Positive Learning by Bethany

Positive Learning by Bethany - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

Many students that attend college do not choose to study abroad. Why would one choose to not study abroad when studying abroad offers many great opportunities? Studying abroad allows many opportunities for students such as increased cultural insight, gain new perspectives, and allows the student to become fully independent by placing them in a new surrounding by their own self.

Increasing the cultural insight helps a student in many ways. Whether it is in class, socially, or within the student’s job, studying abroad allows a student to see the ways others live and work and thus improves the student’s knowledge on the world around them. For example, studying abroad will help a Spanish teacher give insight to her students about the wonders of the Spanish culture instead of only teaching her students how to pronounce a few foreign words.

Along with increased cultural insights, students who study abroad also gain many new perspectives on how this world works. The student can see how others see this world and the student can learn to not take things for granted which will allow this student to cherish everything they have. Studying abroad and finding a new perspective can also allow the student to find new ways to learn, create, and do many different tasks. Learning a new perspective can also allow a student to gain a new respect for their surroundings.

Although increased cultural insight and gaining new perspectives are big reasons one should be required to study abroad, one of the biggest reasons students should be required to study abroad is that studying abroad allows a student to become fully independent. Studying abroad places a student in a new area for months at a time, which forces the student to find who they are and become an adult.

In all, studying abroad should be required for all college students. Studying abroad helps a student increase their cultural insight, help the student gain a new perspective, and allow the student to become fully independent. Without the choice of studying abroad, a student cannot fully live up to their greatest potential and so with the help of all colleges joining together, the choice of studying abroad will not be optional, and so all students will receive all benefits studying abroad gives.