Learning Outside the Books by Taytum

Learning Outside the Books by Taytum - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

Studying abroad should be required for all college students in this day and age. There is a plethora of benefits young adults gain from studying abroad. Becoming an adult in today’s society requires one to be aware of the vast amount of cultures, religions, customs, and economical statuses. We live in a more diverse world than ever before. If students study abroad, it opens their horizon to multiple languages, new perspectives on domestic issues, promotes independence, and simply makes students more employable.

With the broad range of languages spoken in the world, it is a huge advantage for students to immerse themselves in a new culture. In order to meet the demands of the corporate, government, medical, and business world, students need to be linguistically and culturally qualified to communicate globally. Exposure to new cultures allows for a broad worldview and a better understanding of cultural views and biases. Employers welcome students that take the extra step to travel abroad and learn a new way of life. It demonstrates their thirst for knowledge, and their willingness to take on a new challenge. Traveling to a different country takes a huge amount of commitment, and exhibits an immense measure of independence. Students are forced to take care of themselves and make decisions on their own. An incredible asset in the workplace is to bear exceptional social skills. Most students have been with the same family and friends for majority of their life. When arriving in a foreign country, they know almost no one, which necessitates that they make new friends and colleagues.

Studying abroad should be required for all college students. There are numerous advantages for those students that get the chance to do so. We live in a divergent world, which requires people to be well-rounded and educated in other cultures. Knowing another language is a marketable asset for students to have. In a globalizing world, having studied abroad provides confidence, independence, and gives students that competitive edge when entering an ambitious workforce.