Catching the Bus by Chad

Catching the Bus by Chad - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

Scrambling through a crowd of locals, you look down frantically at your map and your watch: you have five minutes to reach the last bus stop. Spinning in circles, both figuratively and literally, you focus on someone who looks like they know their way around. You approach them and receive some directions, of which only about half you actually understand. Swerving in between people, you manage to throw on your jacket, barter at a fruit stand for a snack, and stay on pace to get to the bus on time. Squirming up to the stop, you make it just in time to be the last person on the bus, and, after paying with the correct currency, you can finally take a seat and rest. This is why you should study abroad.
Spending a week, semester, or even a year in another country holds more than simply a prettier place to study chemistry. Students submerge themselves in an entirely different environment than one they have previously experienced, forcing them to adapt and learn new skills rather quickly. For example, the above anecdote describes a situation where the student has to manage a foreign currency, attempt to get a bargain for just a banana, navigate through unfamiliar territory, all while deciphering a map (which can be hard for most of us students to follow nowadays). The new language, culture, and physical environment all pose as challenges for someone who is abroad for the first time, especially while trying to stay on top of their studies simultaneously. However, these are the experiences that cause growth in an individual, and any experience that is cause for growth is undoubtedly worth it.
Every student would benefit from this endeavor, regardless of major, interests, or backgrounds. And that is the beauty of studying abroad: it is unique but universal. If two students were to study abroad in the same country, the same city, and even the same school, they could have completely polarizing views and takeaways from their time there. Yet it is universal because a student of any origin with any interests will take something away from each venture, something that could change the course of their college, career, or social path. It will not only help build a resume, but it will build life skills and teach life lessons, which is really what college is all about. Although it may seem daunting or a little too bold for some, studying abroad is an adventure in which every college student should partake, so they too can try and catch the bus.