Global Educated, Internationally Minded by John

Global Educated, Internationally Minded by John - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

The longer I am in college the more I have realized that education cannot be minimized to questions and tests. We do not live in a world where problems are solved by multiple choice and beautiful art completely explained in two to three sentences. True learning happens when a student experiences, interacts, and examines a facet of life or the world. Studying abroad is a dynamic and comprehensive avenue through which to truly learn.
In Europe, students often spend the first year or so after high school to travel outside of their country. This is considered a ‘gap year’ and is becoming a new rite of passage in modern European life. Young Europeans usually travel volunteering, teaching, learning a foreign language or simply to experience another culture for an extended period of time. Here in the US it is more uncommon for a young person to travel; but with international travel becoming more convenient and economical, should American students be required to do the same?
In America, after a student graduates high school they most likely go straight to college where they will most likely switch majors a few times. High school students simply do not have enough life experience to make a decision on exactly what they want to do with their life. I would encourage them to travel abroad, but not in a strictly educational way. The generation of millennials and those after us want to stand up for a cause. Use the gap year to volunteer somewhere overseas and get our young adults thinking about others and not simply themselves, the Peace Corps is a great way in which to do this.
Another possibility is a student who knows exactly what career to pursue. In this case, studying abroad in a foreign country would not only expose students to other cultures, which is always an educational experience, but they could see how their chosen field of study is viewed, taught, and contributed to in a different context. This would also cause colleges and universities to develop deeper and broader international ties and affiliations.
So should studying abroad be a requirement for graduation on the undergrad level? I think that is a bit extreme. Many students cannot afford to pay for school as it is, not to mention the cost of travel, food and board in another country. This would only work if schools were required to pay for the majority of the travel expenses. However, if the trips were treated like other school expenses, based on financial need, students could receive aid. A better policy would be to make foreign education available in every degree and highly advertised. Professors would encourage all students to apply for the trips, advisors would help students plan the best course of action for graduation and studying abroad. If these programs are implemented, our country would be ran by better educated people, which would in turn give us a much deeper sense of global responsibility and cultural sensitivity.