College Students: Go Study Abroad!
If you’re a college student, or planning on being one, here are some reasons I believe you should do everything in your power to study abroad.
Study Abroad. It’s one of those things a lot of students talk about that has a really positive connotation around it. Yet still, most students don’t take the leap and go for it. In fact, most students won’t even take the time to look up how they could go about studying abroad.
The fact of the matter is, it actually isn’t that hard to do! As a person who likes to analyze individuals (psych student, of course), it is my belief that people don’t go abroad because deep down they are scared.
Fear. Fear holds us back in so many ways. Don’t let the fear of the unknown or the fear of failure hold you back from trying new things! Studying abroad is beneficial not only to your resume, but more importantly, to your self growth. When you face the unknown, you learn more about yourself than anything else! Learning about new cultures, and becoming a part of something foreign to you, grows your knowledge base, your intelligence, your emotional capacity, worldly view, and much more. Sitting in a classroom with a professor who has done it all is beneficial of course. A professor is there to relate her experiences, to shed some of her knowledge on her students. But learning things first-hand from your own experiences, that is priceless.
Some more inspiration…
Great Schools for Studying Abroad:
CAPA International Education. Sydney, Australia
Fairfield University. Florence, Italy
CEA-AIX-EN. Aix-En-Provence, France
American College Dublin. Dublin, Ireland
The University of Autonoma. Barcelona, Spain
There are so many schools out there that are just waiting for you to come join. Every college is affiliated with other universities abroad so that you know all the credits will be transferable. There are programs that make it easy, all you have to do it get yourself started. Also, having good grades puts you at the top of that list – so don’t slack. Getting good grades is obviously beneficial all around so I won’t lecture on that.
I know leaving home can be a little scary. If you’re letting fear hold you back, here are some assurances you can rely on:
Study Abroad is a chance for you to live in a foreign place away from home, and it’s not forever! I know it is hard to leave family and friends behind, but with a program like this you can go for a semester or two and will come back (with some unforgettable memories). Unless you’re very lucky, you won’t find a job in the future with that kind of flexibility.
Another good assurance is that in this day and age we are constantly connected. Whenever you feel alone, you don’t have to be. We are always hooked up through our power sucking gadgets; phones, tablets, laptops, etc… In fact, when you decide to go, you’ll probably be posting Facebook status’s and uploading Instagram photos every two minutes, making all your friends extremely jealous. Just make sure to pack that portable charger!
So go! The world is awaiting you.
Ruza Radich
Author