First off, congratulations! Not a lot of people have the drive to save up that money for a big goal. Hostels will give you an active social life but may be di

First off, congratulations! Not a lot of people have the drive to save up that money for a big goal. Hostels will give you an active social life but may be difficult to work with: 1. Some have common areas, but it's usually only quiet during off hours 2. Wifi will be a pain (even if a hostel advertises it, it's usually weak/broken) 3. Your laptop might get stolen, not all hostels have lockers. If they do advertise lockers, it's usually small. Bring your own lock. Some tips: 1. Working at cafes are totally acceptable as long as you purchase items from them once in a while. 2. If you do decide to rent apartments, check out Airbnb. People usually offer discounts for 1-month rentals. It's not so great for durations shorter than 1 week b/c you'll usually have to meet/greet the owners (which becomes difficult in a new foreign city, where you don't have a cell phone and flight/train schedules get delayed a lot) 3. Think about getting a cheap GSM smartphone that can tether. When you arrive in a new country, get a prepaid SIM card with data. It's usually slower, but it's useful when wifi is missing. Once again, congrats and have a lot of fun!