The term “finding yourself” is often used when talking about long and far away trips. Is there anything substantial to this cliché? Specifically for college students, studying abroad can be a valuable and worthwhile experience in many ways. But does study abroad promote personal development in particular?
Research has shown that stepping out of normal circumstances and learning about another culture can allow students to reevaluate their own worldview and be more accepting of diversity. Study abroad provides an opportunity for young people to see other perspectives and to reflect on their own world.
It puts learning in a new and exciting context that can allow the student to discover new passions and further existing ones. International travel in an educational setting improves personal identity. This experience is not only valued by the student: employers and graduate schools have shown more interest in people who have studied abroad.
A study was conducted by Victor Savicki and Eric Cooley where they compared the commitment and exploration, two important aspects of identity, of a group of students who studied abroad for a semester and a group of students who stayed at their home university and took a class on social psychology.
At the end of the study, the study abroad students’ results showed a positive disruption in their American identity while the group that stayed home did not show a significant change at all. The study abroad students' ways of thinking about about themselves and their country was shifted fundamentally. It’s important for us to put ourselves in situations where we might not be completely comfortable in order to learn from different perspectives and explore what that situation might tell you about yourself.
While identity is something that is very important to explore, study abroad benefits people in many more ways than that. Going to school in a foreign setting puts learning in a new and more exciting context, an experience that carries over to education attitudes after study abroad.
IES Abroad is a study abroad company for students, and they conducted a survey with the many people who have participated in their programs. The results showed that study abroad impacts education after returning from the trip. 63 percent of students said that study abroad had helped them decide to change their major, 90 percent of students said that study abroad had impacted their entire educational experience after they returned, and 80 percent of students said that their interest in academics was enhanced by studying abroad.
These effects aren’t exclusive to study abroad. Any experience that gets you out of your comfort zone is one that can teach you or encourage personal growth. Whether it’s travel or just trying something new, it is worthwhile to go for it.
Sources:
Savicki, Victor, and Eric Cooley. "American Identity in Study Abroad Students: Contrasts, Changes, Correlates." Journal of College Student Development, vol. 52, no. 3, 2011, pp. 339-349. https://georgefox.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/873114101?accountid=11085.
"What Statistics Show about Study Abroad Students." Home. UC Merced, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
Ruhter McMillan, Amy, and Gayly Opad. "IES Abroad News." Iesabroad. Abroad View Magazine, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
