My biggest regret from college is not studying abroad twice when I had the chance. I remember making both decisions, each time thinking about the reasons I should study abroad versus the reasons I shouldn’t. It’s easy to have so much FOMO either way which doesn’t ease the decision-making process. You might even be scared to leave your familiar surroundings for something new almost completely alone. But don’t let fear impact your decision. If you’re trying to decide whether or not studying abroad is a good idea, I’m going to attempt to convince you with these 7 reasons to study abroad.
It’s a Guided Challenge
It’s the most comfortable you will be when stepping out of your comfort-zone.
Some people say that studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live abroad. And while that is partially true, the reality is you can decide to pick up and live abroad at any point in your life. With different timings coming with their own different challenges of course. What makes studying abroad special is that you can live abroad in the comfort of a university setting. You’ll have things like local guides, people your age who speak your language, and housing all there for you. On my program we had meals included so we didn’t even need to worry about cooking for ourselves.
You won’t find yourself completely lost with no one to go to. Since you’re on a study abroad program, any challenges or questions you may have about your new home will be happily answered by the welcoming staff at your institution of choice 🙂
You Make Lifelong Friendships
I met one of my closest friends while studying abroad.
Going abroad on a program, whether studying abroad or something else, is a catalyst for creating strong friendships that last a lifetime. When you go abroad, it’s easy to find yourself alone. On a program, since everyone will be in the same boat as you, people will be more open to making friends. After all, everyone needs a support system. I made one of my best friends while studying abroad, and I met a couple of others on other programs that I’ve done abroad. If you’re interested about making friends abroad, I have a whole different post about it that you can check out here.
Immerse Yourself in a Completely Different Culture
A big part of college is learning new things and meeting people from different backgrounds from around the country and the globe. Continue expanding your horizons by studying abroad and learning about a new culture. You’re sure to learn not only about your study abroad location, but also about your own culture and traditions. You’ll come to realize some assumptions that you’ve had growing up or other things that you may have taken for granted are just different somewhere else.
New Learning Experiences
You’ll have the opportunity to learn something unique or study at a world-leading institution.
No matter where you go, you’re sure to find courses that are unique to your location or university. Studying abroad is a good way to take advantage of special courses that you may only find in certain places, and learn from them!
Although my major was computer science, when I was abroad in Thessaloniki, Greece I took agriculture and business classes at Perrotis College (The American Farm School). As I’m writing this, my sister is currently studying abroad at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where she is taking advantage of their history of Jerusalem course. She and her peers get to go to different historic tours and sites around the city to learn history hands-on. Someone else who studied with me decided to go to Oxford for a semester to take their top-ranked philosophy courses.
Whatever your interest or curiosity may be, it could be beneficial to search for a program that will give you access to specific special learning opportunities in that area.
Learn a New Language
Studying abroad is an incredible opportunity for language immersion. If you want to reach fluency or learn the basics of a language, you can do either through a study abroad program.
Depending on the location and program, studying abroad can improve your language skills. One of my friends from college who was learning Arabic reached fluency when studying abroad in Jordan. When you study abroad, you not only live in a country that speaks your target language, but you also usually have access to a course teaching that language as well, which will supplement your language immersion beautifully. When I was abroad in Greece, it was mandatory for us to take a Greek language class where we learned how to say basic things like “how are you,” “my name is,” and, most importantly, how to order a coffee 😆
Personal Growth
Challenges make you grow.
Although I consider studying abroad a guided challenge, it still is a challenge. And like all challenges, it will foster personal development and growth. When studying abroad, you’ll get the chance to speak to people you never would have met otherwise and have experiences that might never happen to you again. You’ll learn to be even more independent, grow your social skills, understand different cultures and perspectives, and much more. After all, studying abroad is a unique experience for everyone!
Travel Opportunities
Many people who study abroad (especially people who study in Europe) use it as an opportunity to visit multiple destinations.
Since the EU is so easy to travel across via flights and trains, if you study abroad in Europe, you’ll have easy access to the entire continent. Many people study in one city, say Copenhagen, and spend every weekend exploring different cities like Amsterdam, Paris, or Brussels! If you’re not the kind of person that likes tasting different countries, studying abroad by definition is still a great opportunity to tour a new country or region and get to know it really well.
My study abroad program at Perrotis College included an unforgettable week-long orientation trip across Greece. We were able to bond with the other people on our program while learning about the country we were going to call our home for the following four months. We saw important sites, nature, visited the capital, and got a taste (literally) of the culture.
Conclusion: It’s a Once in a Lifetime Opportunity
Make the most out of it! Take a shans!
To sum up, here’s my take on it. Living abroad is tough and not many people are lucky enough to get a chance to do so of their own accord. Even if you don’t enjoy studying abroad (trust me, that won’t happen), you’ll be so happy you tried it. You may never get such an easy chance again to experience living abroad so you might as well go for it. Who knows, it might even change your life.
I hope this post helped convince you to study abroad. If you’ve studied abroad, share your experiences and thoughts down below!
And until next time,
Take a shans!
