Top 10 Reasons Every Student Should Study Abroad

by Eric Hebert

10. Culture

Sitting in your comfy home, you may not ever really thing about what it's like to live in another country. And even if you do, you can pretty easily find out by just checking out that Discover Channel documentary, or jumping on the Internet and finding out whatever information it is that you're looking for. However, just because you can do research online and learn about a foreign country's culture doesn't mean you really know anything about it. Now, to fully understand it, you gotta get off your butt and see it first hand. When studying abroad, you'll not only get to see the various complexities of a country's culture in the flesh, but chances are you'll be there long enough to really experience it. There are so many different places to go and people to meet, you'd be an idiot not to want to live outside of your box for a little while. Who knows; you may love the experience of another culture so much you decide to visit or even move there in the future, or the trip my just remind you how much you love being at home. Whatever the reason, you'll never find out if you spend all your time staying in one spot.

9. History

The Past. It's something we as people either try to forget or dwell on way too much. One thing many tend to forget is that history has played out before us here on earth for millions of years! If you're American, you know your country's only a few hundred years old; out in the rest of the world, their cultures are based on thousands of years of history and growth. Why deny yourself the right to explore some of the legends of the past? Much of the world was shaped by events that took place a long time ago, and there's a little piece of each and every person aching to see it for themselves. Landmarks are a great way to soak up some history, such as the Pyramids in Egypt, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Incan cities in Peru, and the Great Wall of China that was built so many centuries ago. The world is a much older place than you could even possibly imagine, full of wonders at every corner. Still, many people will live their lives without ever getting a chance to see and live the history of the earth first hand. If given the opportunity, you'd be a fool not to study abroad to some of the older places on the globe and soak up some of the history for yourself.

8. Language

As Americans, we are used to hearing different languages all the time. Growing up in our melting pot of society, different nationalities from all over the world have come to live in the land of the free, home of the brave. And all of these people who have come have had to learn our national language, English. Sometimes, it may be difficult to communicate something to a foreigner who has yet to learn the ins and outs of a language. Imagine if the tables were turned on you? The traveling advantage an American can have is that, in many countries of the world, English is being taught at a very young age to give growing generations of people the opportunity to communicate with us better. This also works for us when we go to visit, as we're not just entering places where people have no need to learn a second language (kinda like the way WE can act.) By studying abroad to different countries, you'll get the opportunity to meet people who have a completely different way of communicating to each other, and maybe you'll get to put yourself in the shoes of the new guy; it's a sometimes very frustrating experience, but one you'll remember the next time a foreigner visits the US and has trouble speaking. Plus, while you're there, you might pick up some lingo that you'll be able to use in the future to actually talk to those you speak in different tounges.

7. Religion

Christianity is perhaps one of the world's largest religious followings, especially here in the States. Growing up, I'm not sure you're even introduced to the thought of other existing religions until your later teenage years. And even if these other religions of the world are mentioned in textbooks or by peers, the thought of believing in another God is really a hard concept to grasp until you reach a certain level of maturity; yet even today, many Americans are very close minded about other religions of the world and no nothing about them. That's a perfect reason to jump on a plane or board a ship to see the world and take a close look at the different kind of religions of the world. The more religious knowledge you possess, the more you may find out about your own religion in their similarities or differences. And having a better understanding of religion, whether it be Studying Hinduism, Buddhism, or Islam (amongst other religions) will help you become a more spiritual person - someone who understands themselves and the world a lot deeper than most. Open your mind and go see what different religions of the world have to offer.

6. Food

Hope you are hungry, because with all the different types of food and cuisines available all over the world, it's a wonder more people don't travel abroad for this reason alone. In America, we have the luxury of having a vast array of different culture around us at all times; it's how this country was founded in the first place. Because of this influx of culture, we are privy to eat food that originated from all different parts of the world American cuisine is made up of a little bit from this corner of the globe and a little bit of that corner of the globe. While we do have this foreign influence of cuisine, much of it changed on the way over here and is either entirely different from foods that are actually eaten in a specific country or a poor reflection of it (think Chinese food). When studying abroad, you'll be given the opportunity to get your taste buds wet and your stomach full with an array of food offerings that can only be found in a native land. Whether it's a traditional vegetarian Indian dish, chinese mantaou, or some extreme foreign cuisine (kangaroo fillet, anyone?), you won't be able to really appreciate the food of a native land unless you go there and try it for yourself, no matter how good the sushi place down the street from your house is. If you're into food, check this one off as a great reason to spend that semester out of the U.S.

5. Wildlife

C'mon people. You've been to the zoo or aquarium before, and you've seen what this wonderful world has to offer in the form of thousands of different species of interesting animals, insects, and sea life. And while watching these beautiful creatures from a fence at the zoo may be enough interaction for you, it's nothing like seeing these creatures in their home environment roaming free. I'm not saying you're necessarily going to be out in the jungle chasing after lions (or letting them chase you), but you're bound to run into some interesting wildlife while studying in another country.You might get a chance to see a brazilian spider monkey swing it's babies around or watch an african rhino charge from a far. Whatever you're bound to see while visiting another county, it's bound to be far different form the animals and creatures seen everyday in your home town (and if you live in a big city, those are probably limited to birds and pets).

4. Fun & Entertainment

Just think about what you do here in the States to unwind. You probably engage in some sporting activity, listen to music, go to the movies, or hit the town and meet up with the pals out at the bar. Well, guess what; they do these same activities all over the world. Bummer. Guess there's really no reason to go to another country if were just going to do the same things, right? Wrong! While everybody generally engages in similar activities all across the board ( we ARE all humans after all), each and every destination on the map does things just a little different to make each of them different and interesting. I mean, think of sports for example. Every major sport usually focuses on an object (hockey puck, baseball, football) and then trying to get the ball to a certain place. The concept is universal, but the means of doing so are always different. The there's always different activities such as Sumo Wrestling and Indian snake-boat races. When it comes to night life, everyone still gathers at a bar to hang out and meet people, but the atmosphere may be a little different. You may hear a folk band play in Germany or drink a true Abbey Dubbel in Belgium. Either way, there's no where else in the world where you can actually experience these activities the way you will by living them in the place they originated from.

3. Government

Now this is where some of the fun of the trip may begin to die down as sometimes governments in different countries can make life a little more interesting. Coming from such a democratic and free place like the U.S. can easily be taken for granted when entering foreign soil. At the same time, you'll probably find the differences in foreign governments compared to ours very fascinating. This may not seem like such a huge change when visiting countries such as Great Britain or France, who share democratic governments of their own. However, take a step into the People's Republic of China, and you may notice differences in the way they run their country. Make sure to brush up on international etiquette and laws before visiting some of these foreign places. While you may not agree necessarily with the way they govern their people, you may look back in hindsight and appreciate your own democratic government just a little more when you get back to the states.

2. Economy

Much like a country's government, you may not believe that a foreign countries economy would be a reason to go study there. Well, if you care about business at all, China or India would be a perfect place to visit. There are both two of the fastest growing economies in the world and checking them out first hand might give you some insight as to how the "air" feels around some of their busier cities and business districts. Who knows, you might strike a conversation up with a local about a business idea and find your self becoming a part of the business boom taking place. On the other side, taking a trip to study a third-world country may provide you with an entirely different experience. You may get to see first hand how there are people in the world who still live off their own land and do so with little to know technological advancements like running water or electricity. Another one of those "what you take for granted" moments that you'll only be able to experience by going through it all first hand.

1. Memories

The number one reason to study abroad? The fact that this might be your only opportunity to do so! Not to burst any bubbles or anything, but there are a lot of individuals who don't necessarily get the opportunity within their lifetime to study and visit other countries. Sometimes we get caught up in relationships or start families, and we loose the ability to take long journeys away from our homeland to explore different places and things. Many wish we "could have" taken a trip abroad when we were younger and only made that decision years later. If you are given the opportunity during your college years to get out and explore the world a bit, take it. You'll always have the memories to tell your friends and family, and the whole experience will make you a much rounder person. Plus, you'll never look back and live the rest of your life regretting it.

Add this to del.icio.us | Add this to reddit | Add To Google Bookmarks | Subscribe to our RSS Feed