The Preparation offers an excellent alternative.
For many young Australians, finishing Year 12 is a time of excitement—and anxiety. Exams are over, results are coming in, and the big question looms: “What next?”
University has long been promoted as the default path, but with fees often topping $40,000 a year, it can leave a young adult burdened with $100,000+ in student debt. And after four years in lecture halls, there’s no guarantee they’ll gain real-world skills, develop contacts or achieve financial independence.
I came across an excellent book that might benefit a young person at this point in life. Written by legendary investor Doug Casey, entrepreneur Matt Smith, and twenty-year-old “tester” Maxim Smith, this book presents a complete four-year roadmap that turns potential into capability, confidence, and adventure. The program is split into 16 cycles, each three months long, with a hands-on “Anchor Course” guiding the young person through practical, real-world skills. Across the 16 cycles, participants explore fields that go far beyond what traditional study offers: becoming a paramedic, pilot, rancher, welder, web/app developer, entrepreneur, sailor, musician, multi linguist and more. Each cycle is designed to teach by doing, not cramming. And because it’s structured with an earn-while-you-learn philosophy, a young person can cover costs while gaining experience, industry contacts, and emerge debt-free, packed with skills and confidence. Over four years, a young person could travel, take on real challenges, and build a network of mentors and doers who value action over talk. Maxim Smith put the program to the test, working as a paramedic on wildfires, flying solo across the Rockies, ranching in Uruguay, and sailing the Strait of Magellan—all before turning twenty.
The book offers step-by-step guidance to replicate this kind of extraordinary, real-world education right from Australia or abroad.
If you know a young person who isn’t sure which direction to take, or who wants a path that is exciting, practical, and truly transformative, The Preparation is the gift that could change their life.
Four years. Sixteen cycles. Endless possibilities. Skip the debt. Build the life.
For $50 it might just be the best leg up you could give them.
Chitchat Newspaper. November 2025.