Weighing the Cost by Sierra

Weighing the Cost by Sierra - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

Studying abroad is a great experience, exploring, and visiting many new lands leads to knowledge about different ways of life. People who study abroad become more competitive when applying to graduate school and jobs. There are many benefits to studying abroad but this doesn’t mean that every college student has to.

In thinking about whether or not it should be a requirement there are a lot of factors that matter. Students have to be able to finance for these trips other wise they aren’t able to go. If a college student is required to leave then this is more stress on finances which then can become a burden. College is already expensive which means that there is already a demand for funding just to stay in school. When you think about how much it costs to live, sleep, and eat in another country you have to have the right amount of funds otherwise it won’t be worth the trip. Having bare minimum just to leave is nice, but you won’t be able to do all of the exploring and shopping the you want too because you don’t have sufficient funding.

Another demand that can influence whether or not a student studies abroad would be factoring in one’s grades. In order to go to a certain country a student is required to take classes regarding language and culture. Foreign language is already a requirement but this doesn’t mean that a student is good at what they’re studying. For example, I am taking an Italian class where a lot of students struggle with understanding the grammar, phonics, and pronunciation of words. If they can’t understand these bare minimum requirements and pass with a ‘C’ or better then they will lower their chances of being able to travel.

It is nice to consider studying abroad but this doesn’t mean that it is for everyone. Especially when there are already demands being placed on college students. I think it is better if studying abroad is left as an option, not a requirement.