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

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

Study abroad program is an attractive offering that was touted by every college I visited. Most colleges offer this program at some level. A recent survey by the International Education Exchange indicates that the number of students studying abroad has tripled in the past two decades. The top 3 regions for study abroad programs are Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

For many students the allure of studying abroad is “fun and glitzy” and may have a “touristy” spin as seen in movies or travel channels or heard from friends and family. This focus must shift from the “abroad” part to the “study” part. In reality, studying abroad must be taken as a serious aspect of a student’s college experience. This program will push them to get out of their comfort zone to experience another culture, environment, language, economy, and political situation. It will help open their minds about stereotypical perception of people and places. The program should be made an integral part of the college curriculum and must not just include structured learning about the country’s history, culture, religion and language, but also unstructured components such as interacting with the local students, their families/communities, and opportunities to speak the language 100% of the time vs sporadic language activity time with English speaking coordinators and residential environments. I was fortunate enough to have had opportunity to live abroad for a few years and I am very thankful for that experience. Although, the experience was very daunting and intimidating at the beginning, I am glad that it moved me from living in my safe haven to a vibrant, diverse, eye-opening experience of my life.
My parents work for internationally global companies. They often say that in today’s world, employers look for various “soft” skills in potential applicants – these include the ability to interact with cultural diverse coworkers, knowledge of a foreign language, ability to solve a problem in a resourceful manner etc. I think the study abroad program will definitely help enhance these “soft” skills and make the students marketable for jobs in global companies.
With rising student loan debts, the opportunity to study abroad may look financially very daunting for many students and if one calculates all the expenses, it is surely not a drop in the water; however, it can be made feasible with some shrewd planning. There are several government sponsored scholarships and need-based grants that students can tap in to. I would consider doing study abroad programs in countries like China, India, Japan Korea, and other Asian and South American countries. These countries offer great opportunities for students at a much lower price-tag than the traditionally attractive western European destinations. These countries are also emerging market for global economic expansions and it would be a valuable experience to be able live and study in these countries.

Globalization is here to stay, and to succeed in the global economy it is imperative that the students leverage on the international experiences earlier on. If we want to build a nation of internal leaders in the coming years, the program must be supported by parents, teachers and the universities must make it an essential, accessible, and affordable to the students.