Broadly Travel by sadie

Broadly Travel by sadie - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

If your barometer for being or becoming a well-rounded student and citizen is at least in part due to your awareness of the cultures, nations and ideologies around the world then absolutely one should travel abroad. To make it a requirement of higher education is less clear. There are many caveats tied to the process of international travel. In today's volatile climate it may not be advantageous for an administration to require students to travel internationally and may result in some unfortunate and disastrous outcomes an institution of higher learning may be unwilling to negotiate. Add to this various travel warnings published by the US State Department and Department of Homeland Security might add a level of red-tape to the process.

I have traveled abroad and from it gained an immense appreciation for the benefits and liberties I enjoy as an American. Students who have not been exposed to other nations have no way of realizing simple benefits like roads and elevators and food availability. Until I roamed outside the U.S. I did not realize how people related in ways atypical to Americans. In some cultures children are required to give up seats on public transportation systems to any adult which is not exactly the manners of Americans. Learning to navigate the sensitivities of other cultures and belief systems does two things: first it opens your eyes and ideas to culture and politics and basic living conditions and secondly it fosters a deeper appreciation of the good things Americans enjoy and almost take for granted.

I conclude then, that international travel should not be a mandate for all college students and that it ought to be highly encouraged and supported should any student wish to partake.