An Education Miles Away by Kristen

An Education Miles Away by Kristen - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

Finding the right college is a hard enough task already. The fear of moving away even a couple of miles from your parents can still be a scary thought. What if you were a whole country away from them? Do you really need to be that far away in order to get a good quality education? Don’t get me wrong, studying abroad seems like it would be such a good experience, but it is not for everyone. With that being said, it should not be required for students to have to study abroad when they are in college.
Some people find it difficult to even be a couple of minutes away from their parents, so they don’t even leave for college. Those who move out of the state, still have the opportunity to be able to visit their family during vacation, and their family even has the chance to be able to have surprise visits every now and then. Having to study abroad, would make it even harder to be able to see your loved ones. Anyone who really doesn’t mind being away for long periods of time, would have a great time studying abroad. Everyone is different though, that is why if they made it a mandatory thing, they could be hurting people more than helping. It could even drive people away from wanting to go to college, and that would be a silly reason for someone to pass up their education.
Another reason that students should not be forced to study abroad, is because some people are not conditioned for it. Many people have gotten sick while going to another country. When you are studying abroad, you should be able to put your complete focus in your studies, not trying to maintain yourself healthy. There have even been students who have died while being abroad. That is just a reminder in how dangerous studying abroad can be. Traveling is not for everyone, and people should not have to risk their health and safety just to get an education. Students who actually are interested in studying abroad, normally make themselves familiar with the area they are going to be in. That is why people should only have to go if they really want to.
The last thing about forcing people, would be the fact that it would make college way more expensive. College is already hard to pay for to begin with. To study abroad, would mean that there would be more money to pay for college. Not everyone has the money to be able to travel to another country. People barely even have the money to pay for college itself. Again this would be another factor that can hinder someone from being able to attend college. The more that college costs, the less people that are going to be capable financially in attending.
Studying abroad is a really good idea, and is super beneficial to those who take the opportunity. The thing with this is that, it is not for everyone. It takes a person who really wants to go, to be able to handle it. A lot of people learn from experience, but some people are just fine learning from the United States, than having to leave the country to learn the same exact thing. Because of money, health, and people who get home-sick, having to study abroad should not be something that is necessary for a college student. It is something that should continue to be offered, but not a requirement.