

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

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
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moxie
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/](http://www.thoughtcrime.org/blog/career-advice/)

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stackcollision
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.

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nayshins
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

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steveinator
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.

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jboggan
Buy a cheap motorcycle and head in no particular direction.

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beachstartup
easy question, easy answer. travel asia.

better yet, visit europe and south america also.

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davidsmith8900
\- I wish I had launched a startup.

