10 Benefits of Studying Abroad
Sometimes “looking on the bright side” can be hard when you’re nervous about taking that leap of faith to study abroad. Risking things like homesickness, culture shock, and FOMO can be frightening. ASA is here to tell you that there are so many benefits of studying abroad…trust us! They outweigh all of the potential bumps in the road you may face, and a lot of them are a result of overcoming adversity. So, for a few minutes switch off that voice in your head telling you all of the unfortunate things that could happen while abroad and look at the brighter side of this once in a lifetime opportunity! We promise you won’t regret it!
Here are 10 benefits of studying abroad:
#1: You will adopt language skills
You can learn to speak another language, whether you begin as an amateur or a fluent speaker.
#2: Boost your resume
Studying abroad looks great on an application and the experience can provide you with international networking and amazing job opportunities. You can even look into a career in study abroad!
#3: You form a global perspective
This is the result of observing another culture’s way of life and incorporating their values and norms into your own life. Because of this new perspective you begin to see your pre-existing life through a new lens and may understand American culture better because of questions others ask that you may never have thought of.
#4: You become more teachable
You will experience professors with different teaching styles than your U.S. professors. If you keep your grades up and participate in class you will succeed at showing you are teachable and adaptive. This success proves you’ve strengthened yourself as a student and learner, not just in school but in life!
#5: You learn about YOU
You will be put in various situations (specified in below video at 1:02) which WILL force you to adapt quickly. Learning to cope with these scenarios will help you grow as a person and it may reveal things about yourself that you may not have never known or ever found out unless you studied abroad.
#6: You will master the adaptation process
Traveling to different cities and countries and truly LIVING in your host city will force you to adapt to new environments and cultures you come across.
#7: You will become a TRAVELER not a VACATIONER
You will master the “go with the flow” attitude, take locals’ advice on where to visit /what to do, and follow your sense of adventure and curiosity…not the crowd.
#8: YOU WILL LEARN TO TRUST YOURSELF
Because of how you have learned to respond to situations and endured challenges while abroad, you’ll have greater faith in your capabilities going forward in life -- whenever adversity strikes!
#9: You will make lifelong friends
This powerful and unique experience of studying abroad bonds you with others for life. Even if you don’t see these friends until years later, you will always reminisce on your study abroad days. Who knows, you may even have a travel buddy the next time you want to go back!
#10: You could be inspired to continue your education abroad
Once you have a taste of the international life you may never want to go back.
Reach out to those you know who have studied abroad, even if it’s not to your host country, to hear about their experiences, challenges and success! Welcome EVERY tip they offer. Talk to ASA about any concerns you have; we give you many tools to have a successful experience and want you to have the best semester!
While we only listed 10 of the main benefits of study abroad, there are MANY others. The list goes on and on, but students usually don’t need much more convincing beyond this list!
