Even before I started at Stanford, I knew that at some point during my four years in college, I would study abroad somewhere. And during my Junior year, I had the chance to do just that. In fact, I had the opportunity to spend almost the entire year away from campus. During the Fall Quarter, I got the chance to participate in a domestic exchange program at Spelman College. Although not exactly a study abroad experience, I learned so much as it was completely different from Stanford. After that, I got to spend an entire quarter in Cape Town, South Africa. I loved Cape Town so much, that I'm even going back there for the summer! When I got back on campus, everyone wanted to know about my experience and a lot of people were asking me if I would recommend studying abroad. Well, if you are on the fence about it, here are 5 reason that will hopefully convince you to take that leap and embark on that journey before you graduate.
1.This is the best time ever!
I don't mean to sound repetitive, but really, now is the best time. You are young, adventurous and energetic. You are now caught in the best situation ever, you can do everything an adult can but are unbounded by all of the responsibilities of adulthood. In African Philosophy there's this idea that the most important time is the "NOW" and the future is "Void." Read into that as you will, but to me it means that the "now" is divine, it is holy, and paramount and thus it is up to us to focus on it and ensure that we make the most of it. The "now" is our reality, we have the ability to shape, re-shape, define, and re-define things. You don't know what the future holds, so go explore now while you can!
2. You get to spend anywhere from 3-5 months visiting somewhere instead of just oh, I don't know, 2 weeks, if you're lucky.
Most of us are in college because we want to land that job that we've been dreaming of , that one career that will make being an adult taste oh so sweet. News flash though, that job you've been aspiring to unfortunately comes at the price of your regular vacation time. Traveling for an extensive amount of time becomes kind of impossible when the maximum amount you can take off from work is two weeks. Ask your parents; they'll tell you what it's really like. In college, you are given the chance to go abroad for a lengthy amount of time and are even rewarded for it!
3. NEW FRIENDS!
I know Drake taught you that you don't need any new friends, but trust me, your new friends will change your world! With that 3-5 months, you'll have so much more time to socialize and make new friends. You'll not only learn about a culture that is probably new to you and come to love it, but you'll come to see the world in a different way. You'll come understand that there are so many similarities across cultures and people around the world, while appreciating the differences that exist between all of us. Your new friends will take you to the hottest spots in town, show you the best time, and thanks to technology, will remain long time friends that you can visit again long after you're gone.
4. You Learn How To Be Independent!
If you are like me, you're probably saying to yourself, I've been independent my whole life. I mean, I pay some of my own bills. Well, it's not that kind of independence. It's the kind where you come to learn how to navigate an entirely different world all on your own. The best opportunity for you to break away from all things familiar is to immerse yourself in an entirely different society with different cultural practices and ways of being. By doing so, you learn what works best for you by seeking new tactics of survival. You come to understand what makes you anxious and what makes you feel at peace. You learn how to draw boundaries and separate yourself from things you know might not be beneficial for you and things that are for sure worth your time and energy. Somehow by exploring and trusting your own instinct, you realize what truly makes you happy.And, you learn how to rely on yourself.
5. YOU WILL NEVER FORGET IT!
Studying abroad is a life changing experience for most. Yes, it can be challenging, but which do you ever remember, how you aced that test that was so easy or how you pulled of an all-nighter and conquered that almost impossible CS assignment during your freshman year? As humans, we tend to remember the experiences that teach us the most about ourselves, and I guarantee you that studying abroad will definitely be on that list twenty years down the line.
