Studying abroad is a hot trend among college students. A huge proponent of study abroad programs, the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) has long advocated for policies to not only increase the number of study abroad programs in North America, but also to encourage and support minorities in their study abroad endeavors.
Students everywhere are reaping the benefits of international study. The number of college students studying abroad is at a record high, with over 289,000 students spending from a few weeks to a full year in another country during their undergraduate studies – 9 percent of all undergraduates.
Studying abroad while attending a North American institution is one way to experience college in another country. But have you considered spending all four college years in another country?
Whether you’re considering studying abroad for a semester or spending the entirety of your college career in a foreign country, take a look at some of the benefits of international education.
When you attend college abroad, you will:
1. Experience a new culture.
When you pursue your education in a foreign country, you’ll see the world firsthand. It’s one thing to read a book, watch a film, or look at a photo of an historic Aztec monument; it’s another to see it for yourself. You’ll spend your day-to-day life immersed in a culture totally different from your own and gain both understanding and appreciation.
2. Save money.
In North America, a college education has increased in cost by 500 percent since 1985. Attending college abroad can save you thousands of dollars while still providing you with a top-tier education. Elite institutions in places like Japan or Eastern Europe will provide quality instruction at a fraction of the cost of studying in the US.
3. Dispel stereotypes you may once have held.
As part of experiencing a new culture, you’ll learn the ins and outs of how people live in other places. This can help knock down stereotypes you’ve heard about other countries. Even better, you can bring your newfound perspective home with you to educate others.
4. Expand your palate.
Nothing will cure a picky eater like spending time in another country, where you’ll be all but forced to try new and exciting cuisines. Enjoy it – it’s part of the experience!
5. Build your resume.
Your exposure to a new country will build your international, language, and communication skills tremendously – and all of these skills are worthy resume builders.
6. Improve job prospects back home.
Studying internationally can advance your career in ways you may never have imagined. For example, when you apply for a job, you’ll stand apart from other candidates who don’t have the skills or experience you gained while you were abroad.
7. Improve job prospects abroad.
If you decide to pursue a career abroad, receiving an education in another country will put you ahead of the game.
8. Go on new adventures.
Spending a substantial amount of time in a foreign country will allow you the opportunity to try something you might never have done back home. Consider ziplining through the canopy of the Amazon Rainforest or skiing in the Alps (as long as you get your homework done on time).
9. Broaden your horizons.
Attending a university abroad will open up the way you see the world, and your new global mindset will serve you well for the rest of your life.
10. Be truly independent.
For many young adults, college is their first experience of independence. Pursuing your education abroad will offer you even more independence, teaching you to be self-sufficient and preparing you to get through any major life change down the road.
11. Improve your foreign language skills.
If you’re already studying a foreign language, attending college abroad will allow you to hone your skills in a fully immersive environment. When you come back, you’ll speak your second language better than ever before.
12. Learn a totally new language.
Attending college in a location where you don’t speak the language can prove both challenging and highly rewarding. There are many English-language universities in countries like Japan, Singapore, and The Netherlands – which will allow you to receive instruction in your native language while also taking advantage of the immersive experience of living in another country.
13. Take your education further.
Whatever your area of study, attending college abroad can broaden your academic horizons in ways you might never have otherwise experienced. For example, an art history major will have opportunities to thrive in Rome, while someone with interests in STEM may find a community of like-minded academics in Singapore.
14. Feel humbled and inspired.
Immersing yourself in another culture will push you out of your comfort zone. This can be scary, but it’s also eye opening. Relying on yourself to thrive in a foreign country may be the most empowering thing you’ll do in your young adult life.
15. Gain a new perspective.
When you pursue your degree abroad, you’ll also learn more about how the world works than you would if you’d stayed in your bubble back home. You’ll get a sense not only of how global issues affect the country you’re studying in, but also of how these issues relate to your own life.
16. Receive a better education than you would at home.
Unless you’re going to Harvard, chances are good that an education you receive abroad will be of a higher caliber than one you’d receive in the U.S. The list of the top 100 universities worldwide according to U.S. News & World Report includes colleges in the UK, Australia, Latin America, and beyond.
17. Learn about other ways of living.
Some programs will allow you to live with a host family. Whether you stay with a family or live on your own, you’ll get real a sense of day-to-day life in your country of study.
18. Learn about your own culture.
Many people who study abroad do so because they want to learn about their own roots. Someone of Irish descent might attend college in Dublin, while a second-generation Latino may benefit enormously from studying in the country of his heritage.
19. Grow in ways you never dreamed.
Traveling away from the U.S. will be an education all on its own. Students who attend college in foreign countries find that they become full-time learners, discovering and experiencing something new every day.
20. Appreciate your home.
Homesickness comes and goes, but your appreciation for your home life will grow – and when you get home, those bonds will be even stronger.
