You should to study abroad. By you, I mean every college student who has the opportunity and desires to maximize their college years. After spending my summer at Universidad Veritas in San Jose, Costa Rica, I am more convinced of this than ever. Why? Well, here are fifteen of the greatest reasons why studying abroad is totally worth the time, money, and effort.

1. Gain a new perspective.

Getting into another culture is life-changing and challenging. It provides the opportunity to grasp someone else’s frame of reference and, in turn, to comprehend new aspects of our own.

2. Embrace independence.

A week into my time abroad, my iPhone decided it was tired of working. So, I foundmyself in another country, phoneless, and with my primary means of transportation dependent on my ability to give directions to cab drivers in a language that I did not speak fluently. Studying abroad will stretch you. At times, it is terrifying, but after a few days, you realize you are actually enjoying the challenges. By the time you are ready to return home, those “challenges” are just daily life. You do not even think about them and you will find that many things, which formerly seemed difficult to handle in the States, are easy as can be upon your return.

3. Learn flexibility.

Remember that one time we caught a bus to the beach, stayed at a hotel with no air conditioning, crammed three people in a full-size bed, were woken up by screeching howler monkeys, lost all electricity and Wi-Fi, ate guacamole by candlelight, and hiked twenty-minutes through the pitch-black streets on a desperate hunt for coffee? Yes, that actually happened within a twenty-four-hour period. Studying abroad rarely goes as planned, but the memories you create and the lessons you learn along the way make it more than worth the crazy and occasionally chaotic journey.

4. Acquire new skill sets.

Salsa dancing? Check. Endurance hiking? Check. Surfing? Eh, still working on that one. The point is that a new country, city, and university provide opportunities to learn skills and try things that simply are not an option back home.

5. Check things off the bucket list.

We have a flexibility now that does not exist later in life. Think you’re going to be able to pick up and travel to another country for a semester when you’ve got kids and a full-time job? Not so much. So, enjoy right now. Stop writing items on the bucket list that you say you want to get around to “someday.” Pick a program, choose your country, book a flight and start checking items off your list right now. For me, studying abroad opened the door to so many “bucket list” opportunities, from seeing live sloths in the jungle, to a midnight swim in the ocean.

6. Shatter your comfort zone.

Having a 30-minute conversation with a stranger in a grocery story in a foreign language, working with a ministry to prostitutes on the San Jose streets, hitch-hiking home from volcanoes—I did a lot of things in Costa Rica that were far from my everyday normal in the U.S. Yes, it can be uncomfortable at moments, but it can also be an incredible opportunity for growth. Besides, you’ll have some of the best stories when you get back.

7. Make friends.

Going abroad offers the opportunity to meet a fascinating array of national and international students. The friendships I formed overseas already have us planning cross-country excursions and dreaming of future adventures together. Seriously, you will meet the most amazing people.

8. Study a new language...or master one you have already begun learning.

Prior to leaving for Costa Rica, I studied Spanish for a number of years. However, small-town Tennessee offers few opportunities to use it. Being fully immersed, using the language in everyday conversation and in class, I learned so much more quickly than I would have thought possible. In today’s multicultural world, gaining language skills alone makes a semester abroad worthwhile!

9. Understand yourself better.

When you study abroad, no one comes in with expectations of who you are “supposed” to be. Instead, you learn to be more upfront and honest about who you are. You will have to explain and defend yourself and your choices. As a result, your beliefs and convictions become increasingly clarified and you gain a stronger grasp of what you hold as true and important. I know I did.

10. Impress graduate schools and future employers.

Studying abroad automatically stands out on a resume. In our competitive world of work, an extra boost is always worth the investment.

11. Recognize there’s a whole world outside of your university.

College can be rather all-consuming and it is easy to forget there is a whole world going on outside our little campus bubble. Studying abroad breaks the bubble illusion, reminds you of the world at large and forces you to engage with it.

12. Study under new professors.

I go to a small university and am grateful to have incredible professors in my major. However, getting to study at a new university with different faculty is a fantastic opportunity. This summer, my Costa Rican professor for Intercultural Communication had spent 20 years working with the Peace Corps around the world. Talk about a unique perspective!

13. Discover new professional opportunities.

When you study abroad, you make connections with students, professors, and local businesses that open doors for you to return and spend even more time in your country of choice—and maybe even get paid for it! I walked away from Costa Rica with some exciting possibilities for future returns.

14. Broaden your horizons.

Studying abroad changes the way you see the world. You think more critically, are more conscientious of those around you and hold a greater appreciation for the beauty of other cultures.

So, if you ever get the chance to go, take it. Study abroad. I promise you will change and grow in ways you never imagined.