Opinion: Travel inspires students to succeed

This spring break, students need to close their textbooks, lock up their apartments and pack their bags so that they can get away — far away.

Taking the scenic route from campus this year can help students find purpose and peace going into finals. It’s easy to become consumed with stress as the last month of classes approaches, and before we start slamming the library for study time, it’s important to engage yourself in activities that will bring you fulfillment.

Travel is one of the best ways to do that, according to an article by the Los Angeles Times, which said that more than 80 percent of Americans noticed significant drops in stress after traveling for just a day or two. This decrease in stress inspires a mental boost in happiness and satisfaction.

According to a poll by The Global Commission on Aging, the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies and the U.S. Travel Association, 86 percent of those who travel are more satisfied with their outlook on life. Escaping the walls of your dorm and the traffic of Atlanta in favor of something new and exciting is a great way to be kind to your mental health.

Traveling is a great way to gain perspective away from the drawl of the classroom, too. Lounging on the beach or exploring a new city sparks a student’s youthful curiosity, and, according to an article by the Atlantic, boosts creativity. All of this considered, traveling increases a student’s productivity dramatically, something everyone needs before cramming for finals.

Leaving Kennesaw and experiencing the world during spring break can teach you more than a classroom ever could. Immersing in travel will help a student appreciate how vibrant and diverse the world outside of class can be.

Flights are significantly less expensive during spring break as well. According to Expedia and TripAdvisor, an airline ticket to New York City during April costs about $170 while the same trip during July costs closer to $230. The wise college student would use these prices to their advantage and seize the opportunity spring break gives them to travel somewhere they’ve never been before.

Not to mention that all your KSU friends will be off at the same time you are, too. Getting a group together to travel with for spring break is so much easier compared to the summer when other people are juggling jobs, internships and sometimes classes. Giving yourself and your friends a change of pace during the semester will be fun and affordable.

This spring break, don’t settle for a stay-cation. Netflix and that gallon of ice cream can wait — traveling for just a few days is far more enlightening than staying home.

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