The Problem of Otherness and the Solution of Studying Abroad by Juliana

The Problem of Otherness and the Solution of Studying Abroad by Juliana - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

College students should be required to study abroad. To study abroad means to gain a global perspective on the world—something that is absolutely necessary in today’s age. Every college student should be presented with the opportunity to visit another geographical part of the globe yet still remain in an academic setting. Considering financial restraints, colleges could propose two-week seminar trips with an academic focus in addition to offering the typical semester or summer abroad programs.

The concept of otherness, or the recognition of differences in others, has led to a divide in global society. Differences in others make one question self-identity. When one is immersed in a single culture for his or her entire life, it is difficult to accept differences as normal, making it easier to acknowledge one’s own characteristic as “good” or “right” while the other as “bad” or “wrong”. Studying abroad opens the mind and allows a college student to learn and embrace different people, culture, and ideas. By embracing differences, college students will begin to eliminate the negative effects of otherness. Thus, if every college student is required to study abroad, he or she will be contributing to the future of a diplomatic world where differences are appreciated, not condemned.