We tend to either study from our own accommodation (which always has appropriate desk / seating space), or other spaces that are well suited to studying such as libraries or co-working spaces. Some Edumads also choose to spend time studying from cafes and restaurants. We always provide a local sim card topped up with plenty of data to each person at no extra cost. This means that we can hotspot our phone to access the internet as an alternative option to wifi.
No. We know from our own experience that people are naturally more productive and focused at different times of the day, so we don't impose specific schedules on anyone.
Having said that, people do tend to follow a similar routine as each other. The most common daily routine is studying for a few hours in the morning up until lunch. Then the main chunk of the day is spent socialising, exploring, and generally doing things that travellers do. People then tend to study again in the evenings once the sun goes down.
Once you're on a program you are free to spend as much or as little time as you want on your educational pursuits. We send out a weekly accountability and review form which asks you what your goals are for the week and whether you achieved your goals for the previous week, and we deliberately encourage a routine and way of living that allows time and space to be spent moving your education forward. But, at the end of the day, we treat all Edumads as adults who take ownership of their goals. Program Coordinators are not tasked with disciplining participants who do not have the self control to stay committed to their studies.
We suggest that you should expect to study for roughly 4 to 6 hours per day. Some days it might be a couple of hours, other days it might be 10. This leaves plenty of time each day to socialise, exercise, read, write, explore, or whatever else it is that you choose to do!
5 hours per day on a 4 week program translates to 140 hours, which is plenty of time to achieve something significant academically! Often, people complete whatever they intended on studying before the end of the program. So it might be a good idea to line up some extra projects or courses that perhaps are less important to you, but you could add to your schedule should you find yourself accomplishing your main goals early.
If you want to know what a typical day looks like on an Edumadic program, you can read the "Day in the Life" features on our blog. They're written by our Edumads and give a great insight into what a typical day looks like in a location.
The study aspect of our programs is self-guided. You can study anything you like, provided you can do so online / remotely. Edumads tend to study either towards a degree, or to attain skills that they plan to use professionally. We are happy to advise on the style of courses and educational pursuits that fit well with our programs, and have a catalog of courses that we recommend (look here). Ultimately it falls to each individual to choose courses that a best suited for their goals.
Many previous Edumads have pursued creative projects or developed entrepreneurial ideas while on our programs rather than studying, which we are also happy for you to do.
We aim for around 15 people on each program. We feel this is big enough to foster a sense of community, but small enough that you can get to know each one of your fellow Edumads on a personal level.
First and foremost, we are looking for people that are devoted to the educational aspect of the program. Education must be the number 1 priority, with adventure and exploration a close second. Second, we know that spending a month or more with someone can build lifelong bonds between people. We want as many of these bonds to be created as possible in our programs, so we curate our groups with that in mind. It's hard to objectively define the people that we think fit this bill, but the adjectives fun, interesting, adventurous, and kind, are a good start. You can read a more detailed description of what we're looking for in your application here.
Everyone who completes the 1st part of the application is invited to part 2. Then, it'll usually take us around a week to review the 2nd part of the application. If we think you're a good fit, we'll ask you to book a slot in our calendar for a final round interview. If all goes well, we'll be in touch within the week to offer you a place on the program you applied to. The whole process should take around 3 weeks, depending on how promptly you book your interview.
Absolutely! We are actually a British company and only list our program fees in USD for simplicity. We have applicants from all over the world and strive for a diverse community on each group from lots of different countries and backgrounds.
A few reasons:
Firstly, we want to make sure your expectations of what the program will be, are in line with reality. If you want to backpack around the world and are just looking for a group to do it with, we're not really for you. Edumadic programs are specifically tailored to allow you to pursue an educational goal (or something equivalent) while traveling. If you're not too fussed about the education, then you're better off travelling with a different company, or backpacking solo.
Secondly, most of our programs travel to locations that have vastly different cultures than those you'll find in Western Europe and North America (where most of our applicants are from). When you experience these differences in cultures and simple realities of daily life, it can come as quite a shock, and will probably take some getting used to if you haven't done much travelling in the past. People either relish the chance to experience new cultures and ways of life, or get on the next plane home, horrified by what they've seen and craving the western comforts that they took for granted before. The application process helps us figure out which camp you're in.
And finally, we've traveled extensively as backpackers in the past and know that the people you travel with are as important, if not more so, than the places you travel to. We select people with this fact at the forefront of our minds. By the end of each program, more than just happy Edumads, we want a new group of lifelong friends. By filtering applicants, we're able to significantly increase our chances of both.
Yes, we'd love you to!
We have a vision of a future where instead of spending 4 years working towards a degree in the confines of a classroom, people pursue their education entirely online, and travel the world for those 4 years instead. Maybe you'll be one of those early pioneers creating that future.
It all starts with one program, then two, then five. You get the idea!
After signing up to your 1st program, you're entitled to a $400 discount on every program after that.
Yes and no.
Of course, just like any product or service, we charge you more than the individual components that we provide to you. If you were to organize your own Edumadic journey you could put it together for less than the fees we charge (we'll even teach you how). However we are experts at this. We’ve traveled the world for years and run multiple Edumadic programs, successfully designing a program that gives our Edumads a smooth and life-changing experience.
One thing we’re sure you could not organise without us, is the community of fellow Edumads. We scour the globe to put together a group of like-minded peers that are all excited to combine their online education with world travel. This concept is so new, that you’re unlikely to meet anybody doing the same on your own travels. This is the original reason why our founder started Edumadic. He couldn’t find any other online learners on his own travels as a solo Edumad. The community didn’t exist, so he created it.
It is your responsibility to arrange (and pay for) your travel to the start of the program. We will tell you which airport you need to fly into and are very happy to review your flight selection to ensure you’ve chosen a reasonable route at a reasonable price. We will meet you at the airport arrivals lounge to make sure the start of your program goes as smoothly as possible.
The accommodation you will be living is dependent on which location(s) your program visits. It can be anything from beach-side bungalows to city-center apartments. What we can tell you is that all our accommodation choices go through a thorough vetting process. We consider:
In some cases, participants may be split between different accommodations (which may vary in facilities and standard), although they will never be staying alone. At a minimum, all participants will have their own private bedroom and have access to a bathroom shared with no more than 4 other participants. They will also be within 30 minutes walking of all other participants and Edumadic staff.
Yes, there are always two Program Coordinators traveling with each program, and at least one of them will be living alongside you in the same accommodation. They are very much part of the program’s community, and are there for you 24/7 should you need them!
Yes, the Program Coordinators are always suggesting and organizing activities and excursions for the group. The activities we suggest typically fall into a few different buckets:
None of these activities are included in the program fees that you pay Edumadic, but the organisation of them by Program Coordinators is. Why? Because we don’t want to tell you how we think you should spend your time in each place you visit. If we wrapped the cost of these into the program fees then you’d be forced to pay for activities that you might not be interested in. You’re also free to organize and go on activities on your own, or suggest activities that you think the group might be interested in that we don’t suggest.
Once you’ve joined a program your time is entirely your own. Additionally, the way you and the rest of the group will spend their time is very dependent on which location you are living in.
Typically Edumads split their time studying into 2 sessions, one directly after breakfast until lunch, and then one in the evening once the sun sets. A couple of meals tend to be shared with the group, either in our home or at a nearby restaurant or cafe. Time in the middle of the day is usually spent being active out in the local environment. This could be anything from surfing, hiking, or sight-seeing. Most evenings we’ll also come together as a community to watch a movie, discuss the days events, or enjoy a group dinner! The best way to get a good idea of a typical day is to read our “Day in the Life” posts from previous Edumads.
