Studying Abroad by Hannah

Studying Abroad by Hannah - November 2017 Scholarship Essay

When asked the question ‘why study abroad?’, the answers always include mention of the exotic location or famous landmarks. The ‘study’ part does not often cross the mind. Yet the entire experience is meant to educate in a context that goes beyond just the classes at the exchange university. If I were to study abroad, I would choose to go to a Spanish-speaking country since my career goal is to become a teacher and being bilingual would be invaluable in that field. Studying abroad will help my education by providing me opportunities to practice speaking Spanish and broadening my horizons.

I have taken several years of textbook Spanish, yet on the occasions when I had the opportunity to interact with Spanish-speaking children in the practicum of one of my early childhood classes, I saw that my level of proficiency still fell far short of the level that I feel is necessary to connect with the children. What is learned from books and classes is not always easily applicable to the real world, so opportunities to fine-tune the knowledge that is gained are essential. Studying abroad provides such an opportunity. Living in another country provides a full immersion into a language and culture that cannot be replicated in an American academic setting. It means stepping completely out of one culture and into another like slipping into another person’s skin. In doing so, you begin to live and breathe and dream the country’s way of life. You go from merely learning about the experience to taking up a role into it.
Trading one culture for another also involves abandoning all that is familiar. No longer will I be able fall back on my native language or easily find others who speak the same language. I will be required instead to become more and more dependent on my limited Spanish-speaking skills, which will then strengthen them and increase my fluency. Being an introvert who only recently lost her shyness, that prospect is daunting, but studying abroad will provide the perfect opportunity to find a way to rely on my own self-confidence and trust in myself.

Taking a trip to Italy and then staying in American hotels and eating at McDonald’s would certainly be fun in its own right, but would not necessarily fulfill my educational goals. In Dead Poets Society, a movie about a professor who challenged the strictures of a boys’ prep school, the professor stood upon his desk and said to the class, “I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way” (“Dead”). Exploring the diverse lifestyles of places other than my home country would extend my point-of-view of the world beyond what I have constructed based upon my own experiences in America. This would help me to not only gain a new perspective of the world, but also give me a fresh perspective on my home country.

International locations are so alluring because they demonstrate that there is something bigger than the insular world most people construct around themselves. Yet the thrill of adventure is often tempered by apprehension of the unknown. This makes slipping into another culture or perspective a potentially challenging process, as it requires forsaking the familiar for the unfamiliar. Yet the different perspective I would gain from integrating into a culture would only strengthen my connection with people, for they would allow me to see the world through their eyes. I would learn so much about other cultures because I would regard them not as a foreigner, but as a native. My insular world would expand greatly.

Studying abroad is a two-pronged approach: it satisfies the innate wanderlust that makes globe-trotting so alluring while simultaneously ensuring that the travel experience is an educational one. If the opportunity exists, I would certainly take advantage of participating in a study abroad program. Studying abroad will help my education by providing me opportunities to practice speaking Spanish and broadening my horizons.

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Dead Poets Society. Directed by Peter Weir, performance by Robin Williams, Touchstone Pictures, 1989.