Many people consider studying abroad, especially at Mizzou, where we have an extensive study abroad program. There is a Chinese proverb, “In order to attain wisdom, it is not enough merely to read books, you must be well travelled as well.” So why not do it while you’re still young? The best chance to study abroad is while you’re in college and not tied down. Go out and have an unforgettable experience! Here are 8 reasons why you should study abroad, coming from a student who IS studying abroad!
1. You can vacation while you study. What is better than travelling and studying at the same time? Studying abroad usually requires students to take 1-2 courses (depending on how long you will stay overseas). Only credit hours will be counted towards your academic record. The grade you get will NOT count towards your cumulative GPA, so no pressure! You will only need to attend class for a few hours a week, other than that, you can enjoy your travelling and vacation away!
2. You can learn another language. How awesome will it be if you can greet people with another language? Studying overseas will teach you some basic vocabularies in another language. When studying abroad, you can’t help but to learn how to communicate with local people in that country. For instance, when you go out to buy groceries or just ordering at a restaurant. By the time you finish the journey, you can probably having a conversation with locals and you won’t even notice it! (You might also learn a few bad words in another language! Anyway…)
3. You’ll experience new holidays/festivals. Ever imagine having a week of a holiday at the beginning of the school year? Consider studying in Hong Kong or Shanghai! While you enjoy the joyful holiday that lasts about a week, you can celebrate the biggest festival in China, Lunar New Year. The New Year is usually set between the end of January and the beginning of February, depending on the lunar calendar. You will have a chance to see red decorations everywhere, receiving “red envelop” (a monetary gift from other families or relatives) and also fireworks!
4. How about a winter without snow? Tired of slippery roads or snowstorms in the winter? Get out while you can! Some countries will not even have snow at all, ever. Some parts in Australia or Hong Kong do not have snow at all in the winter due to their warm climate. You won’t see dirty, gray snow on the roadside or have to walk cautiously wearing special shoes when you go out. In fact, a lot of youngsters in Hong Kong consider winter as the season to dress fashionably!
(Fun fact: Since there is never a snow day in Hong Kong. Instead, the Hong Kong Disneyland has artificial snow during winter times!)
5. You can start you career. Either studying abroad or interning overseas is a great opportunity for you to find out whether you are a fit to work internationally. It is definitely a jump-start to your career. When you go overseas, you will be able to learn other countries’ cultures, economies, as well as language. All of those are what employers are looking for. It will definitely build your résumé. Moreover, you’ll be able to compare the living standards in different countries and be stunned by how different each country is when you live with the locals.
6. You’ll make friends from all over the world. Have fun with the locals! You may be meeting life-long friends during your time studying abroad. Hanging out with local people makes you adapt to the place more easily. You get to do what the locals do, instead of going to landmarks as a visitor or tourist. It will be an even more valuable trip after you leave the country and still keep contact with them. You will keep up-to-date with your friends and may even be their guide when they leave their country and visit you!
7. You can try foods other than burgers and pizza. No more late-night pizza from Shakespeare’s! Try Tteokbokki (hot and spicy rice cake) from Korea, or fulfill your late night munchies from the night markets! Everyone has late night munchies once in a while, and the Asian countries make sure that you won’t go to bed with an empty stomach! While you are trying out all the different kinds of food in the night market, which are sold at a very low price, you can learn more about the food culture. Night markets such as the Donghuamen Night Market in Beijing, the Shihlin Night Market in Taiwan, or the Temple street in Hong Kong, can definitely make you fall in love with the local food cultures.
8. You’ll collect currency banknotes from all over the world. Other than feeling rich having a $100,000 Indonesian banknote (which is about 8.5 U.S. dollars), you can also read and learn what is on the banknote. Each person or building structure printed on the banknote has something to do with history. It’s a very small but essential thing to learn as this knowledge won’t be taught over textbooks, but having to learn it by yourself. Google the person on the banknote or ask locals about the president of that country. You will always learn by owning banknotes from different countries, either about that countries’ currency, facts or history that influenced it.
(Loretta Lee, writer of this article, has been studying abroad since middle school to different countries and cities such as London, Paris, Australia and New Zealand. She is now studying abroad at Mizzou, from her home country, Hong Kong, China.)