Travelling in your early twenties is becoming quite fashionable these days, but there are still many who are sceptical about the hype.
Whether you’re a sceptical student or the parent of a wanderlust-riddled twenty something, don’t worry: we’re not here to annoyingly convert you, we just want you to see the other side of the coin with these common myths.
Who knows, you might be convinced!
Myth #1: “I’m not confident enough to travel.”
Many people may have heard scary accounts of what happened to students when they travelled abroad, but don’t let that put you off: there are many kinds of trips you can take to suit your personality and taste.
Visiting the European Union. Student exchange in Belgium for International Law. There are many kinds of trips you can take to suit your personality and taste.
If you’re not into adventure and adrenalin then you might not have the most enjoyable experience bungee jumping off a bridge in the Australian outback. Take a more organised volunteering trip with a group instead! The options are endless.
Besides this, we all know that we don’t really grow unless we step outside of our comfort zones, so travelling is a sure-fire way to increase your confidence and discover things that you didn’t think you could do!
Myth #2: “Travelling will leave a gap in my resume.”
Here’s something that you really don’t have to worry about. As long as you can explain the benefits of your travelling experience to a potential employer then travelling is a fantastic way to gain enriching life skills that you would most likely not learn sitting at home and searching for jobs on the sofa.
In fact, in a study conducted by Real Gap, 83% of employers agreed that travelling helps a resume stand out and improves your chances of being shortlisted for an interview!
Myth #3: “I don’t have enough money.”
With some smart saving tips and clever planning, you can create a great trip with almost any budget. Finances are flexible so start pooling money into a fund and figure out the main costs of travel, accommodation and food.
Start saving now. Photo Source CC.
Countries in Asia have way weaker currency than Europe but the flights are pricier; everything balances out so once you’ve worked out what you can do, there’s nothing stopping you taking the trip of a lifetime!
If you’re considering taking a loan, lenders like Boro thrive to help college students get financed for their trip and build credit when they don’t have any.
Check out some of our money saving tips for more inspiration on saving.
Myth #4 “Travelling the world is for hippies and time-wasters.”
Last but not least, here’s one assumption that many think of but don’t say out loud!
It might be true that the ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ traveller is ever popular with the mission of ‘finding’ his or herself in the mystical traditions and landscapes of foreign countries but really, the only person who defines what kind of traveller you are is you.
There’s no denying that travelling will open your mind and give you some unique new experiences. After all, being a student is the time when you’re exploring and learning about yourself the most, so why not take a risk and pack your bags? What have you got to lose!
8 Comments
I started travel at 22, now almost exactly 3 years and 27 countries later I still go ‘ahhh what am I doing?!” when I book a solo trip. It’s usually only when I’m actually on the road that my confidence hits and I’m like “oh yah, I love this!”
Traveling looks sooo good on your resume. At the very least, it gives you and a potential employer something to break the ice talking about. Odds are, if you’ve traveled off the beaten path, most likely nobody else has gone the same place you have. In return, this makes you stand out from the competitions!
Thanks for writing this up Meg, great to see someone debunking these myths! ;-) lol
I kind of regret not traveling more in my 20s. Mind you, I was getting through all of my schooling and going through some difficult times – however! I am clearly making up for it now that I’m in my early 30s. I think that travel in your 20s does help you to build confidence, and help see the world in a different way!
Travel when you can, you can always save money later :-)
Well said Megs!!! It’s never too young to travel the world!
Cost shouldn’t be a worry either as there are plenty of strategies to get airline miles / hotel points to help with travel costs.
Our family of 8 has been traveling a lot more since we started collecting miles and points
Great post! I never had confidence problems on traveling on my own, I have to admit that I have the budget problem. And the world is so big and I want to travel to so many places! You know what they say: when you are student you have the time but not the money, when you are working you have the money but not the time.
Great post! I love the first point you make, that there are different types of trips for different interests. Travel isn’t for one “typical travel type”, travel has options for all sorts of personalities!