Do It for YOU: Reasons to Study Abroad
Like clockwork, the study abroad posters go up at the beginning of every school year, luring you with images of faraway places, promises of financial aid and of an experience of a lifetime. You can shrug it off easily, and tell yourself that the cost is just too astronomical. You can even tell yourself that there is no reason to study abroad as a business major, a science major, graphic design major, etc.
Don’t.
Study abroad — go to that place you have always wanted to venture to, go to that place you have never heard of but that you are willing to take a chance on, go to Europe, Asia, Africa … go, go, go.
You’re young, and you have the time. Wait until after college, and you’ll struggle to take off time from work, have a family to take care of, and have far too many responsibilities on your plate to just jet off to a new, unknown place.
There are few opportunities in your life to spend two to four months not just visiting a new country, but living there. You’ll spend your time meeting locals, exploring the town and the country, eating new and exciting cuisines, finding your favorite coffee shop, grocery store, museum … and without even realizing it, you’ll soon have a second home. You’ll go from a stranger in your new city to a near local.
For once in your life, you are utterly alone. Just a suitcase, a carry-on, a backpack, the clothes on your back and your eyes wide open — nothing more and nothing less. You’re far away from the help of your parents and family. Sure, you have program support staff that will be there for you for whatever you need, but other than that, you are on your own. It’s terrifying but so satisfying. You’ll learn more about yourself than you would have ever imagined.
Studying abroad, no matter what your major or your interests are, will always look good on a resume — but don’t do it for the resume, do it for you. Do it because you’ve been learning so much, your nose in a book, and you deserve to learn about the one person that you are stuck with for better or worse: yourself.
Travel, get out there, get out of your comfort zone and everything that you hold near and dear, and go learn about yourself. You might not find exactly who you are, and you might end up with more questions than answers at the end of the semester, but you won’t end up with regrets. You’ll regret it if you don’t take the plunge.
Do it. Study abroad.