As a psychology major at East Carolina University, I am required to take 4 semesters of a foreign language for my degree. Even though I started out hating it, I am starting to appreciate it because of personal and professional reasons.

The language I chose was Spanish and I am taking my last semester in the fall. Ever since becoming exposed to a new language, I have a new appreciation for different cultures and different languages.

I believe that every student enrolled at a university should be required to take a few foreign language/diversity classes. Not only does it expose you to just a different language, but also a different way of life. I think it would be a great idea to incorporate this into other majors and throughout the entire university for a better well-rounded education.

Being able to communicate to others without language barriers is helpful to students trying to get jobs and being able to understand others in ways they couldn't before.

I am a strong encourager of learning about new languages and cultures for aiding in a professional setting. As an aspiring nurse, I want to be able to communicate with my patients without the worry of language barriers. Hey, we might even get paid more for it!

Another reason students should be exposed to a new world of culture is for personal growth as well. Why limit ourselves to only our culture when the world is made up of so many more? We should expand our minds to learn new words in different languages, understand their beliefs and ideas.

The Spanish language has really grown on me and I believe it made me a more open-minded and understanding young woman.

Traveling abroad is also a great idea and an opportunity to immerse yourself in a culture. I was in Belize for a week and was fascinated by all of the ruins and the way people made a way of living in a third world country. I remember having to learn about their monetary system and loving all of the homemade items I could buy from them.

If you are in college currently or starting soon, I really encourage you to take a chance a expose yourself to something new. Don't worry about pronouncing things wrong or not being able to speak fluently right away, just be proud that you are trying something new and exposing yourself to something you never thought you would try before.

So whether you are going into communications or the nursing field like I am, learning a new language or beliefs about a culture can benefit you in college and for the rest of your life. I encourage you to take a course (or two) and see for yourself, you might just be surprised!