{"id":3812,"date":"2014-04-03T10:09:31","date_gmt":"2014-04-03T15:09:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/ottawainsight\/?p=3812"},"modified":"2017-11-19T20:16:10","modified_gmt":"2017-11-20T01:16:10","slug":"a-rewarding-path-travelling-while-young","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/ottawainsight\/?p=3812","title":{"rendered":"A rewarding path: travelling while young"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"DSCN9141edited-1\"<\/a>
A young person holds his passport.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With student debt at an average $27,000, according to the Canadian Federation of Students, and the cost of travel steadily increasing, packing up and leaving town can seem more like a retirement dream than a young person\u2019s rite of passage.<\/p>\n

But David Cray, a professor at Carleton University\u2019s Sprott School of Business, recommends that young people don\u2019t need to miss out on an opportunity to travel if they are resourceful.<\/p>\n

People who plan to work or volunteer during their travels may find their experiences fruitful for their future, says Cray. Those who find opportunities abroad will widen their network and widen their life views. These are all attractive qualities future employers will be interested in, says Cray.<\/p>\n

Christopher Mariano, who is graduating from Carleton University\u2019s Bachelor of Environmental Sciences program this spring, is following Cray\u2019s advice. Mariano, who has applied for an English second language teaching position in Japan, says he wants to explore the world but also wants to make sure his adventures abroad are sustainable.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny expenses I would have in the country I move to would be similar to here, and so I am capable of supporting myself,\u201d says Mariano. \u201cI would be paying rent and have a job, whereas if I stay in Ottawa I would be paying rent and looking for a job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mariano will find out in April if he got the job in Japan. His backup plan is to move to England to work part-time. Either way, Mariano plans to experience life like the locals, gain valuable experience, and most importantly not add to his debt.<\/p>\n

Despite the lure of seeing the world, some young people do not foresee an opportunity anytime soon. Colleen Lowrie, who graduated with a\u00a0 social sciences degree at the University of Ottawa, says that her other priorities, like getting a master\u2019s degree, take precedence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a good chance that I won\u2019t do much travelling until I\u2019m much older,\u201d says Lowrie. \u201cBy the time I\u2019m done school I\u2019ll want to have kids and I\u2019ll need money for that. It\u2019s unfortunate, but I\u2019m not sure if I\u2019ll manage much travelling until my own children are in college or university.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is important for everyone to consider other obligations before travelling, says Lorna Unger, the International Exchange Coordinator for Carleton\u2019s Sprott School of Business. Paying for education and buying a home are also important life decisions, she adds.<\/p>\n

Melissa Archibald, a graduate student at Dalhousie University, says she would like to travel more than she already does, but financial obligations are holding her back from her adventures abroad for now.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I may regret travelling so little, but when you have no way to finance it\u2026\u201d Archibald explains. \u201cI also feel that the instances I have travelled have given me new experiences that I can draw on later in life.\u201d<\/p>\n

But travelling and education do not need to be separate. As an international exchange coordinator, Unger has set up many students with opportunities to study abroad for a year. The program Unger manages for the international business students will cost the participants the same amount as their regular tuition plus extra living expenses, she says.<\/p>\n

Cray had helped create the international business program at Carleton. He says studying and working abroad are both impressive to employers that are looking for workers who can stand on their own two feet.<\/p>\n

But travelling young is not the only way. Although it might be more difficult to travel with a family or while settled in a career, if the means are there then \u201calways travel, no matter how old,\u201d encourages Cray.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  With student debt at an average $27,000, according to the Canadian Federation of Students, and the cost of travel<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[300],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-personal-finance-2014"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/ottawainsight\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/ottawainsight\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/ottawainsight\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/ottawainsight\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/80"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/ottawainsight\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3812"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/ottawainsight\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3812\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4515,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/ottawainsight\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3812\/revisions\/4515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/ottawainsight\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/ottawainsight\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/ottawainsight\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}