Ryan Elantri - How to Manage Your Finances While Traveling

Ryan Elantri is an economics and Mandarin Chinese major at Penn State University. He has already studied in China, plans to pursue a career in international business and finance following graduation, and hopes to work with companies and investors from around the world. It’s important to keep a good handle on your finances all the time, but it is never more important than when you are traveling. Here are some tips to make sure you keep things in check, no matter where you are in the world.

• Make the best use of your smartphone. There are many apps that will allow you to see the balances in your accounts and on your cards. This is really important, because one of the biggest reasons that people overspend is because they think they have more in their account than they actually do. 

• Keep your money as safe as possible. This means that you should make sure not to carry all of it on you when you go out, and if you can, have both cards and cash available. That way, if you are robbed, you won’t be completely penniless in a foreign country. 

• Set a daily and weekly budget, and break it down into categories if you can. Give yourself allotments for food, shopping, toiletries, transit, and any other necessities you think you will be spending money on. Breaking things down can make it much easier for you to manage your money.

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Ryan Elantri - Tips for Mastering A Second Language

Pennsylvania State University senior Ryan Elantri has a unique skill set: he’s mastered Mandarin Chinese, and he’s currently minoring in Arabic. Elantri has always seen the value of learning foreign languages, which is why he began pursuing Chinese in the third grade. Mastering a second language can open up tons of new opportunities for you, and it’s never too late to start. Here are some tips to make learning a new language a little bit easier. 

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- If you have a commute, listen to podcasts or audiobooks in the language you are learning. It’s an easy way to fit just a little bit of practice into your day. You can access a huge amount of audio content in foreign language for free online. 

- When you are watching a movie on Netflix, see if you can add subtitles in the language you’re learning, or for an extra challenge, switch the audio into that language. Learning a language from pop culture is often more effective and fun than learning from books. 

- See if you can find an online community where you can practice speaking and writing with others who are learning foreign languages. too. The best way to really test your skills is to interact with another person, and in this environment, you won’t feel judged or overwhelmed. 

- Make a habit of learning a few new vocabulary words every day. Even if you don’t have time to do any other practice, you’ll still be maximizing your vocabulary, which is something that is important in every language.

Ryan Elantri has mastered foreign languages with lots of dedicated practice.