Three years ago, I was lucky enough to take part in a study abroad program. The program was only six weeks long, and it wasn’t anywhere exotic – I simply took two classes in London, England. However, I found that during those six weeks, I truly grew as a person and learned more about the world. I urge everyone to do at least one study abroad program while you’re in school. You won’t have the same opportunities once you graduate!
A big aspect of studying abroad is the people you meet. First, there are the other students in your program with you. I’m an introverted person, and I initially only signed up for the program because a friend was planning on going too. However, things happened and she ended up having to drop out. While I would have loved to have had this experience with my best friend, her absence actually resulted in me making many more friends on my trip. I met one friend as early as the check-in line at the airport before we departed.
You’ll also meet people in the countries you visit. The world is big, but it’s smaller than you think. Studying in London, I was able to travel to many other countries in Europe. In America, a weekend in New York isn’t logical, but in Europe a weekend in Paris is no problem. The people I met introduced me to the perspectives of people from outside of America. If you studied in a country such as South Korea, you would have that same access to other parts of the world in Asia, such as Japan and China. Studying abroad provides a great jumping off point – a base city from which you can experience multiple cultures.
The most obvious benefit to studying abroad is that you get to see the world. This seems basic, but you're honestly not going to get a chance to do this again for such a good price. Although the price of a study abroad program is at least as much as a semester at school, it not only covers the courses you take, but pays for air fare, housing and often some of your meals and tours. It seems like a lot, but there are many study abroad scholarships available. I took out the same student loan I would have been taking out had I stayed in the country and taken a semester of summer classes.
My biggest take-away from studying abroad was that I gained confidence in myself and grew as a person. I did things I never would have thought possible, such as navigating the city by myself (and with no phone!) on our fourth day there. I tried new foods, went to new places, met new people, learned a lot and fell in love with a new city.
At the end of the day, there are a lot of reasons why you may feel uncertain about studying abroad. Please trust me when I say that it’s worth the worries. Study abroad while you’re in college, and if possible do it more than once.
