Beneficial But Unnecessary by Jayden

Beneficial But Unnecessary by Jayden - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

Studying abroad is a prevalent aspect of higher education. It has been employed by colleges and high schools alike. However, this form of schooling should not be enforced upon the entirety of college students because it may not be necessary for their particular field of study and is financially inaccessible to some students.
Why should one be forced to study abroad when one's degree doesn't merit it? Attending college in a foreign country is drastically beneficial for a student perusing a degree in language. Moreover, if a student wishes to live in that country in the future studying there would be a rational first step towards adjusting to that country’s language and culture. However – outside of these two situations – studying abroad wouldn’t benefit the student. I’ll use myself as an example. I intend to study physiology at the University of Arizona. There is no logical reason for me to study abroad when I have all the resources I need to achieve my degree at the UA. The only conceivable reason for me to study abroad would be to learn Spanish – a very common language in Arizona – but I could learn it in other, more efficient ways such as online classes and working in Hispanic communities within Arizona. This concept of unimportance applies to the majority of fields of study one can pursue in college. While studying abroad is vastly useful for those who need it, those who do not should not be forced to participate.
College debt is a significant problem in America and requiring students to study abroad would only increase their debt. Studying abroad places a financial burden on both the student and the student’s family. Furthermore, students who are employed outside of school have to quit their job in order to study abroad. For the student who doesn’t need to study abroad this is a lose-lose situation; not only are they forced to delete a source of income but they also are placed under further financial stress by consenting to attend college in another country. If one has the desire and resources to study abroad then one should do so; however, studying abroad is detrimental to one who has neither.
Financial burden and lack of necessity make studying abroad a choice rather than a requirement. In my case –as well as many others’- attending school in a different country would have no benefit. Furthermore, school in a foreign country is a significant expense that the majority of American college students are not able to cover. Compelling students to take as little as a semester of school abroad is not only detrimental to their education but also their financial situation.