The Injustice of Forced Studying Abroad by Colleges by Chance

The Injustice of Forced Studying Abroad by Colleges by Chance - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

College students should not be required to study abroad because to do so would be a direct violation of a person’s rights. It is evident through our Nation’s Constitution that to force a person to leave college campus for a semester or however long to study abroad is an infraction on a person’s rights.
When a college student makes a commitment to attend a particular college for any various study or major they are making a commitment to that specific college wherever it may be. The student is agreeing to study (and pay for that learning experience) however and wherever that college may be; whether it be online or on campus. To force a student to spend a set amount of time studying in any other setting, let alone a different country, is to violate the terms of their commitment on the part of the college.
An argument could be presented that to require students to study abroad would be a college’s way of rewarding a student with an experience close to a vacation while still allowing the student to continue studying their particular major. Though this may sound appealing at first glance, it would still violate a student’s rights and could increase stress upon the student due to the new need to balance between studying and the new experiences of a whole new country. A student may not desire to study and learn while on the trip and just explore and experience the country or vice versa, just study while not taking any time for the new experiences the country may provide. Both scenarios make the whole principles that the trip is based on irrelevant.
Just as our nation has the right to enforce some legislation while others may cross out of their jurisdiction, the college has their own rights to enforce various rules upon its students but within their jurisdiction. To force a student to relocate to another country for their studies, however long, is a direct violation of the students’ rights and should not be allowed.