To Study or Not to Study Abroad by Dylan

To Study or Not to Study Abroad by Dylan - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

To Study or Not to Study Abroad:
You are a freshman in college. For fall semester of your sophomore year, you are given the opportunity to study abroad in Paris. An entire semester to explore Europe, take classes, meet new people, and have the adventure of a lifetime. How could you say no?! Yes, expense is always a factor. But financial aid often transfers over anyway. You will be taking your classes there, potentially studying another language, and be living with a host family who will take care of you and make sure all your needs are met. To most, this is the most ideal situation they could possibly be given. Yet, for every student, it remains a choice. You do not have to go if you do not want too. What if, however, studying abroad was required of all college students? What would happen then?
I believe that all students should be required to study abroad. Not only does studying abroad create well-rounded and knowledgeable students and people who are conscious of the world around them, but the opportunity to become culturally conscious as well makes the entire experience very worthwhile. Due to the fact that I am only a freshman in college, and also run cross country and track for my school, I have not yet had the opportunity to study abroad. I watch, however, as my friends and other people from my dorm and classes get ready to leave in the fall. Their excitement is apparent in all things that they do as they prepare and I desperately want to venture out right alongside them. The idea of having a year to go into an unknown world with few restrictions and the only requirements being to do well in classes, explore, and learn as much as possible--it truly sounds like the adventure of a lifetime.
Students who study abroad become more aware of their surroundings at home and abroad. They are able to delve into the lifestyle and culture of another country and people and bring what they learn back home with them so that they can apply it to their own life. To be put in an unknown situation, with mostly strangers, teaches students to adapt quickly and pushes them out of their comfort zone. They learn to be responsible, protect and take care of themselves, and branch out to meet as many people as possible—people who may become a saving grace when they need it most. All of these skills that students acquire quickly from simply being in a new place helps them in all areas of their life—and assists in the acquisition of life experience along with it.
Additionally, studying abroad often provides the opportunity to utilize a language that someone may have been studying for years. It is a fact that when students study abroad their language skills improve indefinitely and they return home much closer to fluency than when they left. The ability to speak a language creates students and people who are increasingly more marketable in the work force and able to study abroad for work purposes should they need too. To this end, even if a new language is not prevalent during a study abroad experience, students often pick up new lingo and cultural sayings that they can implement at home. Knowing and learning a language, or even listening to other people speak allows for periods of time helps the brain cognitively and awakens areas of the brain that may have never been utilized prior.
At the end of the day, I am strong proponent of study abroad being required for college students. The opportunity to experience a whole new world is something no one should have to miss out on, and the positive effects exhibited by students returning home is staggering. Learning a language, applying life skills in new settings, and becoming a significantly better-rounded person are only a few of the amazing impacts that a study abroad experience can have on a student.
(I cannot wait to experience it for myself )