Only five percent of American university students nationwide opt to study abroad. At FSU, there are more than 2,600 international students studying from 125 different nations. That represents about eight percent of all enrolled students. Studying abroad is a big commitment that not many individuals are fortunate enough to make. It is, however, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a hands-on way to acquire global skills and access personal and professional opportunities. It encourages tolerance and understanding while giving students the chance to visit historic sites that are frequently inaccessible to many in their lifetime. Studying abroad is a surreal kind of beauty to encounter and is one that can help support the development of a person into a self-reliant, cultured and educated person.
It was certainly not an easy choice to decide to study abroad. I knew going into the process that I was going to be entirely and totally financially dependent on myself, as I come from a lower middle-class household. It took me many months of planning, budgeting and lots of consideration to come to the conclusion that while it wouldn’t be simple, it would ultimately be a life-altering experience that I would thank myself for in decades to come. My decision to study abroad in London was one of the best decisions I could have made, and after a year of saving money, summers spent working, several loans and lots of perseverance, I made it to the big city. I’ve only been here a short while— a little over two weeks— and I have seen, experienced and met more people in such a short time span than I have in my entire life.
Leaving your home behind is one of the biggest obstacles to taking the initial step to travel overseas. It’s daunting to leave your own territory and fly halfway around the globe to a different place where you may or may comprehend the language or know anyone. The people, brands, restaurants and shops are all foreign and you can’t help but feel a longing for what you have always known. The most difficult step is making the decision to go; the rest will come naturally with time. The foods, activities, sights and vast arrays of different people you will encounter will make it an experience you will never forget. At the end of the day, it isn’t permanent. You will come back, and while it may feel uncomfortable at first, there are others who are probably feeling just as foreign and scared as you are.
International travel is another extraordinary reason to go abroad. The United States is often regarded as the land of the free, and while that may be the case, our ability to travel internationally is often limited. However, overseas travel opens students to countries all over the world for a quarter of the price in only a couple of hours’ journey. Seeing as I have only been here a couple of weeks, I can’t say I have done any international travel as of yet. However, this weekend I’m going to Belgium and within the next couple of months, I’m going to Edinburgh in Scotland and then Bath, England. Those are just the countries the program has set up for us. I have plans to go to countries such as France, Italy, Amsterdam, Switzerland, Sweden and more. These kinds of travel opportunities are incredibly expensive coming from the United States. Studying abroad in Europe allows for extensive traveling all over the continent. Seeing other parts of the world can help to shape your character and worldview, as well as your knowledge of other global aspects of the world.
Furthermore, the education is unparalleled. Americans are frequently so accustomed to the same types of academics and viewpoints in educational settings. However, studying abroad can give students an entirely different perspective on the content, in addition to forging connections that span the globe quite literally. Professors frequently take their students on city tours, to museums, on walks and hikes and on other explorations to help them better understand the material they are teaching. In the United States, pictures and videos are often used to demonstrate a majority of what students are taught. However, because these study centers are often located in such historically significant and artistically rich regions of the world the material is frequently only a brisk walk or train ride away. The classes are more intimate, the professors are outstanding and the connections made with the subject matter really aid students and their understanding. This approach to learning produces a one-of-a-kind experience that you won’t find anywhere else and makes the material much more authentic and real.
Moreover, students develop a sense of freedom, independence and self-reliance. There are instances when all of your friends are in class, or you need to buy something incredibly important. Other times you want to explore what your surroundings have to offer while everyone else wants to sleep in. You develop a sense of autonomy from studying abroad that most people never do. Walking about your hometown in the United States is one thing but having only yourself to rely on while traveling through a foreign country is entirely different.
I never imagined myself strolling through the streets of central London in search of Salt and Pepper Café for lunch. Or walking around for hours at a time across the city to do some errands with my google maps in hand. Or traveling halfway across the world entirely alone on an airplane to meet my program. Studying abroad is challenging, but it is an experience that challenges you in all different facets. It takes guts to do, and it’s an experience that I’m sure I won’t regret, and neither would you.
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