Why You Should Travel While You're Young

The truth is you can travel anytime in your life yet there are plenty more opportunities with the flexibility of being a student, rather than having a 9 to 5 job, building out your career, and worrying about a house payment. Experiencing a part of the world before you graduate will be an adventure of a lifetime! You also don’t have to stop taking classes to travel, because studying abroad offers so many options! 

Travel Differently While You Can 

Once you get tied into leases, loans, bills, and other on-going payments after your college days, you’ll realize that it’s harder to get up and relocate to another country for a few weeks or months. However, during undergrad, you have the opportunity to move to another part of the world, meet locals, and explore other countries while these issues aren’t a priority. 

Gaining valuable life experiences that can contribute to your future is what college is all about. Traveling as a young adult is different from a family vacation, because you’re independent, you’re making your own decisions, and choosing what unique experiences to undertake.

When you travel, you’re immersing yourself in other cultures without worrying about what’s going on back home. Studying abroad, in particular, is a great way to delve into a culture different than your own, and embrace all the possibilities that come with travel. 

After college, certain jobs won’t allow more than 2-3 weeks of vacation per year, so take advantage of the countries around you and hop on that plane! Go on adventures, because this is the prime time to do so. As mentioned above, the older a person gets, the more responsibilities they may have weighing on their shoulders, so these are the younger years to make the most of flexible lifestyles.

Utilize Your Resources

Now, the one thing teens and twenty-somethings get to relate to all too well is a limited budget. This should not be a huge problem! Travel can be affordable depending on how much research you’re willing to put in! Stay in a hostel, choose activities that won’t break your bank account, and learn how to get the best deals with some bargaining street smarts.

If you have the desire to study abroad, create a game plan for it! You can apply for scholarships, financial aid, and fundraise to assist with paying for a semester program overseas. There are always plenty of resources to keep in mind when considering going abroad.  

If you’re a student struggling with time management or feeling like you don’t have any available semesters to go abroad, you should make sure that you’ve tapped into all your resources. You could even gain professional and academic experience in a similar way abroad, but your time to travel is limited by the responsibilities you’ll take on down the line. 

Slow Down, Don’t Stop 

Many students have everything all planned out, for the time being, but what if you feel like taking a break from higher education?

EdOdyssey Marketing Intern Amanda Lowrey enjoyed traveling during her summer breaks. Pictured is Ko Phi Phi Islands, Thailand.

Travel during breaks in between semesters, such as interning or volunteering abroad, or take a gap year to help you figure out how you want to spend your next few years. You never know what might inspire you while out on your international journey.

And for anyone who might be skeptical about studying abroad… Why only study about a culture or hear about politics, history, economics, etcetera in a classroom when you can experience it in person? 

Considering taking a gap year to explore the world? Check out our past blog, “Four Reasons Why a Gap Year Makes Sense” to find out how traveling is beneficial toward your education and future!