Foreign exchange programs aren't just for the lucky few anymore. In fact, the academic world has well-documented the benefits to all involved and are working toward making studying abroad more available for the masses. Studying on foreign soil is as old as apprentices journeying to craftsmen to learn a trade, except today's students are packing up to learn from the masters regarding art, science, math and even medicine. Here are just a few of the perks you can expect to gain in addition to knowledge (and some frequent flier miles):
1. Expanded horizons lead to personal growth for college students. Meeting people with vastly different backgrounds from yours will stretch your ability to understand and tolerate differing views and beliefs. Relationships built during foreign study tend to last lifetimes and leave doors open for future experiences. Your world view will broaden, and as a result, so will your independence and maturity.
2. Ambassador status. Our university students in other countries represent our country to their peers with everything they do. Such intercultural exchanges likely explain why over 98% of college students who took a world study survey claim that they returned home with a broadened perspective of the value system that they went away with. Extended periods of international travel, especially while still young and 'open' to the world they see, allows for introspection that might not have been as prolific at home.
3. A sharper view of future goals. The majority of American college students return home with a renewed passion to extend their learning by going to graduate school. Some even come back with a completely new career path that they might not have ever realized if they'd not journeyed a far.
In past decades students committed to year-long programs, but the current trend is toward six to ten-week sojourns to other countries. Today's short-term programs do indeed deliver benefits, but the longer a student studies abroad the greater the rewards.
If you are still in college, now is the perfect time to look into the possibility of joining the ranks of those who have studied abroad. Your advisor can counsel you about transferring credits and financial aid, as well as guide you through the application process. What have you got to lose?
1. Expanded horizons lead to personal growth for college students. Meeting people with vastly different backgrounds from yours will stretch your ability to understand and tolerate differing views and beliefs. Relationships built during foreign study tend to last lifetimes and leave doors open for future experiences. Your world view will broaden, and as a result, so will your independence and maturity.
2. Ambassador status. Our university students in other countries represent our country to their peers with everything they do. Such intercultural exchanges likely explain why over 98% of college students who took a world study survey claim that they returned home with a broadened perspective of the value system that they went away with. Extended periods of international travel, especially while still young and 'open' to the world they see, allows for introspection that might not have been as prolific at home.
3. A sharper view of future goals. The majority of American college students return home with a renewed passion to extend their learning by going to graduate school. Some even come back with a completely new career path that they might not have ever realized if they'd not journeyed a far.
In past decades students committed to year-long programs, but the current trend is toward six to ten-week sojourns to other countries. Today's short-term programs do indeed deliver benefits, but the longer a student studies abroad the greater the rewards.
If you are still in college, now is the perfect time to look into the possibility of joining the ranks of those who have studied abroad. Your advisor can counsel you about transferring credits and financial aid, as well as guide you through the application process. What have you got to lose?
About the Author:
Jim Hart has been the director of academic advising at a medium-sized university for eight years. His interests include student exchange programs, online college graduate degrees, career advising, online degrees in the sciences, and CLEP examinations.
