By Janet Menosky Smith
The idea of meeting students online while experiencing the freedom of traveling is powerful, but traveling while tutoring presents its own set of challenges as well. Here are some tips for making it work and avoiding dreaded downtimes and work interruptions.
On July 1st, I packed my marshmallow roasting sticks and my computer (and a few other things!) and embarked on a month-long camping trip. My plan was to enjoy the outdoors and meet my students online, while enjoying a new environment.
I’ve been away for up to 2 months at a time and continued to work with my students. It’s definitely one of the best reasons to tutor online!
However, I’ve also discovered that most campgrounds have poor internet service, chiefly because the connection is not strong to begin with, and it is being shared by many other campers. There are options you can explore and that many camper/wanders use:
Option 1 – The Dream Option – Your campground has excellent Wi-Fi! Rejoice and make merry! This is truly wonderful when it happens. Usually though, it’s not the case, or at the very least, you still need a backup in case of outages.
Option 2 – The Hybrid Option – using the campground Wi-Fi plus your own phone carrier’s hotspot as needed. This option is good if you are not a long-term or full-time wanderer/camper but traveling for a week or up to a month. While the campground Wi-Fi is often weaker, sometimes it works well enough during slower times, such as weekday mornings through early afternoon, when few other people are online. If you can use the campground Wi-Fi at times, you can save on using your hotspot data allowance.
Option 3 – Using your phone carrier’s hotspot. This option works well if your phone carrier (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) has good reception where you are staying. You also need to be aware of how much data per month your carrier allots to you on your plan and consider adding more data if needed. When I tutor online, I use about one gigabyte (GB) of data per session, so a plan that offers twenty-five gigabytes will cover about 25 sessions a month. This may not be enough if you tutor more than 4-6 hours per week. Research what other plans are offered and consider upgrading if this will be a primary internet source.
Option 4 – Hybrid hotspot and public internet site. This can work if there is a coffee shop, library, or other public space with strong internet. There are cons to working in a public space, (See my recent post: The Traveling Tutor - part 1) but if you find a good spot, this can work for short-term trips.
The options mentioned so far work mostly for shorter trips, but if you want a longer-term-travel solutions, camper/wanders have found options like these:
Option 5 – Starlink – Starlink is a satellite-based internet service that has the advantage of working anywhere a satellite signal can reach you. This can include places where phone signals are weak or non-existent. It can be a good option for those with significant or long-term travel, especially because there’s an initial investment of $499 for the hardware needed to receive its signal. The monthly cost for the recommended RV is $150. The con with Starlink is that many camper/wanderers find they need to have a clear view of the sky, with no trees or other items obstructing the hardware plate. Weather can also play a factor in reception.
Option 6 – T-Mobile Internet Away Plan. Until recently, T-Mobile’s home internet also worked anywhere you traveled. Many campers took advantage of this and got good internet service wherever they went, if there was a good phone signal. Recently though T-Mobile has cracked down on this by restricting access away from home and offering a monthly Internet Away Plan specifically for those on the go.
Option 7 – Travelfi – Travelfi was created specifically for RV travelers and works by tapping into the available cellular towers of any provider, wherever you go. You purchase a Travel-fi device (starting at $109) and Wi-Fi plan to get started. One advantage of Travelfi is that you can stop the plan anytime you don’t need it and pay only when you are on the road.
Option 8 – FMCA Tech-Connect - For the price of membership ($50) plus an activation fee, you can get truly unlimited full hot spot access for $50 per month. This YouTube video explains how it works: The Best Unlimited Internet for RVs.
In the end, it’s not one size fits all.
There are many options out there. The best one for you depends on how much you travel, where you go and how much internet access you need. Doing a search on YouTube using phrases like, “The best internet options for RV travel,” will yield many good options to consider. There really isn’t one best answer since there are many so many different ways to wander and travel while you tutor. May you wander and tutor well!
Yours in reaching & teaching,
Janet
The idea of meeting students online while experiencing the freedom of traveling is powerful, but traveling while tutoring presents its own set of challenges as well. Here are some tips for making it work and avoiding dreaded downtimes and work interruptions.
On July 1st, I packed my marshmallow roasting sticks and my computer (and a few other things!) and embarked on a month-long camping trip. My plan was to enjoy the outdoors and meet my students online, while enjoying a new environment.
I’ve been away for up to 2 months at a time and continued to work with my students. It’s definitely one of the best reasons to tutor online!
However, I’ve also discovered that most campgrounds have poor internet service, chiefly because the connection is not strong to begin with, and it is being shared by many other campers. There are options you can explore and that many camper/wanders use:
Option 1 – The Dream Option – Your campground has excellent Wi-Fi! Rejoice and make merry! This is truly wonderful when it happens. Usually though, it’s not the case, or at the very least, you still need a backup in case of outages.
Option 2 – The Hybrid Option – using the campground Wi-Fi plus your own phone carrier’s hotspot as needed. This option is good if you are not a long-term or full-time wanderer/camper but traveling for a week or up to a month. While the campground Wi-Fi is often weaker, sometimes it works well enough during slower times, such as weekday mornings through early afternoon, when few other people are online. If you can use the campground Wi-Fi at times, you can save on using your hotspot data allowance.
Option 3 – Using your phone carrier’s hotspot. This option works well if your phone carrier (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) has good reception where you are staying. You also need to be aware of how much data per month your carrier allots to you on your plan and consider adding more data if needed. When I tutor online, I use about one gigabyte (GB) of data per session, so a plan that offers twenty-five gigabytes will cover about 25 sessions a month. This may not be enough if you tutor more than 4-6 hours per week. Research what other plans are offered and consider upgrading if this will be a primary internet source.
Option 4 – Hybrid hotspot and public internet site. This can work if there is a coffee shop, library, or other public space with strong internet. There are cons to working in a public space, (See my recent post: The Traveling Tutor - part 1) but if you find a good spot, this can work for short-term trips.
The options mentioned so far work mostly for shorter trips, but if you want a longer-term-travel solutions, camper/wanders have found options like these:
Option 5 – Starlink – Starlink is a satellite-based internet service that has the advantage of working anywhere a satellite signal can reach you. This can include places where phone signals are weak or non-existent. It can be a good option for those with significant or long-term travel, especially because there’s an initial investment of $499 for the hardware needed to receive its signal. The monthly cost for the recommended RV is $150. The con with Starlink is that many camper/wanderers find they need to have a clear view of the sky, with no trees or other items obstructing the hardware plate. Weather can also play a factor in reception.
Option 6 – T-Mobile Internet Away Plan. Until recently, T-Mobile’s home internet also worked anywhere you traveled. Many campers took advantage of this and got good internet service wherever they went, if there was a good phone signal. Recently though T-Mobile has cracked down on this by restricting access away from home and offering a monthly Internet Away Plan specifically for those on the go.
Option 7 – Travelfi – Travelfi was created specifically for RV travelers and works by tapping into the available cellular towers of any provider, wherever you go. You purchase a Travel-fi device (starting at $109) and Wi-Fi plan to get started. One advantage of Travelfi is that you can stop the plan anytime you don’t need it and pay only when you are on the road.
Option 8 – FMCA Tech-Connect - For the price of membership ($50) plus an activation fee, you can get truly unlimited full hot spot access for $50 per month. This YouTube video explains how it works: The Best Unlimited Internet for RVs.
In the end, it’s not one size fits all.
There are many options out there. The best one for you depends on how much you travel, where you go and how much internet access you need. Doing a search on YouTube using phrases like, “The best internet options for RV travel,” will yield many good options to consider. There really isn’t one best answer since there are many so many different ways to wander and travel while you tutor. May you wander and tutor well!
Yours in reaching & teaching,
Janet
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