The benefits of studying abroad

I am writing this article over 5,000 miles away from Logan, Utah in St. Petersburg, Russia. While I still have a few months in Russia to go, I can already say wholeheartedly studying abroad has been one of the best decisions I have ever made — as cliche as it might sound. All students at Utah State University should consider studying abroad because of the numerous benefits such an experience provides. It is my hope this article helps students understand why they should embark on their own once-in-a-lifetime trip abroad.

Contrary to common belief, studying abroad can actually be done in an incredibly affordable way. Nearly all universities in the United States have partner programs abroad. USU has over thirty of these direct partnerships, which include agreements with schools among the best in their respective nations, like Waseda University and National Taiwan University. These programs allow students at USU to study at a partner university while paying their USU tuition rates. Sure, there is a study abroad fee and travel costs, but both the Office of Global Engagement and individual colleges at USU offer many scholarships that help to alleviate this burden. While there are certainly many people who pay thousands of dollars to go abroad, it doesn’t have to be this way. Studying abroad is reasonably priced if you do it correctly. 

Many of the benefits of studying abroad are self-evident. At its heart, it’s an adventure. Students have the opportunity to travel to foreign locations across the world for their studies, in addition to any other travels they might want to pursue in their free time. It’s also a time of great freedom. For many individuals, studying abroad is a rare opportunity to rid themselves of everything familiar and leap into the unknown. Studying abroad is as close as one can get to true freedom in the modern world. While it’s certainly safer than expeditions in the Age of Exploration, students going abroad cannot help but feel they are a passenger on a voyage to uncharted territory. Once a student arrives in their respective country, they’ll be left purely to their own devices and begin to understand all that entails.

More than anything else, studying abroad has proven to be a time of reflection. Light cannot exist without its antithesis, darkness. Likewise, it is only through exposure to other cultures we can identify and learn about our own. I think more about America while abroad than while at home. Everything I encounter, whether it be differences in culture or infrastructure, is the foundation for comparative analysis with the United States. I am proud to represent my country abroad, and I have never been more proud to be an American, but I also understand now, better than ever before, how far we have to go as a nation.

I have had experiences and met people here in Russia I am positive will stay with me for the rest of my life. My study abroad would be a waste of time if I came back as the same person when I left, and I can already tell my time here has been worthwhile.

Not studying abroad is a regret for many post-graduates. Do not be one of the people left wondering what they would have experienced if they studied abroad and just commit. As citizens of the United States of America, our passport gives us the opportunity to travel to many different nations. Do not forsake this privilege. 

You too can have a potentially life-changing opportunity. Take a leap of faith and go into the Office of Global Engagement to see what your options are; the world is your oyster.

—kfors@gmail.com

*Photo by Lauren Bennett