I always get confused looks when I tell people I don’t want to study abroad. Afterwards, I always get an assuring comment that it usually costs just about the same as a semester on-campus. Despite the initial assumption of many of my peers, I am not concerned with the possible financial issues of studying abroad. Instead, I am concerned with the opportunities I could be missing on campus. Whether it’s a job, a speaker, or a certain class, you could miss out on a lot of on-campus activities while abroad.

I’m not saying that studyngi abroad isn’t a great thing, I know many people who have had stellar experiences abroad. I’m also not saying that I wouldn’t have a great time studying in a different country. I also acknowledge the logical fallacy of claiming to miss opportunities while going abroad. Deciding not to go abroad is in itself, missing an opportunity.

Studying abroad can also be super stressful, at least from an outsider's perspective. The stress of picking a program and spending a couple months alone in another country can be very intimidating. For many, the stress doesn’t outweigh the experience. For myself, however, it does.

Lastly, I have made so many good friends at school, to the point where I don’t even want to leave for summer break. I would also feel very lonely if going abroad alone. Maybe I would make other friends abroad, but I really don’t want to be in the situation where I’m stuck in another country without anybody to hang out with.

I personally find my opinions on studying abroad interesting as I consider myself an adventurous person. As someone who has never had a passport, I look forward in the future to exploring the world. I just don’t see that future being a semester of my time in college.