I know what you’re thinking: why would you want to move to a foreign country where you don’t know anyone and/or anything? Just hear me out on this one.
After graduation, most people go on the relentless job search, go to graduate school or travel. Imagine instead going to graduate school or finding a job while traveling. While being in a foreign country might be intimidating at first, there are various benefits to moving abroad after college!
1. You get to find yourself!
Being in a place you’re unfamiliar with allows you to be yourself 100% of the time. You get the chance to try and experience new things while finding yourself. Learning a new culture and environment will allow you to re-invent yourself. You find things that really make you happy and sad and learn things about yourself that might surprise you.
2. You become independent!
Remember the feeling of your first day at college away from your parents? Remember feeling like the most independent person to exist? It was your rules, choices, and you were in control of your own life. Going abroad will rekindle this powerful feeling and will remind you how you’re a strong and independent boss. You learn to be courageous since you’ll be in a place where you might not speak the native language or don’t know where anything is. This allows you to take risks and use the trial and error method to navigate through your new home.
3. You become adaptable and open minded!
Since everything is so new, you have to be open-minded to figure out what you like and don’t like. Being open-minded allows you to keep a positive attitude even when it seems like everyone/everything is out to get you. You get to learn new things like the country’s history, culture, and language. This also allows you to be more adaptable since you’ll be starting from scratch and will have to learn and accept the country’s traditions and values.
4. You get explore an exciting new place!
If you never got the chance in college to study abroad, now is the perfect time! You are still young and free where going abroad doesn’t really affect you since you don’t have any strings attached. Since you’ve finished school, you’re now entering the “real” world and becoming a “true” adult where you have to take care of yourself on your own. Being in another country allows you to focus on the surroundings around you when “adulting” becomes too hard. You get the chance to finally accomplish your dream of traveling except this will be better because you will be living here! This new country will be your new home and if that doesn’t sound exciting, I don’t know what does.
5. You learn how to build and keep connections
You’ll be leaving your friends, family, significant other, dog, cat, etc., but you’ll be able to make new friends while keeping your old. In college it seemed impossible to keep in touch with your friends at home while making new connections with people at school. But, you managed to do it and it will be the same thing in a new place. You’ll also learn how to network and create connections with potential friends and colleagues.
Overall the choice is yours on what your post-graduation plans are, but going abroad is an amazing option that has endless benefits!