Studying abroad. A concept that has been introduced throughout many college campuses around the world. Almost all colleges have some form of a study abroad program. All programs are different, and some are much bigger than others. A typical study abroad program allows a student from one university to live and study at another university in another country for a semester or a full year.  These two universities have an agreement that allows for students to come to either university while still being enrolled at the original university, in hope that the student earns credits for those classes. There are also programs that highlight internships and volunteer based involvements that can be only a couple weeks or last up to a year. A standard program is when a student stays in a dormitory or an apartment that is similar to their original university. There are programs that involve a host family. This is where a student stays with a family in a foreign country while still studying at the local university (Diamond).

When it came time for me to decide on what colleges I was going to apply to, I didn’t really consider the study abroad programs. I knew that colleges had these programs, but I didn’t choose based on how big or successful their program was. I believe there are many students like me. However, many people do not find it necessary to think about studying abroad their first year, because not many people study abroad that early or can. If a student is fortunate enough, throughout their lifetime they will travel to different places around the world. This can lead to people considering studying abroad but waiting until their second or third year when they have settled into college life. 

 Last summer I was fortunate enough to travel to Europe with some of my fellow high school classmates and teachers. We toured France, Italy, Spain, and Monaco. Unlike studying abroad, the trip only lasted two weeks. I experienced being away from my family and learned about new cultures and languages. Our tour guide spoke five different languages and taught us phrases and words that helped us communicate with locals, store workers, and our busman. I believe this travel experience helped me decide that I will study abroad. For someone to gain this experience, they would need to study or travel abroad. Therefore, I believe that every student should study abroad during their college career. 

A blog post by Valeri Boyle, points out that there are two major factors that every study abroad program includes: growing personally and professionally. The first, personal growth, focuses on the opportunity to further the student’s academia by globalizing their knowledge in a foreign country. The main reason to study abroad is for the academics but many programs like to point out the numerous opportunities that involve self-change and self-recognition. Since there are so many different types of programs, every student can find a good fit that matches their personality and goals. By branching out of the norm, students can learn to embrace new languages and cultures. If the student is interested in becoming fluent in a country’s language, learning can be even more successful than it would be if learned in a different environment. This is also supported by the communication with natives of the country. Boyle states, “It’s easy to have a limited view of the world we live in, but international travel can relieve you of this.” This argument makes sense, because reading about different cultures is one thing, but being able to experience it, helps contribute to personal thoughts and opinions. It also helps individuals learn how other countries see their country and how traditions are different in every country (Boyle).

The second, professional growth. Employers like to see graduates who were involved and challenged themselves during their college career. Studying abroad involves effort and courage that changes a person’s perspective and how they see the world. This can create a person who understands real life situations and has the strength and ability to learn and grow with any career. By studying abroad, the employer can see that the individual can adapt to new surroundings and is not afraid of change. Having a resume that lists having studied abroad in another country, shows the employers how experienced and how open minded someone is (Boyle).

On the other hand, it is important to recognize that with every situation there is going to be downsides. Throughout my research, I have found many articles that describe horrible encounters that can happen while studying abroad, why it can be too expensive, and why sometimes for a student it is just not worth it. A blog posted by MariaAbroad, who studied abroad, created a list of disadvantages. She used her personal experiences and others like hers, to narrow the list to what she believed were the seven most important factors for college students to know before they decide on studying abroad (MariaAbroad). 

The first issue: not everyone can handle change. Being a college student and trying to maintain grades, while having a social life, and taking care of your wellbeing is already hard enough, but imagine doing it in a completely different country where you know nothing about the culture or language. Of course, there are some people who study abroad in places that they are majoring or minoring in the language and already have some basic background on the culture. However, this is not the case for all students, and can be very challenging. Even if the language is not something a student plans on learning, it is important to understand basic everyday motions to communicate while studying in the country to help the experience (MariaAbroad). 

The next issue is the fact that you are alone. Studying abroad can be scary because your friends and family are not going to be there. Technology has made communicating through long distances much easier but it is not the same as having familiar faces to help with problems (MariaAbroad). A concept that tends to be left out of many study abroad presentations and brochures, is the idea of staying with a host family. Staying with a host family ensures that you are not alone. Depending on how well the host family speaks the student’s language or how inviting they are of the student into the home, the family might make the student feel as if they are home. However, staying with a host family can be extremely intimidating and awkward. The student is encroaching on their space. An article states, “Homestay is a negative predictor for the speaking gain, has no apparent effect on listening, and is a positive predictor for the reading gain.” The reasoning behind these were explained by the uncomfortable feeling many students have while being with host families, and how unprepared they were for the intensity of the different culture and language. However, the type of student also depends on how well staying with a host family will go. If the student is very outgoing and gets along with new people, the homestay could be more beneficial than staying in a dorm with a roommate (Knight et al., 190-195). Most students find a group of friends that help make the journey easier when in college, that often turn into family. So being alone throughout the entire study abroad experience is very unlikely. 

The third issue, reality can be disappointing (MariaAbroad). I personally have experience with this. My whole life I had always heard that Paris, France is the most romantic city in the world, and that the Eiffel Tower is one of the most amazing monuments to see in person. This summer when I traveled to France I was a little disappointed and my travel companions agreed with me. The city was overcrowded and smelled horrible. I never imagined how popular smoking would be, everywhere I went there were hundreds of cigarette butts on the ground. The Eiffel Tower was beautiful, but the lines to get to the top of the tower were ridiculous. I waited for two and a half hours and didn’t make it to the top.  I was so disappointed I cried! I remember saying I would never go back to Paris, but some part of me hopes that I just did not have a good experience and if I go back I will have a much better stay. 

The fourth issue, which hits home, is the concept that nothing is free. Sure, the tuition is the same as the original college, because that’s how the study abroad programs work, but there are numerous extra costs that so many programs leave out because they don’t want to scare the student away. The travel costs that will more than likely include a plane flight or multiple flights and train rides or bus rides to nearby cities are never included in the programs fees. Eating out at restaurants to experience the culture or any souvenirs to share the culture with family and friends is going to cost extra. Toiletries and any necessities are going to cost extra just like they would at the student’s original college. Getting a job while being in college is hard because you must juggle between homework, studying for exams, and transportation issues. Some countries do not allow a foreign student to work, so any financial aid needed is going to have be earned and brought abroad or have someone supporting from back home (MariaAbroad). Yet this is true for anyone who is planning on traveling. Traveling is expensive, and people normally must save up money and work for long periods of time to travel to these destinations for vacation. Since students are already paying to go to college for tuition, it is probably cheaper in the long run to travel while in college because room and board is already included.

The fifth issue that could be very detrimental is not getting any credit for the time spent studying abroad. The main purpose of studying abroad is to earn credits that help the student graduate (MariaAbroad). In a third blog written by Maggie Kelly, she lists points that focus on the academics when studying abroad. The main point is to register for classes that are specific to the area. Every college requires humanity classes and extra credits. In some cases, these classes can satisfy these credits while also allowing the student to learn more about the area and experience it better. Next, take classes seriously. If the student does not take the class seriously and fails, they will not earn any credits and it will be a waste of time and money. Those considering majoring or minoring in a language should take as many language classes as possible. What better way to learn a language than in a country where the language is native?  Finding people to study with, finding an environment with a quiet space, or developing a schedule would help the students success (Kelly). Having everything written down and knowing deadlines can help a student feel organized and have plenty of time to study and take advantage of extra time to spend adventuring abroad.

The second to last disadvantage is reverse culture shock. While studying abroad, students are learning different cultures and languages and getting used to this new way of living. Returning home can be as hard as learning to live in the foreign country. As many study abroad programs have stated, students change while studying abroad, grow as individuals, and become aware of real life situations. The student learns how to manage change and how to live on their own in a new place. The saddest part, is that while the student is abroad, time is still passing back at home and friends and family change as well. New opportunities can be present for friends while in college and cause them to grow as well. As exciting as it may be to come back home and share all the new experiences with friends and families, they might have news too. News that will make the student feel excluded because they have been missing things (MariaAbroad). However, culture shock does not have to be negative. It could help someone find happiness by deciding that they were meant to live in the country they studied abroad. Unfortunately, not many people decide to study abroad. 

Nicolas Kristof starts his article off by saying that fewer than one in ten students graduate with study-abroad experience. He states, “the simple truth is that studying abroad is no longer just an excuse for college students to backpack across Europe or relax on foreign beaches; it’s an economic and strategic imperative.” Studying abroad is no longer just about traveling to pretty destinations, taking cool pictures and enjoying tasty food, it’s a chance to experience global markets. The article includes opinions from a university student, a university professor, and a President of an International Education Institute. The student suggests that parents, educators, and employers need to be aware of the benefits of studying abroad. He states, “it is essential that students go to college wondering not if they will go abroad but when.” This quote expresses how every college student should study abroad because of international experiences that boost students’ knowledge. The president agrees that everyone should travel, but points out that not everyone can. Looking back on the extra costs and fees that are not included in the programs, it is difficult for students who come from low socioeconomic status families to afford studying abroad. The professor mentions how she took a gap year before college to volunteer abroad, saying that it was the best decision she ever made. She states the volunteers returned to campus and were successful adjusting back to the academic setting and incorporated their new experiences in civil service groups and social organizations (Kristof).

 In a blog posting by Daniel Delaney, he states, “don’t study abroad: volunteer or work abroad.” Daniel mentions the program at his school began with having the goals under a volunteer and work program. However, that program no longer satisfies its goals. He suggests that just studying abroad does not force participation in foreign culture, nor does it properly teach students to speak the language. By working and volunteering in a foreign country, the student is surrounded by foreign customs and stepping outside of the box of just studying. Which is the point of studying abroad, but does mean that it is not the only option (Delaney).

To really argue my point about why students should study abroad, I am including Carin Dorghalli’s experience in Italy. She begins by saying after learning history of a medieval town in Italy, her Italian Hill Towns class would take a field trip to that town. Next after staring at paintings in her art history class, she would have the opportunity to go to Rome and see all the paintings in person. Then after learning to speak Italian, going outside of the classroom and practicing speaking skills by communicating with locals. After a long day, she would go to her Italian Cuisine class and enjoy an Italian family dinner with her classmates, because she learned how to cook pasta, spaghetti, and lasagna, all Italian favorites.  The idea that everything was so close while she was studying abroad, enhances the idea of why studying abroad is so beneficial (Dorghalli).

Dorghalli states, “learn without borders” (Dorghalli). Life is a journey and being able to live in a world where there are so many different places, cultures and languages is incredible. Being able to travel to even one new place would be an amazing opportunity, but to be able to do it while achieving something so important like a college degree is wonderful.  The benefits outweigh the disadvantages by a milestone when you consider just how amazing life is and how lucky someone would be to study abroad. I was interested, but undecided before, and now I am almost certain that I will study abroad at least once or hopefully several times before I graduate.
