Nobody should be going to college immediately after high school. They should be taking a two year road trip across the country to find out who they are and what they want out of life instead. But still, every year we send millions of inexperienced 18-year-olds down a path of debt, worthless degrees, poor employment prospects, commonness and misery. The results are two full generations of adults who wasted decades of their lives chasing dreams that would never come true. And sadly there's another generation on deck about to do the same. But it doesn't have to be this way. We can all become "Reconnaissance Men" instead.

The Reconnaissance Man (or Woman) takes the time to explore this country, not just to see what this country has to offer, but to find out who they are, where they belong, and what they really want out of life. They don't rush off to college, let alone return to get their "master's degree" until they know about the world around them and precisely how they fit in it. Of course, this journey may take months (more likely years) but that's better than wasting eight years in a school you hate, and 20 years in a career you loathe, only to find out you're 50 and there's no way you can undo what's been done. Become a Reconnaissance Man instead. It's easier, much more fun, and is how life was meant to be lived.