If you’re looking for answers to the question ‘why study abroad?’ look no further. From gaining an understanding of other cultures and learning a foreign language, to becoming better prepared for a job in the increasingly global business world, to having months of fun and excitement, the reasons to study abroad are numerous.
Study Abroad Benefits
With so many reasons to study abroad for a semester or a school year, it’s hard to find reasons not to. Study abroad benefits include those that can change your life. And of course, those that will just make it a little more interesting and fun. Here is a sampling of the reasons why study abroad is something for you to consider:
- It’s a great growth experience – When you study abroad you’ll be challenged to live among people unlike yourself in a foreign country. The everyday challenges this introduces will cause you to mature, increase your confidence and self-esteem, and ultimately make you a more well-rounded person.
- Gain a better understanding of the world – When you live in a foreign country you will begin to see yourself within the context of the greater world around you. Seeing the ‘big picture’ can prompt you to question the views you’ve held about the unfamiliar and reconsider biases and prejudices.
- Develop your foreign language skills – When you are forced to use another language to conduct everyday business outside of class, for instance at the grocery store or in a restaurant, you’ll see how much easier it is to pick the language up. There’s nothing like immersing yourself in another culture to learn the nuances that a book can’t give you.
- Increase your marketability – Another study abroad benefit will materialize as you seek employment. Employers view students who have studied abroad as more respectful of different viewpoints and better positioned to handle the demands of the working world with maturity than their peers. And if you’re bilingual, that's even better!
- You’ll be a more valuable employee – Study abroad will continue to benefit you throughout your career. As borders continue to blur in the business world, and bottom lines become more dependant on foreign relationships, those with experience living abroad will be in increasingly higher demand. And those with experience abroad oftentimes make better candidates for leadership positions.
- Work internationally – Living in another country also opens up opportunities for working overseas. From teaching abroad to getting work at a foreign company or at an American company overseas, study abroad opens up a world of possibilities.
Have the time of your life – See how much fun you can squeeze into a few months. You can get lost in a different world, meet extraordinary people, engage in fascinating conversations, and participate in events you’d never dreamed of attending or even get a chance to attend while in the States!