How Studying Abroad Will Change My Life by Genesis

How Studying Abroad Will Change My Life by Genesis - November 2017 Scholarship Essay

Studying abroad offers a wide range of opportunities and learning experiences. Most students study abroad because they want to travel and see the world, which I must admit is also one of the reasons I would like to study abroad, but it is not the only. Although seeing the world is enticing, studying abroad gives me the opportunity to immerse myself into another culture, to live in a way that is radically different than life in the United States, and to learn how to interact with people of different cultures, who speak different languages, and have different values.
As a future nurse, I will be interacting with people from all walks of life, who will have different values or speak different languages. Studying abroad gives me the opportunity to learn how to cope with these differences and how to adapt before I am thrown into the fast paced life of a nurse. I will be one of the few nurses, as well as one of the few people, who are able to navigate cultural differences respectfully and work around the barrier. I will know what actions and phrases are insulting and which are comforting, and I will hopefully be able to inform others of this in order to provide the best care for all patients.
In addition, I also hope to learn how to get out of my comfort zone. Here in America, I am kept in a bubble, and by this I mean that I do the same things, see the same people, and eat the same food everyday. There is no variation or opportunity to really get out of the standardized American culture. Studying abroad and living in another country for 5 months gives me that opportunity. I will get to be in another country long enough to learn and adapt to their traditions, values, and culture. I will learn how the language and idioms used differ from here and what values their culture embodies. I will also get to eat something different, a traditional dish, almost everyday. I will get to learn what people value there versus what we value here and that will give me a new perspective.
Although I am studying in United Kingdom, the proximity to the rest of Europe gives me an opportunity to visit all the other countries there. Not only do I get to fully immerse myself into one culture, but I will be able to get a taste of the other culturally rich countries in Europe as well. I will get to see what they value in France, what they eat in Italy, the traditions in Ireland, and the type of life lived in many other countries. Studying abroad in the United Kingdom will also give me the opportunity to see the history I have only read about come to life before my eyes. I can stand on the beaches of Normandy and see the concentration camps in Germany. I can visit many museums that house thousands of ancient and beautiful artworks. Studying aboard gives me the chance to walk the history filled street of Europe.
Coming back from 5 months abroad will give me a new perspective on life and new values. I will come back to America a new person because I got to experience something other than the American culture. It is like going to a third world country, you come back that much more grateful than you when you left. I will come back that much more changed because of the experiences I had while abroad. Overall, study abroad is an amazing opportunity and it is accompanied by experiences that I may never come across again.