When it comes to studying abroad, there are a number of priceless experiences at your fingertips. You are immediately thrust into a brand new culture, language, and society, adapting to customs and ways of life, simultaneously stitching it together with your own. Through such involvement, you gain irreplaceable knowledge and a unique understanding for the way the world works, despite having typically known a single approach to living for a majority of your life. While many students may think that the cost of the program in its entirety is quite a high price to pay for cultural experience, there are numerous scholarships, loans, and sponsors willing to aid them in their travel and exploration to further their knowledge. In addition to this, studying abroad is a wordless confirmation on any resume that their potential employees are both worldly and adaptable.
While it may be true that studying abroad will boost your marketability in the corporate world, there are also important emotional and social aspects of embracing other cultures and branching off on your own. Studying abroad will test and nurture a person's independence, as they are stepping off into uncharted waters, so to speak. These students who are still (mainly) a year or two shy of being fully-fledged adults are not only moving from the parents that raised them for eighteen or twenty something years, but also being forced to provide their own food, make their way around whichever city their host school is located in, and completely immerse themselves in the culture. By doing so, their independence will reach a new pique, as they are expected to essentially become fully functioning adults, being held responsible for not only their classes, but also representing their country and not upholding any negative stereotypes that come along with that. It can also be a very humanizing and humbling experience; for those students who do come from nicer parts of the world and have picked a second or third world country to study in, their eyes will be undoubtedly opened to the fact that not all have it as great as they do. They will learn to appreciate the conveniences that they have been desensitized to while, at the same time, becoming more sensitive to the world around them.
While there are many good points that come with the territory of studying abroad, negative aspects have also been brought to light throughout many students’ experiences and hardships they underwent when being away. It’s difficult to adjust; being halfway around the world, away from your family and friends, can be rather disheartening for the first few weeks (or months) of someone’s program. This innate feeling of loneliness has been linked with culture shock, and despite having the fast, effective aid of Skype, Facebook, and other social media platforms, being unable to see loved ones for an extensive period of time can take a mental and emotional toll. In her blog post, “Disadvantages of Studying Abroad,” Marie M. states that “you could feel excluded in the country where you are and not have the social network yet that can give you support and strength. And if, god forbid, something bad might happen back home, you might not have the chance to be with your family and friends and have to stay in that country with your pain and alone,” (Marie 1). While it is possible to conquer this feeling of loneliness and homesickness, culture shock is something that has been widely known for being severe enough to so much as cause students to return to their home universities before completing their program. The Center of Study Abroad Global Consortium wrote an article about culture shock while studying abroad, describing the condition as “an uneasy feeling of disorientation brought on by the inability to respond appropriately to the social cues of another country which you may be introduced to in daily life situations,” (CSA 1). Culture shock may include symptoms such as homesickness, boredom, withdrawal, frustration and anxiety, irritability, stereotyping of host nations, and hostility towards host nations. While not all cases become so severe, there have been many situations where the culture shock has become unbearable, ultimately causing the student to pack up and leave before the end of term.
For further reading on the specific symptoms of culture shock: https://www.hthtravelinsurance.com/travel_center/stud_international/023.cfm
The final, and most notable, negative aspect of studying abroad is the usually high price point that drives students away before they even have a chance to introduce themselves to the idea. Between cost of living, a high tuition, and having to provide your own food and travel expenses, it’s quite expensive as a low-wage college student to afford such grandiose expenses. This can be blamed partly on the high cost of higher education that has become such a growing trend in America, Britain, and Canada, America’s in particular having been raised by at least $500 USD over the last three years. Having already accumulated a number of student loans that will follow them through most of their adult lives, studying abroad is rarely an expense these students wish to add to their already heavy financial burden.
After reviewing all of the points stated previously in this evaluation, I feel that despite the daunting negative aspects that have been shown, studying abroad is an experience that you’re unable to put a price tag on. While it may be expensive, or perhaps its nerve wracking leaving your family and friends for up to an entire academic year, culture shock and the initial loneliness are fleeting. If you’re able to push through these debilitating stages, you will find yourself putting all of your previous worries on the backburner and enjoying your time abroad. The price may be high, but there are a number of scholarships available, most notably if you are studying in a less popular country. Additionally, I firmly believe that having something that is so worldly and experienced on your resume will aid you in landing a more well-paying job than without. Due to this, loans will be less of an issue in the far future, although it’s better to only take what you need rather than what you can. In my opinion, I feel that the pros of this adventure truly outweigh the cons and that if you ever have the chance to go, it should be without question.
The prospective concept of studying abroad is something that many students solely lust after, never realizing the full potential of the seemingly far-off pipe dream. Such aspirations are often promptly derailed due to high program cost and the extensive amount of paperwork required to complete registration in a limited and timely manner. While it may be a stressful process, upon reaching the actual outcome all of the blood, sweat, and tears are unquestionably worth it. From my personal experience, the pros have heavily outweighed the cons when it comes to studying abroad, and although I have faced a few hardships I wouldn't trade the experience for the world.
My recommendation to future students who are interested in studying abroad is to, first and foremost, do your research far ahead of time. While I believe it is something that everyone should experience at least once in their lives, it isn’t for everyone so you need to be absolutely sure before making such a big commitment. If you have decided that it is for you, however, remember to plan accordingly; prepare your loans and save money before setting off, speak to a counselor about how to offset or calm down initial bouts of culture shock, and make a scheduled plan to speak to your family and friends at least once a week as to avoid any feelings of depression, anxiety, or loneliness. While you are on your study abroad, let go and take the time to truly find yourself. This is an adventure for you, for your mind and spirit to experience the ways and workings of a world you haven’t yet discovered. Try new foods, learn a language, make international friends and connections that you will hold close to your heart throughout your life; and, most importantly, absorb the world around you with an open mind and wider eyes.
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