Why You Should Study Abroad

Have you ever dreamed of going somewhere else or of experiencing something new? I do it all the time, and that is why I made the decision to venture 7, 488 miles from my roots. Coming from the northern United States, Australia seemed to be the perfect place to fulfill my dreams.

College is the perfect time to explore new horizons and discover new identities. You hear that line all the time, but how does one accomplish it? Study abroad. If your on the edge of deciding to study abroad, I am here to hopefully change your mind. You may be thinking, why do you care if I do or don't go abroad. I have nothing to gain from you deciding to go abroad; I only wish that others experience what I considered to be the best time of my life.

Why was the study abroad experience the best time of my life? Because I lost nothing that I did not gain in tenfold. There are numerous reasons to study abroad and they vary depending on the individual. A few top reasons include new education opportunities, language learning opportunities, climate change, travel experiences, and many personal growth chances.

As a college student education is top priority, and the classes you take should mean something to you as well as help you towards your life goals. The first choice in studying abroad is to decide where to go and more specifically where you will live and attend school. The college choice will inevitably depend heavily on your chosen major, and if your undecided sometimes that can be an advantage. As a biology major I saw classes such as rain-forestecology and Australian animal behavior as a way to experience what I could not from my home school. Each major will have interesting classes that vary from your home school. From my experience I can claim that I have conducted field research on buttresses in the rain forest, something that few others in my graduating class could claim. I also spent hours out in the field observing and recording data on wild Australian animals. As most college juniors and seniors understand the further into your major you are the more specific and limited the classes required to graduate are. Therefore, being undecided or a freshman or sophomore can be a benefit. The benefit being that you have a wider selection of courses to choose from. And if you're a younger student you will have the opportunity to study abroad more than once!

Language is another top reason to go abroad. Anyone who is attending a liberal arts college or earning a language minor/major will certainly benefit from living in a place where that language is the dominant language. For example if your a Spanish major/minor, why not study in Mexico? First hand experience can only help one become fluent. And if your like me and not comfortable taking classes or living in a new culture with a foreign language then move to a place where they speak the language you are most comfortable with. You will still gain new experiences with language. For myself I took German while studying in Australia, an English speaking culture. In today's growing and diverse culture knowing a second or third language will only make you a top competitor in the job market. Fluency in another language is key to success!

If you have lived in the same latitude and longitude your whole life, why not mix things up and try out a new climate? This for me was yet another major reason to study abroad. Sure you can travel to new destinations and experience snow or the beach for a few days or weeks, but what about living there? Say you come from a local that maintains cold and snow for five to six months a year, why not live along the ocean or a rain-forest? This is your chance to live in the place you only dream of. We have all been on vacations and wondered what would it be like to live here? Stop wondering and do it. For those that are thinking, I will live where I want later in life, I'm here to say, later in life you will have to worry about finding a sustainable income, possibly a partner's wishes, or supporting a family. Right now if you are fortunate you don't have those things to worry about.

As I said above I dream of experiencing new things. Travel is the ultimate way to accomplish this! My schedule allowed me to travel while I was abroad nearly every weekend. I snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef three times, camped in the outback in a swag, did volunteer research in the bush on the endangered Mahogany Glider, held a koala, saw the oldest architectural Catholic Church in Australia, and many other amazing activities. I visited five out of the seven Australian states/territories. What I accomplished could not have been done in most single vacations.

Although the former are excellent reasons to study abroad the utmost reason to go is personal benefit. While in Australia I met numerous new individuals, and as a result I now have friends all over the continental US as well as in a few states in Australia. As an individual this makes me feel more connected and in touch with the rest of the world. I no longer am limited to friends in an immediate area. Through these friendships I have been able to gain new cultural understandings and awareness. By living in Australia for five months I was able to explore and better understand the workings of their unique culture. All the sayings and polite etiquette that could never be learned in a single vacation, I now know. Culturally you will experience new foods, language, behaviors, and living styles through studying abroad.

As a result of all your new found cultural knowledge and friendships you will grow and change as a person. Your experiences will allow you to be more confident to better understand your personal boundaries and to shape you into a better person.

The benefits to studying abroad are numerous and vary from educational opportunities, language learning opportunities, climate change, travel experiences, and many personal growth chances. Any possible reason for going abroad can be justified! You have the choice to live and accomplish the things you want, and not only do you have the choice but the power as well. You make it happen, start planing your dream abroad!