This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Augustana chapter.
In my humble opinion, one of the most important things college students can do is study abroad. As a person who has traveled for professional, recreational, and academic situations my entire life, I will never stop advocating for people to get out of their comfort zones and try something new. Although studying abroad is no way equivalent to actually living somewhere—especially in today’s world—I believe exposure to different countries and meeting new people can help solidify solidarity as human beings, and even inspire students to change their paths in life. Even if it means hard goodbyes, embarrassing moments, or coming to terms with the fact that America might not be your best fit, we should all try our best to experience life somewhere else. Here’s why.
- Learning a different way to exist. Whether it was Ireland, Japan, the British Virgin Islands, London, Norway, or anywhere in between, when I have gone abroad, each place has taught me something new about what it means to be human. In Bergen, I learned that ancestry plays an important role in the present and that almost every meal is eaten by putting something yummy on a variety of bread. In Japan, pretty much nothing prepackaged has sugar added—green tea, yogurt, nothing. Almost every European city has easily accessible, wide spread public transit to endless points of interest. And in the BVI, people drive on the left but use American cars. In the end, no matter where you decide to go, enjoy the things that make your term abroad different than your life at home. Those will be the things you never forget and miss the most.
- Discovering more about a new place. Especially in the “globalized” world we live in today, lots of tourists think they know what to expect when they go somewhere. They read a blog, or watched a YouTube video, or bought twelve travel books before departing. But trust me, tourists often get sold a lot of romanticized information, which they then use to imagine the very best of wherever they are going. This is why studying abroad can be so beneficial. Often, students stay for at least two weeks, if not three months, and by the end of the trip, you will feel somewhere in between a cringy weekend tourist and an ex-pat. The feeling might be strange, but welcome it. Find comfort in the fact that you know more about a city than an “insider travel guide,” but do not be afraid to be humble about the things you have yet to learn.
- Discovering more about yourself. Hopefully during all this time gallivanting around and somehow trying to study in between, you can learn more about what you want for yourself and your future. For me, that meant discovering that I want to go back to Asia and that I would be open to living outside the United States if I ever got the chance. Even if the idea might seem cliché, do not be afraid to learn that the person you are at home is not the same as the person you are abroad. Once you meet people and live in a new place, you might just end up learning more about yourself than anything else. Getting away from the influences of home can sometimes be the best thing for anyone to do.
- Learning to live in flux. When Americans go to a new place, they learn that not everything is set in stone. Studying abroad makes students accept change—whether it be as simple as the store only sells whole milk, or that a side trip got canceled so they have to make their own adventure that day. Living in that weird, slightly independent but still looked after phase was one of the best experiences of my whole life.
- Having fun. Just get out there and start exploring. Learn about a new culture, a new religion, or a new way of life. Stay with a host family or in a hostel instead of at a hotel. Climb a mountain for the first time, or ride a bike instead of driving a car. Walk barefoot through a city, sing karaoke with friends, or stand on a cliff at the edge of the ocean. Find out just how few places look homogenous anymore. Meet people who help you find your way—through a city or through your life. Study abroad. I dare you to say no.