During my junior year in college I had the chance to study abroad in Dublin, Ireland for three months. I cannot tell how much I have learned from those months living amongst the locals. From learning about my own country and how others perceive Americans, to learning how to survive in a foreign country by myself, there are so many reasons why you should take the chance and study abroad while in college.
10. FOOD: Eating the food from the country you are staying is a MUST. Don’t just eat the same pizza and fries as you would at your home college. Unless it’s Pizza from Italy and fries from Ireland (which are delicious). If the country you are staying in has a particular dish that’s popular, just go for it. The worst that could happen is that you won’t like it, but at least you tried it!
9. DRINKING (LEGALLY): If you happen to travel abroad when you are underage in your home country like I was, it can be kind of exciting to buy alcohol for yourself and not have your parents judging you. Just don’t spend all of your spending money drinking or going out Wednesday through Saturday, no matter how compelling that sounds in a foreign country. But definitely have that Guinness if you happen to be in Ireland (it tastes way better over there anyways) or some great wine while in France.
8. EASIER COLLEGE CLASSES: If you happen to attend a university abroad with students from all over the world, you may hear complaints from them about how hard the classes are. But to be honest, the classes are completely laid back compared to your home university, and revolve around going out and exploring the cultural history of the country. Rather than have daily assignments, there are usually weekly journal entries or big papers due at the very end of your study abroad.
7. LEARNING A LANGUAGE: When picking out a a country to study abroad, if you are feeling up for a challenge, pick one that will require you to learn a new language. Since I’m half Irish, I decided to pick a country that had a bit of a family history and spoke English. While I was abroad, I was able to go to Germany, Austria, France, and Italy and learned some words that helped me communicate with the locals and navigate throughout each country.
6. SEE THE WORLD & GAIN NEW PERSPECTIVE: Like I said above, I had the chance to not only study abroad in Ireland, but also take weekend trips to other countries. You learn so much from getting outside your comfort zone and gaining new perspective about these countries that you hear about so much. You also learn so much about your home country and how others perceive Americans.
5. FRIENDS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD: When studying abroad, it can feel comfortable to just hang out with all the other Americans studying abroad but that’s not why you left the country. Reach out to some other students in your classes from other countries. If you are staying with a host family, make an honest effort to be a part of their daily life and routine. I am still friends with the girls I studied abroad with and traveled with four years later, and love hearing about what’s going on in their lives now.
4. PUT IT ON YOUR RESUME: I can’t tell you how often having studied abroad has helped me land an internship or a job. I once received a job offer because the interviewer had also studied abroad in England. It is such a conversation starter at interviews and shows that you can go out of your comfort zone and do something someone else may not be comfortable doing.
3. TRAVEL: Traveling is so much easier and cheaper once you get over to Europe. So much cheaper than traveling within the United States. I cannot stress this enough, take advantage of opportunities and travel when you can. I was able to go to Oktoberfest in Germany, run through the garden they filmed The Sound of Music in Austria, walk around the Palace of Versailles for 9 hours in France, and visit the Vatican in Italy. All of this, on top of traveling throughout Ireland!
2. LEARN INDEPENDENCE & SELF RELIANCE: When I studied abroad, it was the first time I have ever lived away from home. I commuted back home so it was so eye opening for me to learn how to survive on my own. I am the first to admit that I am a terrible cook. I had to fend for myself and make sure I had enough money to survive all three months abroad. It all depends on what your priorities are when you travel abroad, but by going out only a couple times and spending very little on food, I was able to conserve enough money to just travel.
1. LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF: You learn so much about yourself when you are out of your normal routine and comfort zone. For the first month in Ireland, I had terrible home sickness. I eventually made some friends, watched crazy amounts of Mary Poppins, and just immersed myself in the culture. By the time it was time to go, I was a bit depressed to come back home, but I know I will be back soon enough. Take a chance and study abroad, I promise you won’t be sorry.
