There is an age-old adage that says, “Traveling is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” However, most people wait until they get settled in their life to see the world. But we are here to say that your college years are one of the best times for you to cure your wanderlust.
So apart from some Instagram-worthy posts, how can traveling do you good while you are a student? Read on to find out.
1. Grow Your Personality
Learning is not confined to the pages of a book or the education you receive from schools and colleges. Rather, there is plenty that you can pick from the outside world and the people you engage with. In order to do that, you need to get past your comfort zone and challenge yourself. And what better way than traveling to do that?
That being said, as students, you might be wondering how you can find the time to travel. One way is to plan ahead and find some help with your assignments. A reliable college essay writing service like EssayPro can connect you with professional writers who can take care of research, drafting, and editing papers. This means that you can find some spare time to travel or even focus on other hobbies that you are interested in.
2. Study or Volunteer Abroad
When you think of traveling, you are likely to be considering that in terms of taking a vacation. But as a student, you also have the opportunity to use your time traveling to study. An increasing number of colleges are offering study abroad programs. They are partnering with reputable foreign universities to get the cultural exchange going.
You will also be able to use your summer breaks to volunteer with communities in developing countries across the world. This means that you will get more chances to immerse yourself in the culture while setting aside enough time for education at the same time. Moreover, doing a semester abroad will make you look even better on your resume when you graduate.
3. Obtain Different Perspectives
Traveling also gives you a chance to meet new people and experience new cultures. In other words, separation from familiar surroundings can be a great environment for thoughts. You will find yourself questioning many of your beliefs and challenging yourself in new areas. This will help you broaden your perspective of lifestyle and values.
In a way, you will appreciate many things you took for granted back at home. You will lose your assumptions about people from other parts of the world. Traveling abroad will shift your perspective on other countries by immersing in their cultures.
4. Build Confidence
In all likeliness, you might find yourself dealing with a few obstacles without any help. This can be learning a language, using public transport, struggling to do simple shopping, or just being in a different environment. However, you can help build confidence by practicing.
These situations will equip you to tackle other challenges that you will face in your life after college. You won’t find them as obstructive and find yourself more courageous to deal with the difficulties. They can go from just finding a new job to moving across the world to pursue a passion.
5. Network
One of the many advantages of traveling as a student is that you will have a broad network of contacts from all around the world. Be it professional or personal, these connections can turn out to be useful in the future.
In fact, when traveling, you will find that people abroad can be generally very friendly, in spite of what one might assume. Moreover, they can be eager to share their culture and customs. The friendships you make on your way can bring emotional and future career support. They can turn out to be international references, which can be a valuable addition to your resume.
6. Get Amazing Resume
In the current digital landscape, recruiters are looking for those who can add more value to the organization. And in that regard, students who have studied abroad or have traveling experience will be ahead of the competition.
In addition, language skills you can get from practicing abroad can be an attractive trait to prospective employers. In other words, by traveling as a student, you are making yourself a better candidate in the future. Campus recruiters or headhunters from big companies will be more likely to pay attention to such a fresh graduate.
7. Develop Cultural Sensitivity
In the current globalized world, cultural sensitivity is unquestionably important. You might find yourself working with people from different walks of life. Traveling will help you recognize the underlying values behind a particular behavior pattern. It will also help you understand why some matters are important to other people.
For instance, it is not uncommon for people in Spain to take up to two-hour-long breaks for lunch. However, the same would be considered a sign of laziness in the US. But those who have traveled to Spain would understand that this norm is a result of how Spaniards value spending time with family.
Cultural sensitivity can help you understand possible international issues and conflicts. It might also show you how to connect with your colleagues on both personal and business levels.
8. Adapt to Globalization
There is no need to tell you how rapidly the world is globalizing. With the internet and social media, the chances are you will end up traveling for your job or even move to another country.
Traveling abroad can give you a competitive edge in quickly adapting to a demanding schedule. Knowledge of different cultures will let you be proactive about accepting positions abroad. You will also find yourself being more collaborative and easy to work in teams with people from different cultures.
9. Have Fun
Ultimately, traveling makes you rich in the experiences you collect. When you are in college, you might think of many reasons why you shouldn’t go. Studying abroad might delay your graduation, or you might miss your family and friends. And most importantly, you might be scared to take a leap to venture out alone.
However, once you do, you will not only be able to not only learn but also come back with an entirely different outlook that will change how you perceive life.
