Should studying aboard be required? by Annabel

Should studying aboard be required? by Annabel - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

The ability to study aboard is a great experience. However, is this must be a requirement for every college students? To answer this question, we must discuss advantages and disadvantages of such decision. Students visiting other countries can learn a new language or became better in the one they already know. Students can become more independent because living and studying aboard would require them to adapt for the new environment, way of living, and rules. Also, it can teach them to value the cultural difference more and meet new people. But, sending people aboard costs money. For different reasons not everybody are able to leave their country. And of course program in each college is different. It may be hard to adapt back.
Studying aboard sounds great. Where else you can learn or improve a language more effectively than actually living in a country where everybody around you use this language? I came from another country just three years ago without knowing English at all. Today my English is good enough to allow me to communicate without big problems. I could never achieve that if I tried to study while living in a non-English speaking country due to luck of practice. Same can be apply to everybody.
Another advantage of studying aboard is teaching college student more Independence. Yes, they became more independent compared to their school years. Somebody now rents an apartment, somebody lives on campus, or even moved to another states. But most of them still have a family to visit for vacation or ask for help. By living and studying aboard it won't be that easy. Student would have to adapt to the totally new environment by themselves. They have to accept new holidays, new college programs, and new language. There won't be anyone who they know well just few hours of driving away. However, despite the idea it may sound as a really big challenge, it's the best way to learn what's living on your own is and how to adapt to totally different conditions. And the third big advantage is the ability to know people. You become a part of their daily routine. It’s always a huge difference between reading about a country’s traditions and way of life and actually living it. You can get a better understanding of why people there live the way they do. Also, students studying aboard make new friends from this country with who they can keep in touch even after this program is completed.
However, despite all those advantages, there’s problems as well. Sending people aboard requires money. The biggest question is from where we can get these money? Would being in college become more expensive because the students have to pay to meet this requirement or taxes would be raised because the government have to pay for every student? We have opportunities for people who are able to make it. But if somebody can pay their college without even thinking about taking a loan, others are able to make it only because they got a lot of scholarships. Second problem is that not everybody can leave their country. Students may have a family to take care of or they don’t feel ready to leave for a long time. Everyone is different and has a different situation. If studying aboard become a requirement, it can cause a lot of problems for students and colleges trying to figure out how a students can graduate if he/she cannot complete the study aboard requirement. Also, colleges in every country are different, including different subjects, requirements, living conditions, etc. It can take time to get used to it.
So, even that idea of students being required to study aboard sounds great, there are too many nuances to take care of. The good side is mostly related to emotions and knowledge: new experiences, improved foreign language skill, seeing new places and people. But, problems such money and student’s readiness to live in another country for a long time cause problems. As my opinion, we should expand studying aboard program to increase number of participants. But it doesn’t have to be a requirement. Forcing people to do something can cause a lot of stress and it affects student’s performance in college. I'm as a person, who did live in three different countries so far, know what it's like to adapt to a new environment, learn new language, and deal with missing your family, and home country. This experience is wonderful, but sometimes too stressful and challenging.