Beyond Traveling Abroad by Kathleen

Beyond Traveling Abroad by Kathleen - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

Studying abroad can be such an invaluable tool for a college student. It is an experience unlike any other, and it can provide knowledge that cannot be gained in any other way. The idea of studying abroad is very appealing. You get to spend time in a different country, studying a topic that you choose in a location of your choice, and who doesn’t love to travel? A student who is studying abroad gets to experience a new culture, one that is very different from their own. This can include learning new languages, eating new and exciting foods, meeting new people they otherwise wouldn’t have met, and being exposed to new environments, societies, and situations.
Additionally, students studying abroad can take on internships or get jobs in a new workplace environment. Fieldwork like this can leave the student with career knowledge that a textbook cannot deliver. Students can learn foreign culture, expand their horizons, and advance their academic goals. As previously stated, this can all sound pretty appealing. However, that does not mean that studying abroad is for everyone.
There are many different forms of college students in this day and age. Some are traditional, living on campus and sitting in on a lecture three days a week. Some students are non-traditional, doing their coursework online at three in the morning. Some traditional students are straight out of high school, some have part time jobs, and some may not be open to leaving the country. Some non-traditional students have full time jobs and families. Some are young, some are old, and some may not be able to leave the country.
With all that being said, every college student should not be required to study abroad. It should continue to be an optional, but very rewarding experience. It is something that should provoke excitement in the students that want to study abroad, instead of inducing stress on those who do not want to study abroad. It is something that just isn’t for every student, because every student is different, traditional and non-traditional alike.