We asked students from around the country why they think study abroad is one of the most important experiences a college student can have. Their answers will leave you convinced!
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It helps provide invaluable experiences for people to understand a world outside of their own and to meet new cultures and people that they can become familiarized with. Becoming educated about other cultures helps put into perspective how diverse the world is, and that there is more to discover than just in your own backyard.
-James Ciambor, SUNY Oswego University
Study abroad gives the opportunity to interact with new people, to learn new languages and about cultures from around the world. This experience also permits students to develop a broad understanding of global issues as well.
-Leily Piloto Ordaz, Florida International University
Study abroad is one of the best things you can do for yourself while you are in college. Whether it’s for a semester, a summer or for an entire year, do yourself a favor and live in another country! When I studied abroad in Adelaide, Australia, it changed my world perception. I learned that there is much more to Australia than kangaroos and enormous spiders. I enjoyed Barossa Valley’s delicious wine, went scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef, saw amazing landscapes along the Great Ocean Road, and got to know Australia’s warm and inviting people. I experienced all of this because I took a chance and applied to study abroad. My only regret is not living there longer!
It can be scary to leave your family and friends behind for a year, and to leave your whole life behind. I was terrified. But, I made myself go anyway! Why? Because I wanted to test my limits and see if I could live in another country on my own. I did it. I survived. That is the biggest reason study abroad matters: you learn how to trust in yourself and discover that you are much braver than you realized.
-Kelsey Tharp, Indiana University
It’s so important to study abroad because it promotes cultural understanding and makes well-rounded individuals. It helps to eliminate racism and foster curiosity and respect for cultures different than your own and this leads to a better world.
-Sayaka Matsuoka, University of North Carolina
Study abroad is more than just the opportunity to leave your country for a few months. Study abroad allows you to look at the world, and eventually where you came from, with a new set of eyes. There is no greater gift than being able to immerse yourself in even one of the millions of dynamic and ever-changing cultures present all around the world. Even if you were to live in another country for a year and not fully come to understand their way of life, you still would have gained an outsiders insight into a world of people who share core values of what it means to be human. Study abroad allows you to grow not only in ideas, opinions, and beliefs, but also as a person.
-Elizabeth Spock, Pennsylvania State University
A study abroad experience has the potential to change one’s life. Studying abroad redefines how a person defines the word normal, and the life experiences gained from living in a foreign country transform a person into a globally minded citizen. Many professors, bloggers, professionals, and journalists have written about why studying abroad is a valuable experience. Personally, I summarize the importance of studying abroad into three main ideas.
- Studying abroad forces a person to be independent. When you study abroad, you become an independent and creative problem solver. You learn how to overcome language barriers. You book trips to new countries, coordinating international travel plans for yourself and for groups. You become more comfortable being alone.
- Studying abroad redefines “normal.” Living in a foreign country forces you to truly realize how subjective the term “normal” is, exposing its insatiable, tiring nature. We tend to minimize the universal truths that define the human experience, creating deep divides that seem impassable. Living abroad first causes the traveler to question everything that he or she defines as normal and then helps him or her realize the similarities between vastly different cultures.
- Studying abroad creates community. Studying abroad enables one person to make invaluable connections within the global community. It forces you to become a global citizen, expanding your perspective by broadening your consciousness. Someone who studied abroad has most likely left a piece of themself in the country or countries that he or she lived in, forever imprinting it into their heart and mind.
-Matthew Thomas, Roberts Wesleyan College
I think studying abroad is important for everyone because it exposes the traveler to other cultures, opens him/her up to new experiences, brings him/her out of their comfort zones, and ultimately, leads to understanding and more constructive leadership and decision-making.
-Tanner Knorr, Boston University
Studying abroad is a crucially important experience that every young adult should have. Not only does it help students become better rounded as a person, it also looks very good on your resume. These days, employers prefer someone who has knowledge and experience dealing with a diversity of cultures and backgrounds, rather than someone who always stays within their comfort zone. To present yourself as a traveler, it can create an impression of a person who’s not afraid to take risks and is willing to learn and adapt to cultural differences. Not only is it helpful for a student’s career, it is also very self-fulfilling, as students learn to understand and appreciate differences and that will help them become more flexible and able to adapt to anything new. Plus, it greatly improves communication and language skills.
-Geneva Nguyen, Fullerton College
Studying abroad is important because it gives students the opportunity to learn in a different environment and experience new cultures. Exploring new communities and meeting new people provide valuable life lessons that students will remember forever. It is so important for students to spend time in different cultures to appreciate the things they have at home, and to develop communication and empathy skills. Study Abroad provides a wonderful way to earn school credit while exploring a new country.
-Emily Maulding, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
I would actually say that Study Abroad is essential. It breaks down barriers that most students didn’t know they had in their lives and shows them that there is a world outside their university’s “bubble”. I gained so much real world experience and boosted my own confidence in my time abroad and I think that every student should have this experience.
-Caitlin Fournier, Ferrum College
By placing yourself in a new, perhaps unknown environment, studying abroad reveals just how much you can handle and learn outside of your comfort zone. When you encounter new cultures, you start to develop a stronger sense of your own, and begin comparing and contrasting virtually everything you experience. It’s important to see other parts of the world to realize how privileged we are and to find commonality with people all across the world.
-Sarah Brown, Tufts University
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Why do you think study abroad and international travel are so important? Let us know in the comments below!