Should all college students be required to study abroad? Why or why not? by Nicole

Should all college students be required to study abroad? Why or why not? by Nicole - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

Studying abroad is an excellent way for students to learn about other cultures, gain independence, and broaden their opinions of the world. Studies have shown American students lack global context and this opportunity not only allows for personal growth, but job opportunities as well.
By experiencing the culture and education in another country, one may grow unexpectedly behaviorally and developmentally. The term “uncultured swine” is popular for a reason; living in one place and being blind to other people and ideals is a very dangerous predicament. Since America is such a large country in and of itself, many of its natural born citizens have never left its boarders. There are 50 states, but the culture differences are minimal and the morals are all the same. With one president and the same language, history, and so forth, much of America is very similar. The major differences stem from the immigrants. In Florida there is a strong Cuban influence, in Texas and California a Mexican influence, and in some of the northern states like Michigan, there is a Canadian influence- after all, why do you think Michiganders love hockey so much? However, these influences are not strong enough to truly immerse oneself in the culture. Visiting France is quite different than speaking to a Canadian and going to Peru and Ecuador in no way pales in comparison to visiting Miami. Without learning about the rest of the world and the uniqueness of each person, we will remain ignorant as a whole; not the best situation for any kind of negotiation is a now global world.
Study abroad programs offer an opportunity like no other; leave the country with no strings attached. Being a college student, there is no need to worry about children or a job since the education is still offered around the world. With free time on the weekends there is a chance to backpack through Europe or Australia or Africa. The entire world can become an oyster for each and every young pearl fresh out of high school and ready to experience life for the first time.
If American students were required to study abroad, the entire culture would be able to understand another ideology and view politics and global issues in an educated way. It has often been said America falls behind compared to Europe. Perhaps this is because not enough people are willing to change their way of life and improve because it is new and frightening. Closed minded citizens only create widespread fear and panic at the though of change. But change is important for growth, and improvement.
While America would benefit greatly from this opportunity, not every college student will experience opportunity from exploring the world. It is common for Chinese students who study in America to be refused jobs because they have experienced a more individualistic society. The extreme differences between the individualism in America, the UK, and Australia compared to the collectivism in India, China, and Pakistan are shocking. The extreme difference has an influence on individuals and their though processes and Western culture does not approve of this, creating a dilemma. Is it better for everyone to become globalized and think in similar ways, or is a difference between peoples an asset? It has been seen time and time again throughout history that progress occurs in different ways, so perhaps study abroad programs will allow for a miniscule sharing of culture without creating a sameness that would render the world dull.
While every college student may not benefit in the same capacities, the study abroad programs will allow for stronger human connections across the globe. So, it would be wise to begin to require these programs with ideals like global peace and worldwide communications in mind.