After Graduation: Choices, Plans and Risks, Part 2

by Flexo on May 31, 2006

in Education

David Bach, the author of The Automatic Millionaire and The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner (the latter of which I reviewed earlier this year), also writes a column on Yahoo Finance. Recently he presented five tips for college graduates just beginning their path to financial security. This follows Part 1.

Here is the next tip Bach is providing for recent graduates:

See the World. The high school trips to England and Niagara Falls in which I participated are more international travel than most people have. Still, I want to do more. I have a friend who is waiting for me to visit Melbourne, Australia and I’d still like to travel around continental Europe. The challenge has been finding time and money.

Actually, according to David Bach’s first tip, the only challenge is myself and the choices I make.

In any case, recent college graduates can travel all over the world by staying in youth hostels or finding cheap accommodations through offering to work where you stay for a short period of time. Bach believes that following graduation is the perfect time to travel, as most recent graduates have not yet started their careers or families.

Here are the benefits of foreign travel as explained by Bach:

Not only is it fun, travel can be life-shaping — and the independence, flexibility, and comfort with other cultures you learn can be career-enhancing, too.

While these are good points, I don’t believe Bach makes a compelling argument for international travel. I believe it’s important to get a first-hand look at other cultures because it creates a better understanding of the world. It can be easy to get boxed in, believing that everyone is like you.

With hundreds of millions of people watching American Idol across the world, people can get the mistaken idea that everyone has the same standards of living, same expectations, same luxuries, and same desires. Traveling to locations such as many African or eastern European countries will present an unfamiliar reality.



About the Author

Flexo, the owner and creator of Consumerism Commentary, has been blogging and writing for the internet since 1995 and has been building online communities since 1991. Find out more about him and follow him on Twitter.

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1 Travis June 1, 2006 at 2:56 am

I completely agree with the impportance of traveling. I studied abroad for 6 months in Bangkok, Thailand, and traveled all over Southeast Asia during my time there and found it to be one of, if not the most, rewarding experience of my four years of college. I also spent Spring Break time visiting friends who were studying in Europe. In addition, I realized I have a love of traveling, and it has piqued the interest of many of the interviewers I have met with over the past few months. For credit or for pleasure, it is a nice way to stand out.

The college I recently graduated from has made 2 out of the following 3 items necessary for incoming classes in order to graduate: internship experience, service learning weekly hour requirements, or a study abroad program. It is a fantastic idea that all colleges should look at exploring.

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