The Benefits of Study Abroad Programs

I've always believed that young people, who have the chance to study abroad before they reach an age of cynicism, benefit in ways that aren't so measurable. How can you measure the maturity of a person? How can you quantify how someone has grown over the course of a year, or two, or five?

Personally, the benefit of studying abroad has touched my life every step of the way. I immediately came back and applied for college, one of which was immensely interested in my experience and eventually became my #1 choice. While studying Foreign Languages at college, I was able to bypass the basic language classes in German - because I could already speak German! It progressed my studies and my work by the end of my college career was well above what I would have expected from myself.

Every job I've applied and been hired for found my experiences valid and important to the work I would effectively carry out at their company. Yes, I can speak a foreign language. But really, they were impressed by my ability to adapt and the initiative I wasn't afraid to take. This wasn't a skill I had in my teenage years. But the more I saw of the world, through my study abroad experiences, the more I wanted to show of myself. Not arrogantly mind you! But I was confident in my abilities.

I came across an interesting article the other day. To me, it shows a fantastic correlation between leadership skills and study abroad alumni. Yes, these individuals showed great promise before heading to the US to study at a university. But I'm pretty sure they came away from the experience with open eyes!

On the opposite side of the coin, Americans who study abroad have to be careful not to fall into "The Trap" as I like to call it. An article at The Onion from 2002 describes with great acerbic wit and slight sarcasm, the pitfalls of not immersing yourself into a new culture. Can you imagine living in Seville, Spain and never really leaving the US?

My advice: If you're an American studying abroad, whether it be high-school or college, commit yourself to actually living wherever it is you're studying!