Why Students Should Travel Now

By Madison White on March 1, 2017

Image via lifeofpix.com

Many people say they love to travel, but when is the time to do it? Some people claim that waiting and saving up enough money after establishing a career is the way to go. However, when you put things off in life, they often don’t get done at all.

I believe traveling as a student is imperative to finding your identity as a young person in this huge world.

1. You’re allowed to be selfish

Being a student means you likely only have to worry about yourself and your studies. You probably don’t have a spouse and children to look after. You’re not married to your job either. The things tying you to one place are very few. If there is any time in your life you should be traveling, it is as a student.

You’re probably more worried about what you’re going to do this weekend than what your five-year plan will be. Of course, this isn’t true for every college student, but if you don’t know where you’re going to be this weekend, why not travel somewhere? This is the time to make the memories you’ll cherish for the rest of your life, especially the spontaneous and silly ones.

2. You’re establishing your friends

When you get older, it’s likely that your group of people will condense. It’ll probably consist of your spouse, your family, your coworkers, and a few close friends. But as a student, you’ve yet to find out who your good friends will be. In fact, you’re probably using this time to meet as many new people as possible to find out what you’re really looking for in a good friend.

At this point in your life, you’re open to new people. So if you’re looking to meet new people, why not take a solo trip and meet fellow travelers? You can indulge in the local food together and explore new places. Traveling is probably one of the best ways to truly get to know someone too. Plus, sharing these exciting traveling experiences, with friends new or old, is the best way to travel.

3. Your responsibilities are minimal

Without kids to look after and a job to nourish, you’re free as a bird when you aren’t tied down to your studies. University is great because it allows you entire weeks and sometimes entire months off from studying and working. In a traditional job sense, this probably isn’t going to happen and if you’re taking weeks off, you’re risking missing out on a lot of pay.

As a student, you probably aren’t quite as concerned. You know what they say about your twenties: it’s a time to have fun and experience all the world has to offer. If you’re staying in one place, how could you even really understand what life is all about?

4. Your expectations are low

If you’re a young person, chances are that you haven’t traveled much beyond family vacations. It also means you may be living in a cramped dorm room and on ramen noodles. You don’t live a lavish life and you don’t need to. You can make anything seem like an adventure whether it’s a midnight trip to the grocery store or a party gone awry.

If you’re traveling as a student, you can bet that it’ll be one of the greatest times of your life even if you’re staying in a cramped hostel or sitting in dirty bars. It doesn’t matter to you; you’re just having the time of your life no matter what! Even if you do get stuck somewhere less than perfect, if you have the right attitude and the right people around you, you’re sure to make the best of any situation. Things that seem awful at the time may turn into a great and hilarious story in a couple of months!

5. It can change your life

As a student, and especially as a young person in general, your opinions about the world are still forming. Whether you’re learning from your friends or your teachers, I encourage you to travel and learn all that exploring the world can teach you. Traveling will force you to rethink your place in the world and see other cultures as valuable.

Without travel, people are more prone to thinking with a closed mind. When you travel, you’re forced out of your normal comfort zone and pressured to re-evaluate all of your previously held beliefs. Doing this will help you gain a true sense of who you are and what you really care about. All in all, travel will change your life, especially as a student.

At this moment in your life, you’re afforded opportunities that you won’t find later on down the road. You’re allowed to be selfish. You’re allowed to make spontaneous decisions without having to consult multiple people. The time to travel is now.

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