Since you don’t get paid much (granted you also don’t have to pay for housing- which would be a lot based on the excellent location we had) – you will probably find your income the most frustrating thing about the program. Luckily, everyone else is also in the same boat, and everyone makes it work in their own way.
Everyone has their own vices and willingness to give things up (i.e. I brought one suitcase compared to 2; I barely bought new clothes, etc)... You just need to go into it knowing you won’t be making the average salary but the experience is worth EVERY penny (and every penny you don’t make!).
I travelled to 12 countries while I was there, so giving up the coffee before work or eating ramen for a month was SO worth it for each trip
Your teams are also extremely understanding of your situation (want to travel/also broke during HH)
The only other thing that some people found challenging was living with roommates from other countries (you get to pick your roommates halfway through the program). I was usually never home (working, classes, travelling, etc) so I didn’t find this as challenging as others.
