What do you wish you had done the summer after graduation?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6855946

by driss • 13 years ago

9 7 13 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I am very passionate about tech and will be joining the valley in late August, but how should I spend my summer? A couple thoughts 1) join an intensive code school 2) travel asia 3) work for a startup in India. Any insight would be greatly appreciated

stackcollision• 13 years ago

Travel. That's what I wish I had done. I'm going back to school for my masters soon, and when I get done I'll be traveling for a while. Don't waste your youth sitting around, there's a lot of world out there.

moxie• 13 years ago

Everything you've done until this moment has defined beginnings and endings. Even when you can barely stand to sit in class another day, you can always tell yourself that it'll all be over in a year or two years or whatever.

Once you start working, you're expected to do that for the rest of your life. So don't be too eager to jump into a career as soon as you can.

Also, you can only desire based on what you know. Most people graduate from school having gone through one giant funnel that took them to that point, so the direction you're facing now might be more a reflection of that framework than yourself. Take some time to step outside traditionally supported structures and do something completely different.

Hitchhike to Alaska, start a band and go on tour, ride a bicycle as far as you can, start a traveling puppet show. Do whatever — but make it really uncomfortable, and make it count.

My canonical advice: http://www.thoughtcrime.org/blog/career-advice/

nayshins• 13 years ago

If you travel, you should go by yourself. I went to New Zealand for 6 weeks by myself, and it was a formative experience for me: Meet new people, live in the moment, and don't say no to any experience! This attitude led me to doing so many things I never could have imagined doing before. Best of luck to you in the beginning of your career!

edit:spelling

beachstartup• 13 years ago

easy question, easy answer. travel asia.

better yet, visit europe and south america also.

davidsmith8900• 13 years ago

- I wish I had launched a startup.

steveinator• 13 years ago

Lots of suggestions to travel. If you choose to do so, I'd recommend traveling cheaply and openly. Its an incredible feeling to travel with no defined end date or destination. Try long distance hiking, or a one way ticket to a cheap area of the world. WWOOFing if you're into farming/sustainability. The style of not having an end date allows you to take your time in an unstressfull situation to ponder the world and where you want to take your career, then when something motivates you enough, you can immediately stop and pour all of your energy into it.

jboggan• 13 years ago

Buy a cheap motorcycle and head in no particular direction.

What do you wish you had done the summer after graduation?

Related Stories