Let's face it, after college, we are going to be adults. Like real adults in the real world doing real-world adult things. We will be paying bills, getting married, having babies and PAYING BILLS.
College is a time to first, get a degree (you're welcome, mom). Second, make new friends. Third, experience life on your own for the first time. Studying abroad or even just traveling on the weekends is something you should really do before the real world starts.
When I first approached my dad about doing a class in Europe he said, "Do it now while you still can."
For example, my mom is from Ireland and because of her 9-5 job, it is really hard for her to get back and see her family.
While in college we can literally get CREDIT for going overseas and experiencing the world. It doesn't hinder our first reason for going to college at all! Whether it be a Maymester for three credit hours an entire semester earning a WHOLE semester's worth of credit hours, it is so worth it.
Some may argue that it is pretty pricey, which is a valid point. My response to this is: I'm already going to have student loans out the ying yang when I get to graduate, why not add a couple more thousand to that to get to see some things people will never see in their lives. And on top of that and Federal Student Aid, there are tons and tons of scholarships all over the internet you can apply for. Even if it is only $100, anything can help. Or get out and fundraise! Make some cute gameday chokers and pocket five bucks. I don't know anyone who wouldn't be supportive of opportunities like studying abroad, many will be willing to help.
Another argument could be, "Well they don't have any programs at my school that really interest me." I call BS on that. I never in a million years thought that I would visit Germany one day and ended up having the best three weeks of my life there studying abroad AND getting incredible experience for my future career.
I was able to sit at a bar Adolf Hitler drank at and walk around the castle the Magic Kingdom in the Disney World logos is constructed after. Walking through the crematorium of a concentration camp in Dachau, Germany changed something in me and that is something I only would have never been able to experience if I didn't take a chance and go abroad.
Our school offers programs from fashion in Milan to medical assistance in third world countries. Even if you don't know what you want to do with your degree, maybe one of these programs can push you in the right direction, all it needs is a chance.
There are so many opportunities at the University of South Carolina and I'm sure other universities across the country. Schedule an appointment with your advisor and see if you can squeeze it in before you graduate. Or browse the Study Abroad Office page and see if anything interests you that you could potentially be apart of. Or literally just ask around. I don't know one person who did some sort of study abroad program and didn't thoroughly enjoy themselves and learned so much.
I for one don't want to be 35 and regret all of the opportunities I could have taken when I was in college. Don't let that be you either. We are in our prime people! Go see the world!
