Why Students Should Travel Cross Country After Graduation
Post-collegiate life can be confusing. After gliding across the graduation stage, you may be lost on where to go next. Do you jump straight into the workforce or tackle graduate school while your momentum is in full-swing? Do you soul-search or buckle down? A cross-country journey through the United States may be the open-ended answer you didn’t know you needed.
Whether you’ve completed your studies in eight semesters or eight years, celebrations are in order. Why not take advantage of your newfound freedom? Stop waiting for “someday” to come around and make use of today in an extraordinarily big way. You’ve dedicated all of your focus and energy to completing one main goal. Now that you’ve crossed undergraduate education off of your To Do List, it’s time to move onto the next adventure.
To some, traveling abroad is believed to be the best way to experience another culture. The United States, however, flourishes in cultural diversity. If a different way of life is what you’re after, you may not have to venture off to an entirely new world. A unique variety of culture and opportunity can be yours to explore — without having to apply for a passport!
College graduates who were born, raised and educated all in one region can benefit from exploring what the rest of the United States has to offer. Sick of the southern sun? Head north and change your perspective! Tired of the historical east coast? Introduce yourself to the innovation of the west coast!
Cross-country travel can not only change your perspective on where you want to be, it can change the course of how you get there. Whether your prospective professional field is established and solid or young and growing, opportunities will uniquely differ from region to region. Journey through booming cities and meander through cozy small towns. Take time to genuinely appreciate the beauty of the previously unknown. Along the way, scan through the local job market. Whether you reach for the classifieds section at a diner or sift through Google search results, keep your next career move on the horizon. You never know, your foot-in-the-door opportunity could very well be hiding a thousand miles away.
But even if you don’t stumble upon a job opportunity in your journey, the adventure of exploring unknown territory could still prove vital in your future success. Traveling away from your comfort zone just might bring about a newfound appreciation for the place you call home. You won’t know what’s in front of you if you never take a chance to look around. Why not sight-see along the way?