If you are going to take advantage of one thing during your college career, hands-down it should be studying abroad. Traveling to a different country to “study” and moving into your own space for six months will help you grow up, learn how to do a great accent, and change your life. There is no other time in your life where an opportunity like this will come along, and if you can afford it, don’t hesitate to sign up. Here are four reasons why you should study abroad.
Broaden Your Horizons
Are you that person who’s never traveled? You’ve stayed in the same place your whole life? You don’t really join clubs because you don’t know which ones would fit you best but you want to try? Then go abroad! It sounds so cheesy but it really does open your eyes to a world exists beyond what you know. You could start by visiting a different state…Within the US alone it’s so different from one place to another, but studying abroad allows you to see the issues you think about from a completely different perspective. You can put that French or Spanish class to good use, or you can go to a country where you don’t even know the language, or you can go to England and ease into other worlds through the Chunnel! You have so many options. Start by talking to your adviser at school and move forward.
Earn More Money
Did you know that employers are more willing to hire people who have diversified their resume? By studying abroad and having multiple perspectives on your subject matter you can tailor your company’s needs to an international market! The key in any business is to make yourself invaluable, meaning you gain all the skills possible to beat out competitors. If a future employer has two resumes, one that took risk, studied abroad, and was very active vs. the second resume where the person has gone nowhere, has one perspective, and wasn’t active, who do you think they are more likely to hire?
Meet New People
How many times do you catch yourself thinking you want a change? You’re tired of doing the same things with the same people and seeing the same things? Studying abroad allows you to go above and beyond to meet a whole new class of people that are exciting and fun and who will have a different perspective on life than you. You might even fall in love abroad (romantic notion, but it’s happened before and can happen again!) And if you aren’t looking for an abroad love affair, how about good friends? In business you are bound to have contacts around the world you are going to have to work with, if you have friends in those countries, they could help you out.
Travel
How many times have you actually wanted to travel? You want that Euro trip, that summer away, but you don’t really want to pay extra for it? Studying abroad is the perfect way to get your education and travel. In Europe they have trains that can take you from country to country with ease, so once you’re on them, the world is your backyard. Can you imagine bragging to all your friends about how you spent the semester in four or five countries while they stayed at the same school and went to the same house parties with the same fake IDs. How lame, go abroad!
These are just four reasons to go abroad, there are many, many more! So go to your adviser and start planning your semester today!
