5 Reasons Why You Should Study Abroad in College
Oh boy am I excited to write this post. If you need any influence or ‘push’ from someone to convince you to finally study abroad – well, here I am.
Honestly traveling abroad changed my life.
And I’m not over-exaggerating.
I was just a little sophomore who had never left the country and had never flown on a plane by myself before.
I knew I wanted to study abroad at some point and the perfect opportunity came up – a 5 week summer program visiting Australia AND New Zealand. The top two countries on my list. With no hesitation I told my parents this was it, this was the one.
Holy buckets I had no idea what I signed up for.
If someone would have told me beforehand the amount of growth and change in perspective I would have after my trip, I wouldn’t have believed them.
I could ramble for days about everything studying abroad did for me, but to save you from that I put it in a much more organized fashion below 😊
So, let’s get into the 5 Reasons Why You Should Study Abroad in College!
#1 You meet friends that will last a lifetime
When you spend 5 straight weeks (or an entire semester/year) with the same people, you are bound to make close connections. I had some of my deepest conversations with people I knew for only DAYS. It’s amazing how much you can learn about someone in such a short amount of time.
The fact we were all put together on this trip, in the summer of 2018, in two beautiful countries, doing so many amazing things together…. I’m convinced God strategically placed these people in my life for a reason.
And when you choose to go abroad, I promise you will make lifelong friends, and you’ll make an impact on their lives as well.
#2 You learn a new culture
This is one of the top reasons you want to go abroad right?! To get out of the state/country you’ve been living in since you were born, to go to all the beautiful places you’ve seen in the movies/online, or to just experience anything different than your daily routine.
It’s SO interesting when you get to see in person how different a community is from your typical community back home. The lifestyle, the food, the fashion, everything.
Be prepared and start saving money for future travels right now because you’ll probably get the travel bug just like I did 🙂
#3 You become more independent
Just taking that first step on the plane all by myself was enough to make me feel like the queen of independence. Choosing to go abroad in itself is bold, especially if you don’t have any friends going with you.
You may be going abroad because you have to for school, because you want to see a different area, or because you just want the cute insta photos under the Eiffel tower. But at the end of the day, you’re still going for you. You’re packing up all of your belongings, stepping on that plane, and immersing yourself in a new culture.
That takes a lot of guts and a sense of independence that you didn’t have before. You should be so proud! Even the fact you’re considering it and reading this blog post is a huge step. Now I need to up my convincing skills and officially convince you…
#4 Your worldview changes
This was a big one for me. It was the first time I left the US… I knew basically nothing about any other countries outside the one I grew up in.
My view of the world completely changed after this trip.
I came back screaming “THIS WORLD IS HUGE! I need to see it all!”
I completely got the travel bug.
I realized how much our world truly has to offer. I realized the different people I can meet and learn from, the culture and food and I can try, the breathtaking landscapes that I didn’t even think were possible or existed.
Your entire perspective changes… on every aspect of life. It’s honestly unbelievable how much I changed as a person after my trip, and I want you to know you will too. You’ll see places you never could’ve imagined in your wildest dreams; you’ll have late night belly laughs while talking with new friends, and you’ll experience the growth and change of your mind and heart.
Have I convinced you yet?
buy that ticket😉
#5 It pushes you out of your comfort zone
I WAS SO NERVOUS leaving for this trip. I had zero idea what to expect, all I knew was that I was about to meet 17 strangers and spend 5 weeks traveling the countries of Australia and New Zealand with them.
I am definitely an extrovert, but I was still shaking in my boots right before I began this journey. It takes a lot of guts to hop on a plane by yourself, leave the country, and spend weeks, or even a full semester with people you don’t even know.
But that’s how you GROW! You have to step outside that dang comfort zone! Nothing ever comes from staying inside it. And going abroad definitely pushed me to take a fat cannon ball out of that comfort zone.
I hope my convincing skills worked throughout this post… I can be pretty convincing in person but I haven’t tried it out virtually yet.
If you plan on studying abroad let me know! I want to know where! And please message me or email me if you have any questions pertaining to this topic😊 I can’t wait to hear all about your travels!