Benefits of Studying Abroad by Carolina

Benefits of Studying Abroad by Carolina - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

Studying abroad is publicized to students in college, however, not many students decide to participate. I believe that studying abroad should be mandated to all college students because of all the benefits that come with the experience. It’s easy to toss the idea of studying abroad out the window when you sit down and consider the costs associated with travel, housing, and other needs but all of these worries pale in comparison to all the experiences and knowledge you can and will acquire during your time abroad. This experience is all about self-discovery, developing new perspectives, and skills while balancing studying and discovering a new country.
Self-discovery begins with understanding where you came from. You can only do this by realizing that as you grow up, you are taught about the culture and community around you; you learn what’s valued and what’s frowned upon. You learn the beliefs of the people that make up your community and culture and because of this, you grow up believing that what you have known your whole life is what’s right; that your way of looking at, not only yourself but the world, is the right way. It’s hard to remove yourself from what you know in order to properly analyze your beliefs and values because you are continuously surrounded by people who see things the same as you. When you’re abroad, you are surrounded by people who don’t necessarily share your same beliefs, people who have grown up differently than you. You become immersed in that culture and you learn how they see your culture. You gain a new perspective about your own culture that you might’ve not previously had. As Henry Rollins said, “a great way to learn about your country is to leave it”, and I believe that by studying abroad you will build your own ideas and opinions about your home culture and determine for yourself what beliefs and values that you grew up with, you’d like to maintain.
Aside from learning and reflecting on your own culture, you’ll be able to learn about the culture and lifestyle of the country you are now a part of. People around the world live very cyber-connected lives thanks to social media and they fall under the misconception that, because they can follow someone’s every move, they know what life in that country is like. This tends to be far from the truth since it’s not until you are fully immersed in the country’s life and culture that you can understand what life is like there. By understanding what life is like in other countries and the issues that people abroad deal with that you don’t have to, you will become a worldlier individual and will be able to use this knowledge to make better informed decision in a multicultural world.
Nevertheless, having a worldlier perspective isn’t the only skill that you can acquire while studying abroad. You’ll fine-tune and develop your people skills while abroad because you will be interacting with a diverse group of individuals who share a different culture than your own. While you interact with the people of the country, you will also be growing your vocabulary of the language and subsequently your language skills. You’ll need to learn the language in order to navigate through your study abroad experience and this is highly beneficial to you not only while you live there but beyond. The world is increasingly becoming more multilingual and being able to speak multiple languages with at least some fluency makes you an excellent asset to any job you apply to. You are automatically more valuable because companies understand the need for people to be both culturally sensitive and multilingual in order for their company to expand.
Perhaps one of the most valuable skills you will develop while studying abroad, is your sense of independence and self-reliance. When you travel to a foreign world with different cultures and people, you have only yourself to depend on. Every day is a new experience and you will constantly find yourself in new situations where you are forced to problem solve while in a country you might not know much about. In my opinion, there is no better way to learn about who you are as a person or how tough you really are until you have to rely on only yourself when facing a situation you are completely unfamiliar with. You grow as a person and become a better and more effective problem solver in these situations so that when you come back home you’re more independent and are more willing to take smart risks because you know that you will be able to find a way to solve any problem you face; It is an incredibly empowering feeling to know that you are tougher than you thought and more independent than you could have imagined.
I understand that studying abroad can seem scary and there are a lot of costs associated with the experience but, when looking at all the personal growth and the skills you develop, I believe the benefits far outweigh the worries. I once read a quote, by an anonymous author, that said “travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer” and I truly believe that studying abroad is an expense that will pay off ten-fold in your future and should therefore be mandatory for all college students.