Image Credits: Rocky Scotty, Unsplash
This might just be the perfect time in your life to go abroad. Study abroad programs offer once in a lifetime experiences, and while college can seem like enough change on its own, these programs take you a step even further from your comfort zone. Living among peers in another country while still working towards your degree creates the perfect opportunity to travel.
Life’s responsibilities only pile-on as we get older. College is an already chaotic and overwhelming time in one’s life, and the thought of adding more work to prepare for studying abroad can seem like it’s not worth all the extra effort. Yet, these abroad experiences are often ones that students never regret and often wish they got more of. I would like to show how studying abroad is worth the hassles it presents, whether it’s adapting to a foreign culture or using a different language that is not your first.
Personal Growth
Learning to navigate different cultures can lead to newly gained self-confidence and self-assurance. When you are placed in a country where you have no familiarity, it forces you to simply just figure things out for yourself. Programs will offer essential accommodations such as housing and events meant to introduce you to the culture. However, the bulk of your routine is mostly left up to you to figure out. This is essential to gaining the confidence in yourself to be independent and able to problem-solve life’s challenges.
There is also a significant impact gaining global perspectives has on our own thinking. A 2012 study found that studying abroad supports the complex cognitive processes behind creative thinking. Going abroad, quite literally, reshapes how your brain solves problems and interprets the world. This is especially important for Americans, as our media and education often don’t have an emphasis on global perspectives.
Career
This aspect is often overlooked by many students as study abroad may seem unappealing because it doesn’t add anything to a resume or future job applications. Yet, many of the skills developed by students abroad are in high demand by employers. Adaptability, leadership and interpersonal communication skills are all highlighted by employers as necessary to their companies according to a 2015 NACTA Journal study. Additionally, as much as 73% of employers agree that experience studying abroad is a significant factor when evaluating resumes. So, while you may not necessarily be looking to pursue a career abroad, the experience is definitely still beneficial for standing out as an applicant and developing skills you can use professionally.
Better Now Than Later
Often, we reserve our goals for later in life or have aspirations that we never try because we figure we’ll get to it sometime, just not today. While choosing to study abroad shouldn’t be anything immediate, it’s worth it to consider “why not now?” We only get older and create more reasons for ourselves to never take that leap out of our comfort zone. When you’re older and retired with more time to travel, you will likely not be able to enjoy much of what you can while in your 20s. One of the top regrets from older retirees is that they wished they took time to travel more when they were younger. Therefore, now is the time to really think about what you want to do and where you want to go in the world while you are still physically able.
College is one of the rare times in life when you can explore the world without hitting pause on your goals or degree. Studying abroad opens your mind, strengthens your skills and broadens your sense of what’s possible. If you’re waiting for the right time to take that leap, now is the time.
Grace Powell is a third-year Media and Culture major with a minor in Human Resource Management. GP1019074@wcupa.edu.