This summer, I studied abroad in London and had experiences I wouldn’t return for the world. Studying abroad is one of the most life changing experiences you could ever have, and if you have the opportunity, it is a must-do. It’s never too early to start figuring out what you want to do next summer, or next year. It’s right around the time when you might want to begin thinking about studying abroad if you have the opportunity in the coming years. If you need some persuasion, these are reasons you should definitely study abroad.
1. You will learn about a different culture.
This might be the most obvious benefit of studying abroad, but it might go under-appreciated. It can be hard to understand how different cultures can be from the one you live in if you don’t experience it firsthand. Studying abroad is not only going to be fun, but it will teach you about people and diversity. It will open your mind in ways you don’t know are possible.
2. Every day for months could be one of the best days ever.
In a different country, it isn’t just the culture that is different. It is the ground you walk on, the buildings you pass, and air you breathe. Every day is a new possibility. You could be in a city for months and wake up every day with a completely new set of things to do and sights to see.
3. You can make friends from a different country.
While your friends at home or school might seem cool, it’s not as exciting as befriending people that come from a completely different background. You’ll also learn things about the area you’re in and the culture by hanging out and immersing yourself in the people that live there.
You don’t even necessarily have to befriend them, but by talking with someone sitting next to you on the bus, or before a play, you can both learn so much but also enjoy having a conversation with someone different from you.
4. It looks good on job applications.
Studying abroad inevitably expands your understanding of the world, no matter where you are going. Having this experience under your belt means that you are adventurous and open-minded.
5. If you’re going to a country that speaks a different language, you can actually learn a new language.
This is yet another reason why studying abroad could look really good on your job applications. You’ll develop an understanding of a new language that you otherwise wouldn’t get. Learning a language by immersing yourself in it is the best way to learn a language. Your ability to speak the language of the country you’re studying abroad in will certainly improve, and that is something impossible to get in your home school.
6. You’ll become more independent.
Having studied both far away from home but in the US and studying across the Atlantic, I know that I have grown so much from my experience. College is one thing, but going abroad is another.
Being in a new culture, in a place so far away from home, means that you find out things about yourself that you wouldn’t be able to otherwise. You have only yourself to help you through everything different, which forces you to grow up. You need to make sure you are prepared to handle any of the possibilities of a new place, whether they are good or bad. And good or bad, they will help you grow up in a way you couldn’t at home.
7. Check things off your bucket list.
Admittedly, you could do this anywhere. But there are some things that just don’t exist at home. Living in another country is one of the obvious ones. But there is also visiting landmarks, like Stonehenge or the Eiffel Tower. There is meeting people from other countries, or eating a meal that they don’t serve at home. Everywhere is unique, and there is always something new to try no matter where you are. Studying abroad gives you the time to do everything.
8. Gain new perspectives.
Maybe I’m just dumb, but I had never really thought about how different England could be from the United States. When I went abroad to London, it was exactly when the UK left the EU. This allowed me to understand the UK government much better than I would have before, and I could talk about Brexit with UK citizens. I was reading British news and began to feel very connected with that government and those people. It is different from the United States, but it was hard to see that before I had been to England. When you’re abroad, you can speak to your professors about the current events, and listen to their opinions on them. Hearing those allows you to draw new conclusions and look at the events happening in the US with a new lens.
9. Learn the differences in teaching, learning, and education in general between countries.
This is one thing that will affect you directly if you study abroad. While I knew that education was different between every country, I never understood that until I went to London. During the orientation day we had before classes actually started, they explained to us the differences in grading, expectations, and what was considered disrespectful that might not be considered so at home. Thus began a journey of attempting to write papers for a different rubric from what I was used to. While it was scary at first, it allowed me to realize a new way to write, and I began to work harder on my papers than I would have before, not out of necessity, but because I wanted to get better by a new standard.
10. The stories you have from studying abroad can stimulate any kind of conversation.
It’s new. It’s different. And when people find out that you studied abroad, they ask questions, and they get excited. As someone who has a lot of issues talking to strangers, it’s nice to have something to fall back on for conversation now. Study abroad isn’t just experiencing a new country, but it’s living in a different country, interacting with different people, learning about a different world, and having an adventure. Nothing is off topic when it comes to talking about your experience, and any conversation you’re having about it could go in a hundred directions.
11. The friends you make abroad can last a lifetime.
This one might go without saying, but it is by far one of the best parts of studying abroad. The people you meet, whether they are studying abroad with you or were born and raised in the country you’re visiting, can become lifelong friends. There are some experiences you cannot have without becoming close with people, and living abroad is one of them.
