Stop Studying Abroad by Bryce

Stop Studying Abroad by Bryce - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

Studying abroad is without a doubt one of the most amazing things that an undergraduate student can experience during their collegiate career. The benefits of immersing oneself in a foreign culture for several months, potentially adapting to an unfamiliar language, and making acquaintances from across the globe are innumerable. However, how practical will these “benefits” be later in life, specifically in the workplace? Despite the great benefits of studying abroad, I cannot say that I believe that it should be required of all college students. Mandating study abroad for all students could lead to a variety of negative outcomes and, to be honest, isn’t a very realistic goal.
Studying abroad can certainly be beneficial, but is it worth paying for? These programs often carry hefty price tags, and the price of attending college is already at an all-time high. The massive bills that can result from attempting to study overseas don’t guarantee any actual benefit post-graduation. The main reason study abroad can’t be required, other than the financial incapability, and the logistical nightmares that would arise because of this mandate, is that secondary education is completely up to the individual. College is when freedom and responsibility for one’s actions become paramount.
The decisions whether or not to attend a large school or a small school, private or public, in-state or out of state, all land in the lap of the individual. Even the decision of whether or not to pursue education after high school is one that needs to be deeply considered. Once the decision is made to pursue higher education, the path to attaining some sort of training or degree is also up to the individual. Obviously it doesn’t make sense for someone majoring in anything other than International Relations or Business to really need to have nay international experience whatsoever. What students should be focused on instead of going abroad to pad their resumes and stand out, is to be working as hard as possible to soak up as much information as possible during the course of their studies, in order to become more qualified for whatever the future might hold.
True learning and success is not achieved simply because one chooses to study in a foreign country; true learning and success can only come from within a motivated and determined student. All of the “benefits” that can potentially be attained from a student’s time spent studying abroad, their success in the classroom, their willingness to adapt to difficult situations, these are not the result of traveling abroad, these are virtues that are already found in the students who give studying abroad such a great reputation. Long before a student decides to study abroad, the foundation is set as to whether or not they will succeed. This is why we should not be mandating study abroad in hopes of attaining some massive boost in student performance. Instead, we should be investing more time and effort into instilling the values of effort, persistence, and perseverance into young students, long before studying abroad is even an option; then the student can decide whether or not this is worth their time and money.