodlights permit you to shred while admiring the glow of Van City below!
Rio de Janeiro on a Student’s Budget!
With South America being one of the world’s most popular travel destinations for budget travelers, it makes sense that at some point, you might find yourself bound on a plane or bus for Brazil. While much of the continent is affordable for student travelers, Brazil is a notable exception, with prices in the nation approaching first world prices in recent years.
That being said, it is still very possible to enjoy this country and its liveliest city, Rio de Janeiro, on a shoestring. While it does cost money to purchase, investing in a Rio de Janeiro city guide will pay you back by uncovering secrets that only a Rio local would normally know about, helping you to get the most from every dollar spent in this internationally significant city.
While it will have many pointers on how to save a buck here, start your budget planning here so you will have an idea on how to experience Rio de Janeiro on a student’s budget.
Hike up Sugarloaf Mountain
Start your trip to Rio by getting the adrenaline pumping on a hike up the area’s most iconic peak. No matter where you are in Rio de Janeiro, Sugarloaf Mountain dominates the skyline, but as nice as it is to look up at this granite monolith, it is quite the experience to gaze down upon the urban chaos that comprises this city from the top of it.
While the true summit of Sugarloaf requires a pricey cable car ride to reach, the lower of the twin peaks is free to access on foot, giving views that are no less impressive than the ones had on the slighter higher point nearby.
Hit up any one of its fabulous beaches
After dropping near your body weight in sweat, you will have earned your dip in the Atlantic at any one of Rio’s world famous beaches. After cooling off, you can continue to carve up the surf on a body, surf, or SUP’ing board (Barra da Tijuca is best for this, with 11 km of surf breaks that gives everybody room to do their thing), or you can indulge in the active social life that takes place at beaches here.
On the latter point, beach soccer and volleyball are available for active types, while others will enjoy having some cervejas (not cervezas … that’s Spanish, Brazilians speak Portuguese) with the animated and very good looking locals.
Of all the beaches in Rio, the best place to take in this scene is at Copacabana and Ipanema, as they are both the focal point of social life on the many excellent days that Rio enjoys during the year.
Go on a favela tour
Unfortunately, not everyone in Rio is having a fabulous life, so if there’s any guided tour to go on while you are here, be sure to go on one to a favela (Do NOT attempt to go to one alone, unless you like being mugged for all your worldly belongings).
These competitively priced tours will show you how less fortunate residents of this city get by every day, even as their well-off neighbors live in luxury next door, with less other than a security fence separating them in some cases. Definitely an eye-opener!
Live it up in Rio after dark without going bankrupt
Before bidding Rio farewell for points further afield in Brazil, party in style without emptying your wallet of Reals. Two places that stand out for an affordable night out here include Cinelândia, which is an outdoor bar set up on a street offering reasonably priced drinks that pair well with street food and local samba musicians, and Lapa, which allows its many bars and clubs to spill out onto the streets.
In a city with such an infectious party spirit, it doesn’t make sense to keep it all bottled up in a building, especially when the weather is so agreeable much of the year.
Free college tuition for everybody! 4 countries that are making this happen
It is a seemingly inescapable problem for many young Americans. The work force is getting more competitive as the bulk of new jobs are being created in highly skilled fields, yet the cost of education is skyrocketing to healthcare-esque heights.
As a result of this conundrum, many feel they are in a proverbial Catch-22, having to choose between taking on crippling amounts of debt in the hope that the jobs they seek will be there for them when they get out of school, or take their chances with a high school diploma in the job market, or as an entrepreneur.
Meanwhile, across the pond, a tantalizing Third Way is materializing, as many schools in European countries are either drastically lowering or eliminating tuition fees for foreigners in a bid to attract them to their schools.
But why? In the article that follows, not only will we review each country’s free college tuition incentive programs, you’ll find out the method behind their madness…
1) Germany
With the scrapping of tuition fees in Lower Saxony this past year, every single university within Germany’s borders are now 100% free to attend, for residents AND for foreigners. What’s more, the degrees that these schools offer span most disciplines, with some programs not even requiring that you put together a formal application.
This all seems too good to be true, but in this case, it is, as the government of Germany has invested enormous amounts of money to attract English speaking foreigners to German schools so that its citizens might be exposed to native speakers of the language.
Germany also has many glaring skill shortages that it is staring in the face over the coming years, so the hope is that after foreigners complete their schooling, they will have loved their time in Deutschland so much that they will decide to pursue a career here as well. Go to school for free and get a job in an in-demand field after graduation? What is this, 1955?
2) Slovenia
Those looking to immerse themselves in a relatively obscure Central European country may want to consider spending some or all of their college career in Slovenia, as this nation offers easy access to Croatia and Italy for those seeking exciting weekend trip ideas.
In addition to only paying a paltry €30 registration fee, your meals here will also cost much less than you may be projecting, as the Slovenian government subsidizes meal plans, with the average meal costing half of what it would back in America.
While no school here tops international rankings, those looking for a piece of paper and a good time in their college years may want to consider coming to Slovenia.
3) Norway
If the fjords of Norway are beckoning you, then you’ll be happy to know that the schools here cost foreigners nothing to attend … not a single krone. Of course, the fact that Norway is one of the world’s most expensive countries, or that some schools in the Norwegian arctic are cloaked in 24 hour darkness for a portion of the winter will weigh on your decision, but there are many other positives that make this country a strong contender.
Outdoor lovers will have their hands full with activities such as skiing, hiking and Northern Lights viewing, while those that are serious about their academics will love the small class sizes, professor approachability and lightening fast internet access in even the most far flung of communities.
4) Sweden
Like its Nordic neighbor to the west, Sweden also offers college programs to foreigners that are highly attractive. Unlike Norway though, Sweden’s programs do charge tuition fees for those seeking a bachelors or masters degree.
Sweden makes an exception for those seeking a PhD, waiving tuition fees for those seeking the highest attainable academic honor. The workforce of the world is getting more competitive with each passing year, with even master’s degree owners beginning to feel the heat.
For members of this crowd, this program may be the opportunity to finally break apart from the pack, all while experiencing life in a foreign country in the process.
3 Ideas on how to spend winter break
With final exams coming up in the next few weeks, you’ve been furiously studying to ensure that you make the most of the crucial marks that remain up for grabs in all of your courses. Somewhere in all that studying and exam writing, you need to pick up a few gifts for Christmas as well.
With all that going on, you only now realized that you also have a week or two before you get back to class as well! What will you do with all this free time? Below, we have a few suggestions that instruct you on how to spend winter break in style…!
1) Party like a rock star on a tropical beach
That’s right – do the spring break thing a full three months early. While you might not have the crowds and the hedonistic atmosphere that goes along with that time of year, it’s still warm and sunny, and when you’re in a place where the palm trees sway, any night could be occasion for a blowout party.
Cancun is a place where one can rock out with abandon with Senor Frog at any point during your winter break, while the once-monthly Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan, Thailand will give you the excuse you’ve been looking for to finally check out the Far East before winter semester begins!
2) Tear up the slopes at a mountain resort near you
Instead of running away from the snow and cold, you may wish to embrace it. If this sounds like you, then there is no better way to do this than to set your course for the nearest mountain range with plans of ripping the slopes there a new one.
Whether you choose run the glades of the Northeast at a resort like Sunday River, or challenge gnarly alpine terrain in Rocky Mountain ski areas such as Jackson Hole, you’ll get the adrenaline rush of a lifetime, along with all the apres ski nightlife you can handle in these popular snow resort towns.
3) Be a tourist in your own hometown – staycation!
Of course, you could just go home and spend your winter break with friends and family – that’s totally cool. However, if you find things becoming a little stale towards the end, don’t despair … just treat your hometown like a tourist destination and watch new possibilities open up.
Being away from the place of your upbringing at college allows you to see it as a place to be visited, rather than as your home. So check out the museums you’ve always ignored, eat at the joints you passed up because you had your favorites, and drink the bars you’ve never seen before (because you know, you weren’t legal back in high school … duh!)
By the time the day rolls around to go back to your new home at college for your second term of the year, you’ll see your former one in an entirely different light.
From Adobe Creative Cloud: Wow Your Professors. Blow-Away Recruiters!
Post provided by Adobe:
The old digital boundaries are breaking down. Photographers are now exploring video. Designers are “plugging in” and learning code. It’s now a lot less about your major and more about finding new and creative ways to tell your story.
With the Adobe Creative Cloud, you’ll have all of the tools to experiment with any medium you’d like and take your projects from average to amazing.
Once you have created amazing projects, you can get others talking about your work. With Photoshop and Illustrator on your resume, you can get people talking about a job offer. Plus, you’ll always have access to any new and awesome tools and updates we release.
So whatever the next wave is, you’ll be sure to riding high on it. Check out the video above and head over to http://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/students/make-it-with-creative-cloud.html?sdid=KPIOV to get inspired by other student’s Creative Cloud projects. Creative Cloud Complete is available to students for just $19.99/month.
