At the beginning of my sophomore year, I made a drastic decision. After breaking up with my ex and watching Eat Pray Love one too many times, I decided to make a change, a change that would take me thousands of miles and an ocean away from the only home I’d known. After mulling it over I walked into Dr. Tuttle’s office empty-handed and asked for pamphlets on our all of our study abroad programs. I knew it would be tough, and I knew I would get homesick, but I didn’t want to miss out on something that so many people regret not doing. Eight months and one long plane ride later, I found myself in Landau, Germany. I could only say three words and knew absolutely no-one; yet the four months that I spent there quickly became the best experience of my life. I know studying abroad isn’t for everyone but here are my top ten reasons to get your butt into the study abroad program.
1. You get a free plane ticket to Europe.
Coming in at an average rate of $1,200 a pop, a free plane ride to Europe is not something to pass up. While it might be hard to leave your friends and family for a few months, they’ll be here when you get back. A free ticket to Europe won’t last forever.
2. You can travel to a different country in a few hours.
In the time it took you to drive to Greenville for a Clemson game, you could hop on a train and be touring the Vatican in Rome or sipping wine along the Seine River in Paris. Your sense of FOMO of things going on in South Carolina will be nothing in comparison to the amazing experiences you’ll have if you study abroad.
3. The food.
That brings me to my next point. THE FOOD. Seriously, I know that you may thing there’s nothing better than your momma’s home cooking, but have you ever had Crème Brûlée in Paris or Spaghetti Bolognese in Florence, Italy? America may be known as the melting pot, but nothing is better than the original.
4. The wine/beer.
If you think PBR is classy, you haven’t seen anything yet. Germany is known for its beer; they even have a national holiday dedicated to drinking. However, if you prefer wine you won’t find anything like the wines in European countries. From sweet Rieslings in the Rheinland to the fruit-filled Sangria’s in Barcelona, there really isn’t anything in America that can compare. Also, did I mention a great bottle can be as cheap as $4.00.
5. Living expenses in European countries are half of what they are here.
I know one of the biggest reasons people don’t study abroad is the money, but hear me out. FMU pays for your plane ticket. The money you would use for gas for a semester is the same amount you would use traveling. Groceries and eating out is half the price it is in America. Your rent is also much cheaper for the most part. And to top it off, the money you save on not having to pay bills will be enough to help pay your traveling/shopping expenses.
6. You make friends from all over the world.
You’ll make friends from places like Africa, Hong Kong, Finland, Russia, Brazil, etc. Meeting people from all over the globe gives you the opportunity to see how differently people from around the world live. Not to mention you can save up and visit those friends again one day.
7. You'll learn a lot outside the classroom.
Studying abroad gives you problems that you have to solve without calling mom and dad. You learn how to approach people because you have to ask for help. You learn to take care of your own problems. Take for instance, running out of laundry coins after you’ve washed (not dried) your clothes.
Make no mistake studying abroad can be hard but it can also be wonderful. You learn life isn’t going to be a cake walk, but you learn how to cope with it on your own and adjust.
8. The scenery.
Yes,
I know South Carolina is drop dead gorgeous, but have you ever seen the sun set
in Florence, Italy or visited Monet’s Garden in Giverny, France? Everything about
Europe is stunningly beautiful from the baroque architecture in Prague to the
stunning Alps. I can promise you, you'll never see that exact type of beauty in SC.
9. You'll come back with the most unbelievable stories.
Studying abroad gives you stories like hitch-hiking in France, cliff diving in Cinque-Terre Italy, sleeping in a glorified homeless shelter in London, and drinking champagne at a millionaire’s roof-top party. Who wouldn’t want stories like that?
10. If you do it right, it will be one of the best experiences of your entire life.
Studying abroad is what you choose to make it. I know people who stayed in their room Skyping people back home and came out of the experience with nothing, but if you put effort into it, I promise it will be worth it. Yes, it’s scary to move that far away, and it's not always fabulous, but there’s so much outside of SC to experience. If you take this shot, you’ll gain much more than you ever expected. You’ll make life life-long friends from all over the globe. You’ll be able to eat food that you would never get in the states, and you’ll have stories that will never get old.
