Throughout the summer, many students visit new places outside of Tuscaloosa and their hometowns. Whether it’s traveling alone or with friends, students said college life helped them gain confidence to travel independently.
A trip can range from just a quick drive to a long-term road trip, requiring significant planning and determination. Maggie Bearden, a junior majoring in biology and philosophy, took a two-week road trip to Yosemite National Park with four friends she made at the University.
“This was my first time doing a road trip like this,” Bearden said. “We planned it all ourselves, and we were tent camping the whole way out. We all got super close, we were all camping together, we were all hiking and making decisions and compromising and planning.”
For a successful trip, proper planning requires important life skills and trusted friends. Bearden said this trip would not have been possible if she hadn’t already been to college.
“I’ve always wanted to go on a trip out west, but I met the friends I planned it with just last fall,” Bearden said. “I don’t think I could have done it before I met my friends in college or before I felt confident living on my own.”
However, it’s not just long road trips that exemplify college independence. Grace Jones, a sophomore majoring in metallurgical engineering, primarily went on weekend trips, driving to a different city and returning within a few days. This summer, she has been to Atlanta, Memphis, Mobile, Chattanooga and Portland, Indiana.
“This is completely new. Before this summer, I would go on family vacations, and that was it. Traveling by myself, especially when I’m not with friends, when I’m just going to see something I’m interested in, that’s totally new ground for me,” Jones said.
Jones said she has met up with friends she made at the University on some of these trips, but some of them she has done entirely by herself.
“It’s a very relaxing experience with different energy. Unlike traveling with family, there’s no responsibility to keep my younger siblings entertained. It’s just me, by myself or with friends,” Jones said. “The downsides, though, are that gas is expensive and I’ve had some driving fatigue. Driving everywhere long-distance on the weekends is starting to be too much.”
Summer trips can also be a great way of spending time with hometown friends you might be missing out on at college, especially if you attend from out of state. Kelan Janneck, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, took a camping trip with nine of his friends to Haleakalā National Park in his home state of Hawaii.
“We had two friends visiting at the same time that moved away for college but were back on island for a while, and we all went up there for three days,” Janneck said. “Once we got up there, we just hung out and reconnected with our two friends who are no longer living on-island and don’t often visit for summer.”
Campus life can provide valuable experience in taking care of yourself without outside help. Janneck said he had been on camping trips with friends before, but it felt a lot different taking a trip like this since he had been living at college.
“We planned out our meals and schedules for the three days we were up there, and I felt much more confident improvising when I had to,” Janneck said. “It didn’t feel stressful if something made our plans change.”
Hence then, the article about college experience empowers students to take independent self led summer trips was published today ( ) and is available on The Crimson White ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( College experience empowers students to take independent, self-led summer trips )
Also on site :
- ‘The Final Girl Support Group’ Heads To Paramount As Feature To Be Directed & Adapted By Christopher Landon; Aperture & Muschiettis’ Double Dream Producing
- Inside China’s two-speed economy: Why goods consumption is slumping even as exports and services boom
- Capricor Investigation Notice: Levi & Korsinsky Notifies Investors of Pending Investigation Into Capricor (CAPR)