I’ve talked to a lot of people recently that either studied abroad in college, were considering studying abroad soon, or regret that they didn’t pull the trigger and study abroad when they had the chance. With this post I shall attempt to convince you to make the life-changing decision to study abroad – a decision you’ll never regret.
And this doesn’t only apply to college students that want to study abroad, but really anyone that’s considering spending time in a foreign country and needs the persuasion to buy the plane ticket. This can also be an encouraging post for parents that are on the fence over whether they should allow their child to study abroad or not, since that can be a daunting decision for most parents.
For context, I studied in Stuttgart, Germany for five months in 2022 and also did a three-week program in Cologne, Germany in 2024. So, in this post I’m mainly speaking from the point of view of someone from the U.S. that studied in another country since that’s what I did, but it applies to anyone worldwide.
It Builds Character
Thinking back to before I studied in Germany for a semester, I was a completely different person compared to who I was when I got back. I was immature, narrow minded and rather introverted beforehand, and I began to see a change even a few weeks into my studies. By the time my flight landed back in the States, I felt more knowledgeable, more confident, and overall felt like I had a better understanding of who I was.
Not that studying abroad will completely rid you of any personal flaws you may have, but if you let the adventure have its way with you then you’ll likely turn into a much more grounded and worldly person.
Studying abroad will also help you figure out who you really are and who you really want to be. One of my friends that I studied with in Germany flew to Europe thinking he wanted to be the next Steven Spielberg and direct movies for Hollywood, and by the end of the program he had realized that that wasn’t who he truly wanted to be – in fact he dropped out of college a couple weeks after we returned to the U.S. Not that that’s a bad thing, it’s just that he found out that a career in film wasn’t what he wanted to do with his life and studying abroad helped him realize that.
It Puts Things in Perspective
If you walk into a college classroom in the U.S., you will mainly see similar things to what you saw in high school, except on a larger scale. Similar people (mainly students from the U.S.), similar classroom style, and overall similar culture. If you study in another country, you will be immediately introduced to a completely new learning environment with different people, different classroom styles and different cultures. With this, you will get the opportunity to compare this new learning style to your prior institution’s learning style, and you’ll be able to decide which aspects of each you like and don’t like.
And, once you’ve acquired these new observations of cultural differences in the classroom, you’ll be able to apply that new perspective to other aspects of your life. You’ll be able to see things from other peoples’ points of view, and it will provide you with more informed views on the world.
In addition to this, you’ll meet people you never would’ve met in your home country, and you’ll hopefully walk away with friends from all over the world. These friends will provide you with fresh perspectives on the world and push you to think about life from angles you wouldn’t normally think about.
It Will Change Your Life
If you’ve ever seen those videos online of the before and after of people that travel abroad for a while, you’ll know what I’m talking about. They have a wiser look to them when they return from their travels; their eyes shine brighter, their skin looks healthier, their hair looks more whimsical… there’s an overall happier look to them, and that’s no mistake. Spending time abroad will genuinely change your life.
Putting yourself in an unfamiliar place so far from home forces you to put yourself out there in a way you wouldn’t normally in order to meet people and create experiences. Pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone isn’t something that you always do in your daily routine in your home country, but when you’re abroad, pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone is your daily routine.
Whether you’re considering studying abroad or just looking to spend some time in another country, I highly recommend you seize the opportunity. I couldn’t imagine how much different of a person I would be if I hadn’t studied abroad in college, and I’m thankful every day that I took the opportunity when I had it.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the post and I hope it convinced you to book that flight. Leave a like if this post was helpful and hit the follow button for a new post every Wednesday at 12pm MST!
Have a great week!
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