So, you’re studying abroad, you say? So, you’re vacationing in a place with a vastly different culture than you’re used to, you say? So, you want to travel for the rest of your adult life, you say? Here are 10 college courses that can enhance your experience as a traveler, no matter where you go.
1. Foreign Language
Let's knock the most obvious course type out of the way. It will be inherently helpful to know another language, even if it isn’t the language native to the place you are visiting, because you will be more cognizant of how to interpret foreign words than you otherwise would have been.
2. Art History
Americans tend to have less exposure to history, art and culture that has evolved over the course of centuries because we live in a young country. Art history courses can better equip a traveler to understand art within the confines of the historic time-frame it was created in and it can offer a lot of information about architecture that is so commonly overlooked while abroad.
3. Geology
This one threw me for a loop, but my all-time favorite teacher recommended I take a geology course because I want to travel. It is nice to understand cultural beauty in places that are rich in history, but sometimes we travel to places that are just beautiful to look at. Understanding the formation of landscapes, mountains, forests, waterways, etc., can add value and perspective to new places with natural attractions.
4. Comparative Government
Oh boy, oh boy. Understanding a country’s government and how it relates to it’s people is absolutely essential to understanding the culture of a country in full, especially if the type of government is not what you are used to. For example, Russia covers a massive amount of space and this has historically left them very vulnerable to being attacked. It makes sense for them, as a country, to support an authoritarian leader who is able to make quick decisions for them, as opposed to the longer decision making process involved in democratic states.
5. Philosophy
Philosophy can be especially helpful abroad if you find a course that emphasizes logic and reasoning. Strengthening logic and reasoning skills is a good idea for usage in daily life, but traveling oftentimes comes with the unexpected. Building skills that allow you to keep composure and figure your way out of unfamiliar situations by yourself can be key.
6. Religion
Take a world religion course or two! Religion is the core of many cultures, governments, and social practices around the world. All people can benefit from being open-minded enough to learn about why it is that whole nations of people believe what they espouse, and from learning that it is perfectly acceptable for people to believe differently than what we are accustomed to being exposed to.
7. Sociology Or Globalization
Take either type of course. Learn the basics of how masses of people interconnect with each other internally and with the rest of the world. Know how to interact within cultures that may seem strange to you. Know how to be safe in societies that are new to you. Learn what a country’s economy looks like, how globalized it is and how industrialized it is. Do they educated everybody? Is most of the money they bring in from tourism or the production of goods or the intake of services? What opinion do natives have of the country you originate from? All are decent things to know before travelling to a new place.
8. Service Learning
This is another type of class that can just make you a better human being. Learn to appreciate the perks you have from simply living where you do. Learn how to put in work for the sake of someone else, and hopefully these skills can be carried over to the places that you visit. If you’re going somewhere new, then you may as well make the world a little brighter at the same time.
9. Psychology
Psychology with an emphasis on perception is a super cool thing to have knowledge of when going somewhere new. Perception can be everything, particularly where there are language barriers. Learning to analyze people around you can never hurt when trying to be safe in unknown territory. On the flip side, it doesn’t hurt to make sure that you are not unintentionally doing anything that could be perceived negatively to natives.
10. Contemporary Issues
This is truly one of the most eye-opening courses I have ever had the pleasure of taking. Before travelling the world, it is amazing what a difference it makes to actually know what is going on in the world, understand why some social issues are even issues in the first place and how everything in the world relates to you, the traveler.
