Picture it now. Flying across the world to a foreign country where the food is double the calories, the boys have irresistible accents, and around every corner is another photo op for your Instagram. Studying abroad is something most college students hope to cross off their bucket list, and for those who are lucky enough to do so, make memories that will last a life time. It may sound cheesy, but speaking from experience, it’s true.
When you first arrive to your destination you have no idea how impactful the weeks ahead will be for you. Yes, you can expect to see beautiful architecture, party hard with all your new friends and buy a ton of cool souvenirs. But the personal growth experienced cannot be expected, and won’t be noticed, until you return home.
Being surrounded by different traditions, morals, food, and music allows you to live first-hand the way natives do. When studying abroad you will find in many other countries that people live a more humble lifestyle and happiness is found in simpler things.
For example, FIU travels to Seville in Spain, a town whose restaurants do not offer take out so families must sit down at the table together to eat. Also, all businesses and schools close down for nap time, or as the Spaniards like to call it, “siesta.” The culture is much more laid back, and students who study abroad there can really see the difference from the fast paced U.S. lifestyle.
What makes study abroad unique from traveling is that all these unforgettable experiences being made are with people who before the trip, you didn’t know. Study abroad brings complete strangers together and forms a bond like no other. The people you meet will become the friend you toured France with, or saw your first bull fight with, or learned a new language with. The only ones who will understand all that you experienced are the friends you made, and that is how a unique bond is formed among students.
However, not everything about study abroad is a picture perfect moment. For one, I hate to break it to you, but study abroad at FIU is NOT all inclusive. All trips have a program cost which can be between $1,000 and $4,000. This fee doesn’t include the $175 FIU study abroad fee, FIU instructional fees for the courses, meals during the trip and the majority of programs don’t include airfare. Not to say studying abroad isn’t worth the money, but it does require some saving beforehand.
With as much as the program can hurt your wallet, an even greater disadvantage is how much it hurts your time in a foreign country. It is true, being a STUDY abroad program, studying is essential to earn your credits. However, the class is time consuming whether it is working on assignments or a group project. When you’re sitting at a desk studying in a foreign country, it is tempting to ditch the homework and go explore.
This is something that should be thought over when signing up for study abroad. If you are looking for just a vacation, consider other options. It may be tempting to refuse that group discount and chance to tell your friends “I did study abroad,” but really if you’re not willing to play hard AND work hard on your trip then it’s not for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for adventures, challenges, new friends, and a fun way to get some credits fulfilled then enroll for study abroad!