Ideas for my month off? (Solo)

So I have a month off previous to my start date to do whatever. My gf will be starting right after graduation so unfortunately, traveling with her is not an option, and traveling alone does not appeal to me, and neither does studying for the GMAT/preparing for myjob

Are there any programs out there that you guys would recommend, I would definitely consider traveling alone if it could be with a organization or group etc, this would be for the month of June.

Thanks!

26 Comments
 

start a company.

People tend to think life is a race with other people. They don't realize that every moment they spend sprinting towards the finish line is a moment they lose permanently, and a moment closer to their death.
 

an alternative to travelling: dedicate yourself to learning something cool that's do-able in a month. you wont be an expert at anything, but it will be a good starting point for a hobby. some ideas:

-golf/tennis/squash -martial arts -guitar/keyboard/turntables

see if you can get over the "beginners hump" before your job starts so it's something you can realistically continue to pursue with a full-time job. that's what i would do.

Money Never Sleeps? More like Money Never SUCKS amirite?!?!?!?
 

Work out/Stay fit. Your health might take a kick in the balls when you start working...

- Bulls make money. Bears make money. Pigs get slaughtered. - The harder you work, the luckier you become. - I believe in the "Golden Rule": the man with the gold rules.
 
International Pympwork out a shitload, eat extremely healthy, play sports etc... Ske7ch is correct.

This. Combine with some travel and fun. I definitely noticed my eating/workout habits taking a slight hit upon starting. It is actually not super difficult to eat healthy, as a lot of the Seamless options are healthy, and most people in the office eat healthy, but getting to the gym can be hit or miss. Also, don't let people make you feel like you life is over. I assimilated into my group and was a great fit, so they love to take me out for drinks often... we work hard play hard. As long as you can get your shit done, you'll have opportunites to have fun... just not 5+ times per week as you could in school.

Enjoy the month and do something fun that you'll remember...

 
PIESo I have a month off previous to my start date to do whatever. My gf will be starting right after graduation so unfortunately, traveling with her is not an option, and traveling alone does not appeal to me, and neither does studying for the GMAT/preparing for myjob

Are there any programs out there that you guys would recommend, I would definitely consider traveling alone if it could be with a organization or group etc, this would be for the month of June.

Thanks!

J.Well I do enough of laying on my ass all day as it is so that is not as appealing to me, already been an athlete all my life as well, however I will take the gym advice has slipped recently

I'm looking for something such as everest base camp, that seems awesome except the cost might go into the 6-7k range which is a bit out of my budget.

Same person?

The answer to your question is 1) network 2) get involved 3) beef up your resume 4) repeat -happypantsmcgee WSO is not your personal search function.
 

I was in your situation a few months ago. Goto south America. Europe is just a waste of money. I did Argentina/Brazil. Couple of the best months of my life. Honestly you won't go wrong with either of those along with Colombia, Bolivia, Peru. Argentina is the safest-Colombia/brazil most dangerous. Plus your money will go along way everywhere except Brazil. However, Brazil was insanely fun, so I as I was once told "pay-to-play."

P.S. I speak no Spanish/Portuguese but figured out enough to manage. Way less people than you can imagine actually speak English so keep that in mind.

 
Gobears88I was in your situation a few months ago. Goto south America. Europe is just a waste of money. I did Argentina/Brazil. Couple of the best months of my life. Honestly you won't go wrong with either of those along with Colombia, Bolivia, Peru. Argentina is the safest-Colombia/brazil most dangerous. Plus your money will go along way everywhere except Brazil. However, Brazil was insanely fun, so I as I was once told "pay-to-play."

P.S. I speak no Spanish/Portuguese but figured out enough to manage. Way less people than you can imagine actually speak English so keep that in mind.

Did you go alone? If so how did you plan it?

 
Gobears88I was in your situation a few months ago. Goto south America. Europe is just a waste of money. I did Argentina/Brazil. Couple of the best months of my life. Honestly you won't go wrong with either of those along with Colombia, Bolivia, Peru. Argentina is the safest-Colombia/brazil most dangerous. Plus your money will go along way everywhere except Brazil. However, Brazil was insanely fun, so I as I was once told "pay-to-play."

P.S. I speak no Spanish/Portuguese but figured out enough to manage. Way less people than you can imagine actually speak English so keep that in mind.

This. And chase pussy.....even if you are too faithful to actually follow through. South America is the shit, especially Buenos Aires...you can live like a king.

 
porkbellies
Gobears88P.S. I speak no Spanish/Portuguese but figured out enough to manage. Way less people than you can imagine actually speak English so keep that in mind.
This. And chase pussy.....even if you are too faithful to actually follow through. South America is the shit, especially Buenos Aires...you can live like a king.
And meet Patrick, duh.
I am permanently behind on PMs, it's not personal.
 

build your own speakers. you can find some good resources on the web. my buddy built his own speakers and they sound incredible and are very loud. you can do this in a month, learn a new skill, and have a really interesting thing to talk about in your new apartment. plus if you are a math person, designing speakers requires a good deal of algebra

looking for that pick-me-up to power through an all-nighter?
 

Spend the money you dont have yet...

I hung out with friends who were in the same boat, and went to vegas. Probably wouldn't go to Vegas if I had a gf though...

Spend time with friends, you won't see them for a while.

It is what it is
 

Go out to New Zealand. You can get on a hop on hop off tour bus and meet a lot of people your age. It doesn't feel like you're traveling alone at all from the friends you make and you still have the ability to stay in cities for different lengths of time depending on what you want to do. They all speak English and there's a ton of activities to do and lots of partying. Check out straytravel.com for more details. I did this for a month and loved it.

 

If you want an organized trip, maybe look into Backroads or NOLS but those can get pricey.

There's nothing wrong with traveling alone. It's cheaper, you do what you want, and nobody judges the stupid decisions you make. The most fun I had in Europe was when I split from the group and met random people and had outside the box experiences. I bet SA is even wilder.

I like the build something with your hands suggestion...and I need new speakers. Too bad I gave up math 2 years ago.

 
Best Response
LeveragedFiendIf you want an organized trip, maybe look into Backroads or NOLS but those can get pricey.

There's nothing wrong with traveling alone. It's cheaper, you do what you want, and nobody judges the stupid decisions you make. The most fun I had in Europe was when I split from the group and met random people and had outside the box experiences. I bet SA is even wilder.

I like the build something with your hands suggestion...and I need new speakers. Too bad I gave up math 2 years ago.

You can find some pre-measured kits online so you don't have to do the math. I plan on doing this myself when I'm home this summer. It really is an awesome talking point for your room.

For anyone interested in speaker building, here is a good resource: http://www.parts-express.com/projectshowcase/indexn.cfm?project=Tritrix

looking for that pick-me-up to power through an all-nighter?
 

Ut alias ipsa vitae ullam qui qui dicta. Voluptatibus quaerat neque atque. Odit est quod accusamus sed.

Rerum sapiente sunt illo neque voluptatibus earum. Dicta sunt quaerat temporibus inventore magni. Aut delectus quisquam deleniti nostrum adipisci.

Iste sed eaque nulla quia voluptas. Eum ut deserunt et similique est. Autem mollitia excepturi dolorem ratione voluptate sed architecto.

Ipsum aspernatur nam laboriosam eaque nemo nulla. Voluptas aperiam quibusdam quos sequi velit suscipit quia aspernatur. Neque minus explicabo temporibus tempore quod. Inventore est quia reprehenderit quisquam magnam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”