Top 10 Reasons to Study Abroad

Deciding to study abroad for an entire academic year was hands-down the best decision I made in college. Living in a different country (in my case, France) is the fastest way to learn the language, get accustomed to a different culture, and pick up valuable life skills. If you’re on the fence, here are my top 10 reasons to study abroad in college.

Reasons to study abroad

1. You are immersed in culture

If you’ve ever been interested in a different culture, studying abroad is the way to go. You never really understand what a place is like without actually immersing yourself in it — and the only real way to do that is to live there. You’ll understand more about a country’s traditions, history, and values when you spend a decent chunk of time there.

In my experience, studying abroad really showed me the French joie de vivre lifestyle. I went from a bustling college town in Indiana to the south of France, where life moves slowly and it’s okay to consume copious amounts of wine at lunchtime.

Everyday things, like dealing with French bureaucracy, really gave me a feel for how things are run in the country. These are the types of things that you can read about but can never truly experience unless you’re there.

2. Accelerated language learning

This is one of the main reasons to study abroad. When I first arrived in the country, I would speak French to a shopkeeper or stranger and they would respond in English — just a bit disheartening. As the year went on, however, I found myself becoming more and more fluent and comfortable with speaking.

When you’re forced to speak a certain language, you adapt and learn quickly! (At the end of the year, most people would respond back to my French in French. 🎉)

If your program allows you to, I’d highly recommend taking classes in your host country’s language. All of my classes were in French, either at the French university in town or with certain instructors affiliated with my program. This way, your language learning accelerates even faster.

Another great way to practice your language is to stay with a host family. You develop a close relationship, which makes you feel more comfortable speaking and making mistakes. Furthermore, study groups, babysitting, or tutoring are all ways that you can learn the language faster while in-country.

3. It teaches you independence

People generally think of going off to college as the time when kids start to gain some independence. This is true, but only to an extent (it’s still easy enough to call your mom when you can’t figure out how to work your washing machine).

College towns are often insular bubbles — everyone knows that college isn’t really real life. Moving to another country completely, however, is the real way to gain independence fast.

From the moment you step off of the plane, you’re essentially on your own. You need to make your own decisions, deal with your own grown-up problems, and navigate a whole new way of life. For many students, this might be the first time that they’re leaving their state or hometown. Living in a different country forces you to become more responsible and decide how you want to live your life.

4. It opens up your worldview

As I mentioned above, many students that go on to study abroad may have never left their hometowns. Studying abroad, and traveling in general, are some of the best ways to open up your worldview.

By experiencing new cultures and interacting with different types of people, you’re more likely to broaden any preconceived notions of the world. Stereotypes and prejudices are harder to hold onto once you’ve been exposed to those differences.

Living in the USA, it’s easy to forget that other places even exist at all. Our news and media focus so much on what’s going on in America that we often don’t hear about other countries’ problems or successes. Just by the virtue of being in a different country, you’re more likely to gain a deeper understanding of how vast the world really is.

5. You can travel easily and cheaply

This might be one of the reasons that most made me want to study abroad in France. Traveling (especially around Europe) is cheap, easy, and convenient. Being able to get 20€ Ryanair flights or 10€ overnight buses makes visiting other countries accessible, even to broke college students. Combine that with short physical distances and the plethora of European holidays and breaks, and you get the ability to see the world.

6. You make life-long friends

There’s a certain type of bond that you form with people when you’re put into uncomfortable situations together. In my experience, the friendships I created abroad were quick and long-lasting. Not knowing anyone else in the country, you’re kind of forced to bond with the familiar faces in your program.

By traveling together, navigating awkward language barriers, and probably living with one another, friendships develop quickly. This is one of my favorite reasons to study abroad.

7. It looks great on a resume

By studying abroad, you’re showing any future employers that you are independent, confident, and can speak another language. Being able to say that you’ve lived in a different country shows that you’re able to deal with obstacles and learn quickly. Many jobs, especially ones involving travel, would view studying abroad as a definite advantage.

In my case, the fact that I speak French actually helped me in my job as a flight attendant. During flight attendant training, I took a fluency test that determined whether I would be qualified to make French announcements on flights to Paris or Brussels. By becoming language qualified, I got preference to fly those trips and make more money (score!).

8. You’ll test out the travel lifestyle

Traveling long-term or living abroad aren’t for everyone. Although there are many benefits, they also come with plenty of challenges — navigating life without being fluent in the language, dealing with legal issues, etc.

Studying abroad is like a starter version of living the travel lifestyle. With a definite end date and some kind of school structure, you’re able to test out whether the benefits appeal to you in a safe environment.

Looking back, my time in France was quite similar to my job as a flight attendant. While it obviously wasn’t exactly the same, studying abroad definitely sparked the idea of a travel-based lifestyle into my head. Without living in France, I wouldn’t have known what it would be like to travel frequently for work or move to a different country later on.

9. You’ll get outside your comfort zone

Getting out of your comfort zone while studying abroad can come in a lot of different forms. Here are some examples of ways you might be challenged:

• Having to speak to native speakers when you’re not fluent
• Making new friends who speak a different language
• Taking notes, doing presentations, or asking questions in class
• Planning and organizing trips on your own for the first time

This list could go on forever! There are so many different and new situations you’ll be put in while abroad. While they may be uncomfortable, these are the challenges that will turn you into the most confident and capable version of yourself.

10. It’s a lot of fun

To put it simply, studying abroad is fun. When else will you be able to travel, learn, and party with your friends in a foreign country? Seeing new places, eating delicious food, drinking good wine — it’s all part of the package. You start to feel like a real adult living in the real world, and it’s awesome. There’s no experience quite like it.

I’m not going to sit here and say that everyone should study abroad. That’s not financially realistic for a lot of people and many people wouldn’t be interested in the first place. All I’m saying is that if you’re at all interested in traveling or language learning, you should do everything in your power to make it happen!

Even five years later, I can safely say that my year in France was one of the best years of my life. There are tons of reasons to study abroad — this list of ten is simply the tip of the iceberg.

xoxo Niki