Today, more students than ever are being presented with the opportunity to study abroad during their time in college. Personally, I never really felt the drive to study abroad until the summer after my sophomore year, when I randomly decided to apply to a summer study program in Cambridge, England. What began as a complete whim turned into the best month and a half of my college life. Before I left I was ready to change my mind and stay home, but now, given the chance, I would be on a plane back to England in a heartbeat. So for anyone who is wrestling with the idea of packing up and leaving the country for a few weeks, months, or more: you won't regret it. Take the leap and seize this unique and amazing opportunity while you have the chance!
1. New perspectives
If you have lived in the same country for your entire life, it can be difficult to form a worldview beyond the narrow lines of the place you call home. Studying and living abroad can provide a way for you to experience new cultures and traditions that can only be truly understood through immersion and participation. Even if you are only able to study abroad for a short time, the benefits can be enormous in terms of gaining insight into other ways of life and enriching your understanding of the world. As Mark Twain once put it, “Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.”
2. The food
If you're anything like me, one of your favorite parts of traveling in general is experiencing interesting, authentically prepared foods. While you don't technically have to study or live abroad in order to try new cuisines, spending a more significant amount of time than a week or two of vacation in another country will allow you the opportunity to try things beyond just the main, touristy attractions. When you live somewhere for a decent stint, you give yourself the ability to find local restaurants and hidden gems that you will most likely miss everyday after returning home (looking at you, Urban Shed).
3. Less class stress, more free time
One of the greatest things about taking classes abroad is that, generally, the course load is not particularly overwhelming because you are there to experience much more than just school. From my experience, I had three hours of class a day and the rest of the time was either free or filled with planned day trips to other parts of England. The ample free time gave me the chance to explore the city, visit other cities and countries, and form close bonds with the people around me without feeling stressed about keeping my grades up. Plus, for many programs, credits are transferred to your main school without the GPA attached, which can really take the stress out of the experience. While the school aspect of studying abroad is obviously important, you're also there for the culture and the experience, and whether that includes traveling to as many places as possible, exploring the ins and outs of your campus, or experiencing the night life of your city regularly, you shouldn't have to worry about classes dampening your time abroad.
4. New relationships
The friendships you make while studying abroad are going to be unique and special in a way that other friendships are not. Those people will be your best friends for your time abroad and you will spend an unreasonable amount of time with them, and in the process a bond will be formed that just can't be explained without experiencing it for yourself. The best part is that many of the friends you make through your program will likely be people that you never would have met were it not for the shared adventure of studying abroad, and you definitely without a doubt will reminisce nonstop once you're back in your home country together. As an added bonus, you might just end up meeting your significant other in the process (and then end up like me and still have them around a year later!).
5. Finding yourself
By far the best part of studying abroad comes down to how it will change you as a person. Living in a new environment away from family and friends can be scary, especially if it's the first time that you don't have the option to jump in a car or train and go home for the weekend when you get a bit homesick. Studying abroad forces you to grow up a little and make your way around places where people might not speak the same language as you or make an entirely new group of friends. The independence can be a little overwhelming at times, but it will help you become a more mature, cultured, and open-minded person. In my personal experience, studying abroad gave me a look into a whole new dimension of myself that I probably wouldn't have discovered otherwise, and every day I am so glad that I made the decision to put myself a little out of my comfort zone. Don't take the opportunity for granted -- if you are able to study abroad, do it, because I guarantee that it will be one of the best things you ever do for yourself.
