Being on a college campus, study abroad trips can seem as common as the constant cold everyone seemed to have in the dorms freshman year. What used to be a unique experience now can be found a dime a dozen, and many students appear to believe that doing a student exchange is no longer something special, but something to be expected. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard a joke about co-eds who go abroad, I would probably be able to pay my tuition in cash. There are so many reasons to spend a month, semester, or year in another country besides having some culture to toss on your resume. Living abroad truly changed the person I am today, and I guarantee that it could do the same for you.

1. I Grew In Self-Sufficiency

As a sophomore in high school, I spent a year in Toulouse, France. Though I was younger than most who do a student exchange, the experiences and benefits I gained cross any and all age gaps. During my time away, I was faced with the fact that I couldn't simply call or drive home to parents who would fix and attempt to resolve my issues. Though advice was always a phone call away, being an ocean across from all direct lines of resolution forced me to find ways to eliminate problematic situations all on my own. This made me comfortable with addressing issues head on and caused me to realize that confrontation does not have to be a word with a bad connotation.

2. Motivation Comes From Within

As much as your weekly planner, apps, and alarms would have you think otherwise, keeping yourself motivated, punctual, and responsible are all traits that no one can force you to have until you truly desire to have them. There is no one to wake you up for class when you're in a foreign country. Motivation to learn the native language fades pretty fast when you're in the middle of a classroom for a lecture that you don't understand. No one is going to force you to go to class. No one is going to force you to explore your new surroundings. No one is going to force you to become bilingual. These are all things you must want for yourself. You are your own biggest cheerleader, and if you are not rooting for yourself, then who will?

3. The World Is Suddenly Larger Than Your College Campus

--and the United States. Seeing our world and its inhabitants from a viewpoint other than your own is eye opening, no pun intended. It is easy to fall into idea that all that matters is your immediate surroundings. We are all guilty of that from time to time. Yet when stepping back and seeing things from a global perspective, our everyday issues become so minuscule and irrelevant, causing us to see with clear eyes the issues that really matter.