So, you’re about to graduate and now you’re thinking about next steps. Maybe you want to begin working right out of your undergrad, or maybe you want to travel a bit. You might even be considering going to graduate school and continuing your education. If the last one is the case for you, then I highly suggest you look into studying abroad. It might sound intimidating to move to another country and learn new material there, with professors in other countries using different teaching methods than the professors in the United States, but if you are someone who has always wanted to travel, then this might be the path for you. I’m planning on applying to graduate schools and these are the factors that have been influencing my decision to apply abroad as well.
Studying abroad in another country, specifically another country on a different continent, can widen your horizons in so many ways. One huge way being the ease of traveling to surrounding countries. Countries in the other half of the world tend to be closer together and take less time to travel between compared to traveling to different North American countries from the U.S. For Europe specifically, it’s a lot cheaper to travel between all of the countries in this continent. In fact, plane tickets between countries can cost less than a plane ticket from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. The countries are also so close together that people who live in Europe often take weekend trips to other countries. So if you are looking to travel but still want to continue your education, look into studying abroad in an area you would like to both visit and live in.
Another big incentive for studying abroad is the financial aspect. The United States has amazing schools, but they come with big price tags, so it becomes hard to afford an education even if you have in-state tuition. If you didn’t know, in-state tuition is given to you if you are a resident of the state that you are studying in, and out-of-state tuition is a higher price given to students who moved to a new state for their education and aren’t residents of that state yet. Paying out-of-state tuition can also be unrealistic and way too expensive, but you might think it’s the only option if you want to get out of the state you are from. A more drastic move, but also possibly a cheaper one, would be to study abroad. Many countries around the world have cheaper tuition than in the U.S., and you could pay less on out-of-country tuition for your entire education than you would on in-state tuition for a year. Sure, there would still be the expense of moving to another country, but tuition-wise, you could end up saving money in the long run.
There are numerous benefits to studying abroad other than traveling for cheap or paying less for tuition. You will be able to experience a whole new culture, and depending on where you’re going, learn a whole new language. It would also be a great way to make connections with potential employers, or impress the employers back home if you do decide to go back. And if you’re trying to find a program or university that best suits you, I highly recommend checking out the Shanghai Ranking. Here you can find a ranking of all the best programs in the world, which could help you pick a country to study abroad in. Just make sure that when you’re applying, you’re also looking at whether or not the school’s credentials are accepted in the United States, assuming you plan to return. Depending on what you want to study, you might have to redo your degree in the states. Happy graduation and happy searching!