4 Reasons Studying Abroad Will Change Your Life

For those on the traditional life path of earning a college degree, finding a job, settling down with a spouse, and working until retirement, there isn’t an easy way to squeeze in an extended trip overseas.

And, if you’re able to, a week or so overseas is hardly a vacation and barely gives the tourist time to unpack their suitcases. To get a true taste of the sights, sounds, and culture of a new city or country, you need weeks or months in the place. Here are four reasons to consider fitting it in during college.

1. Forming Lifelong Bonds

A study abroad experience will put you in a foreign country with a small group of students from your home institution. During your time abroad, you’ll form close friendships with many of your fellow students that might last well beyond the study abroad experience itself.

You’ll also form friendships with the locals where you are studying. Whether you have a host family or stay in the dorms, you’ll meet a lot of people and connect with them on a personal level. Though social media, you’ll have locals in your network of friends if you ever decide to visit the country again, or if you find yourself needing business connections abroad.

2. Gaining A Global Perspective

It isn’t easy to maintain a counterproductive “us versus them” mentality after you learn first-hand that “they” are just like “us” in many regards. It may be a stretch to claim studying abroad will prevent future wars and international animosity, but becoming more familiar with other peoples and cultures certainly won’t hurt our chances of peace.

Study abroad trips can also provide a lot of perspective on how other people live around the world, and encourage smarter spending. In most urban areas in Europe and Asia, houses and apartments are one third to one half the size of the average American home. After spending a semester living in a smaller footprint, you might change your mind as to how large a house you want to buy (and heat, cool, maintain, insure, and pay tax on).

3. Resume Building

Whether the student lists the study abroad experience on their resume or brings it up in an interview, it’s a great opportunity for a job applicant to show they are okay leaving what’s comfortable to explore new environments and take risks.

In addition to offering the opportunity to earn as many academic credits as the student would earn at their home institution here in the United States, many study abroad programs include immersion in a foreign language. Being proficient in German, Mandarin, or Spanish with in-country experience speaking the language might be the exact edge that an applicant needs to set him/herself apart from a crowded field of resumes.

In today’s globalized business environment, employers are increasingly looking for employees who are comfortable interacting with others on an international level, which all the more justifies the benefits of study abroad experience towards improving one’s job prospects after graduation.

4. Opportunities For Personal Growth

A final benefit of studying abroad is the personal growth and independence that comes from being on your own in a foreign country. College is supposed to be the time of transition from adolescence to adulthood. However, many college students still rely heavily on their parents to make decisions, provide advice, and act as a sounding board.

While studying abroad, students will often be forced to think and act on their own, and will ultimately enter the real world with a real competitive advantage.