Discovering the World by Laura

Discovering the World by Laura - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

It is rare to hear of people who wish to stay in the exact same area their entire life. Many individuals take the opportunity during their college years to explore around the world. Most colleges go as far as offering study abroad programs to their students. This is the perfect time in which the students are mature enough to travel on their own before dedicating their time to a career. However, the ever present question is, should all students be required to study abroad? A majority of students do not take the opportunity to study abroad due to the fact they do not believe it will assist them in their future career. It is often presumed that the typical students who would choose to travel the world would be majoring in an international career. A typical example would be a French teacher who needs to experience how the French live in order to teach it to others. Study abroad programs are not just for those pursuing a major that deals with different cultures, they’re for everyone. Therefore, participating in study abroad programs should be required of each college student so that they have the opportunity to learn while experiencing an different perspective of the world which, in turn, will assist them in their future careers.
In each unique study abroad program it is beneficial to the students and the country they are visiting. The young adults learn about the culture they could never find out from a book by eating meals and participating in traditions with the people residing close to where they are visiting. The community sometimes receives services done by these able bodied guests such as them helping out in a local clinic or volunteering to build houses in countries that are in need of them. Though it is not necessary, students tend to choose places that will help them with their future career. For example, if an individual wishes to pursue a future that consists of a medical practice, it would be beneficial to visit a place in high need of medical assistance such as one that just had a natural disaster. This will give the soon to be doctor the experience of rushing to assist as many people as possible and show him the extremes that come with his job. Thus, the community is assisted greatly and the individual has been able to use the skills they learned from the classroom in a real life setting.
Study abroad programs should be required of college students due to the countless benefits the program offers. It is the perfect opportunity for an individual to escape the classroom setting while still collecting plentiful knowledge. If you are a college student now and study abroad is not a requirement it would be highly suggested that you jump on this opportunity. Hopefully in the near future everyone will be able to have this life changing experience.