Most students at least consider studying abroad, but only about 5.9 percent of students seize this opportunity. There are, of course, many valid reasons to not study abroad such as cost or citizenship limitations. However, for those who are able, studying abroad provides you with an experience that is much harder to replicate outside of university. It isn’t easy to find a way to live in a different country for multiple months if not working or studying. Along with that, your university helps you with the more complicated aspects of deciding to live abroad for multiple months, most notably, the visa application and preparation of all necessary documents.
Studying abroad gives you the opportunity to experience a culture and language different from your own. For many students, it may also give you the chance to connect with your own culture in a way you previously hadn’t been able to. It gives you the chance to learn another language, which is very useful moving forward in life in terms of communication and connection with others. If, however, you are put off by the notion of being in a place where you can’t understand the language, there are plenty of location options where the native language is English. But I highly recommend pushing yourself to be in an environment with a language different from your own as it’s the best way to learn a new language if you take advantage of the opportunity. For me this meant studying in Italy, despite originally wanting to find a program in France, as that’s my second language. However, Italy worked better for my requirements and is close enough to France that I could visit, and by studying in Italy, I had the opportunity to learn another language that I wouldn’t have otherwise pursued.
There is a large variety of locations to study abroad. This also means there’s a large variety in cost to study abroad. For many students, this may mean that studying abroad for a semester is cheaper than studying at their home university. Therefore, it’s worth doing some research on your various options and their costs before assuming studying abroad will be too expensive.
Along with the obvious perks of studying abroad, with it comes a new sense of self. After completing each aspect of studying abroad, even just the application, you feel more capable and independent. You are able to show yourself that you can take a huge step and accept the fears you may be having but face them head on and come out on the other end. You prove to yourself that you can do anything you set your mind to, and you learn the importance of not letting worry or fear stop you from trying new and exciting things.
While the preparations necessary for studying abroad feel very daunting at first, it is more than doable, especially with the help of staff who do it with hundreds of students a year. Picking a location itself can be difficult and time-consuming, but in the end, you should make a decision based on what is most important to you. This may mean accessibility to surrounding countries or cities that you want to visit, the language spoken and more. For example, you can choose locations from all around the globe, but if you want to be able to easily travel to different countries while you’re abroad, you may want to choose a country in Europe. This also gives you the opportunity to speak various languages, including the one you may have studied in school.
Studying abroad offers a truly once in a lifetime opportunity where your housing and visa will be taken care of, you have a legitimate reason to be there and access to experienced people who are there to help you. To be able to immerse yourself in a culture and language for months while living in another country is a gift. Universities around the world offer this amazing opportunity to their students and if you have the chance to take advantage of it, you definitely should.