Everyone goes one of two ways after graduating college. Most will go the route that has them finding a job related to their studies and finally becoming an adult. Then there are those that put off starting life as an adult and decide to travel for a few months. This post is going to talk about why you might want to consider going this route and traveling after college.
You Get Real World Experience
Learning in the classroom is a great way to learn, but you learn so much more by just living life. When you are in a foreign land, with no one to rely on other than yourself, you learn very quickly how to survive. This could include learning the language or the train system or even how to find shelter on a budget.
The lessons you learn while traveling will stay with you for the rest of your life. And like I said above, you’ll never learn these things by sitting in a classroom and reading a book.
It Helps To Build Character
When you are out on your own, with only yourself to rely on, you will build character. You will see the person you are supposed to become. When you return and land a job, you will know so much more about yourself – both strengths and weaknesses ñ that you will better be able to handle work and life related issue.
My wife traveled to Southeast Asia after college and learned that she could rely on herself when times got tough. Fast forward to her working in her first job and she had piles of work with a deadline to meet. If she hadn’t traveled, who knows how she would have handled things. But because she did travel, she knew she could easily handle the workload and meet the deadlines.
See The World Differently
When you only experience one culture during your life, you think that the rest of the world is the exact same way. And if you are here in America, you think that others have it just as good. But the reality is that the rest of the world is nothing like it is in your neck of the woods.
Even if you are poor by American standards, you are still rich by the standards of other parts of the world. By seeing how others live and what others cultures are all about, you become more appreciative of what you have and more compassionate towards others. Both of these qualities are paramount if you truly want to live a great life.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to travel after college, most skip out on it. I would urge you to think twice. You will learn so much about yourself and the world around you that you will become a better person than had you not traveled.
Plus, there won’t be a better time in your life to travel. Once you get a job, you will find a place to live, meet someone and eventually start a family. With obligations, it becomes less feasible to travel for a few months and not have to worry about money. By traveling right out of college, you have fewer obligations and therefore can handle the getaway. So what are you waiting for? Start planning now!
Love it! I hope everyone becomes open to the idea of traveling the world. It really does provide experience you can’t replicate in the work force. When I graduated I was so eager to get into the workforce and make money. But after a couple of years working I wanted the freedom I had in college (the grass is always greener I suppose). So when I was ready to change jobs- I quit and travelled for a bit. It was perfect! Plus, unlike so many haters, I had no issues getting back into the work force. Interviewers like that I have travelled 🙂
I did this after college and had the time of my life. As it turns out, it was also a frugal thing to do. I spent 4 months in Europe and saw 20 countries and the whole thing cost me $5,000.
It would have cost me way more to see Europe 2 weeks at a time over the rest of my life. So, when you think about it, a long backpacking trip is really just a way to save by buying in bulk.