Studying abroad is a truly rewarding and one-of-a-kind experience. You get to meet new people from different backgrounds, get immersed in a totally different culture, or potentially even learn a new language. With these amazing benefits, studying abroad is certainly something you won’t want – and shouldn’t – miss! And oh, you get a chance to travel!
There are typically two ways of studying abroad. First, you simply move to another country primarily for educational purposes. The second one is what’s called “student exchange program”, where students study in another country for a definite time period as part of their degree. Regardless of how you’ll get to study in another country, if you ever get a chance to do so, here are some reasons why you should grab it!
One of the benefits of studying abroad is you get to experience and be immersed in a new culture – new people, new customs, new language, new foods, etc. This gives you a unique perspective of what’s out there on the “other side of the world”.
Studying abroad also has this unique ability to somehow “force” you to be immersed in a new culture: whereas you can stay conveniently in the hotel when you’re just a vacationer, being a student in another country forces you to be more engaged in local scenarios at a deeper level – going to classes, commute, etc.
Studying abroad allows you to meet people with different backgrounds, sometimes even fundamentally different than yours. This allows you to better understand people that are different from yours.
Meeting new people can also expand your personal growth. For instance, meeting new people can give you new interests in hobbies, intellectual studies, etc.
While you don’t need to travel abroad to learn a new language, learning a language in its native country is definitely a unique and peculiar chance.
Simply put, the best way to learn a new language is to simply immerse yourself in it. While language textbooks, apps and dictionaries help, the best way to acquire a new language is when you use it in its four modalities – reading, writing, speaking and listening. And where else can you best use it than where you’re in a country where it’s spoken?
Different countries usually mean different foods. If you study abroad, you get a chance to taste new foods that are probably not available in your country. So, try out the local cuisine; go to a local restaurant, try out their “street foods”, or if you want to learn cooking or enhance your culinary skills, learn local recipes!
Finally, studying abroad allows you to reinvent yourself. Experiencing new cultures does not only give you a new look at other cultures, but it can also give you a new look at yourself. The new culture may perhaps teach you a better way to live. It may teach you new ways to see the world and your life. It may help you to have a more positive outlook in life. Whatever it is, studying abroad is a great chance to look inwardly and “reinvent yourself”!