3 Reasons Why Study Abroad is Worth Your Time (As Proven By Science)
Written by Sophie October 23, 2015
Photos from my most recent trip to Italy. I can't believe this is the view from a CIMBA dorm room window!
The CIMBA lion in all his glory.
I always try to find the quietest part of any museum and take a few moments to just take in the art in that small space. Practicing mindful travel techniques will change the way you travel for the better.
You'll be surprised by the history you'll stumble upon in the smallest corner of the world. This school building was used as a hospital during WWI and is where Hemingway was based as an ambulance driver on the Italian-Austrian front.
Hands down the best part of exploring any new culture! Cultural competency tip: cappuccinos are traditionally only ordered before 11am in Italy. After that time, try an espresso or a macchiato (not the starbucks kind).
It goes without saying, but study abroad is a huge commitment. It’s not a small decision you can take back at the drop of a hat – you are investing your time, your money, your courage, and your academic dreams on a single (albeit extended) experience.
So why on earth would anyone go to that sort of trouble?
On the surface, study abroad seems pretty straightforward – you find a different country, live there for a while, take lots of photos, and then come home. But underneath all the Instagram pics, beautiful landscapes, and crumbling castles is a dynamic and vibrant learning experience no classroom could ever replicate.
- Professional Development:
We live in a globalized world. There’s no two ways around it and the more experience you have understanding, adapting to, and working with other cultures, the more desirable you will appear to potential employers. Recent studies have shown that a significant number of employers and hiring professionals prefer students who study abroad over those who don’t. The reasons for this are clear: students who study abroad, especially those who go for an extended period of time, learn intercultural competence. As companies expand worldwide, employees with the ability to tackle problems from a global perspective become more and more invaluable. For example:
- KFC, the American fast-food chain known for its southern chicken, had a successful tagline in the U.S. – “finger-lickin’ good.” Very few Americans, I imagine, had any issues with this slogan since it seems obviously straightforward. However, when translated to Chinese, the slogan ended up reading “eat your fingers off” which, I’m guessing, is not quite the advertising campaign KFC was going for.
- Cultural competence (or incompetence) can also go beyond simple mistranslations. When Gerber started marketing their cute little jars of mashed peas in Africa, they kept the cherubic picture of a baby on the label. The problem? Most products in Africa are marketed with pictures of what’s IN the jars since literacy rates are not as high. Basically, a culturally competent marketer might have known to do enough research so they didn’t end up appearing to stock pre-packaged, mashed babies in every African grocery store.
Anyway, you get the idea. Cultural competency is important and as it becomes a more sought after asset in employees, many employers are seeking out candidates with study abroad experience to help their companies become or remain internationally relevant.
But the career implications don’t stop there. At programs like CIMBA, a direct emphasis is being placed on teaching professional development during the study abroad experience. Why then? Well, when you’re plucked out of your comfort zone and everything around you is completely new, even the view out your bedroom window, you’re more inclined to take in a new experience and register new lessons. You’re also more hyper-aware of what’s going on around you and all the new people you meet on a daily basis, meaning you are a prime candidate to learn about mindfulness and interpersonal relationships – both of which are key components to successful professional interactions.
And while we’re on the topic of meeting new people, think of all the new people you just added to your network! New faculty, new peers, new neighbors, new everything! Not only that, but your network is no longer confined to the boundaries of the town you grew up in. Your professional contacts are no longer limited to your parent’s friend Dave in accounting or that T.A. from Intro to Business 101 who can’t even remember your name. You will have accomplished faculty, peers in similar fields, and, most importantly, employers from all over the world who know you and jump at the chance to vouch for you all because of this shared experience living abroad.
- Save Money
I know it seems counterintuitive, but just hear me out. You can actually SAVE money by living abroad. When I studied abroad my junior year of college, I spent a full semester living in Switzerland and the exchange rate was 1:1. At home, I was an out-of-state student at the University of Iowa, paying $22,000 per year in tuition alone! That doesn’t even include room and board. Estimates for how much it cost when you add in cost of living were closer to $40k. During the semester I studied abroad, the entire trip probably cost no more than $15,000 – approximately 25% less than if I had stayed at Iowa for that semester.
There is definitely a reason for this. First, international universities, especially those in Europe, receive significant subsidies that help keep tuition costs low. Additionally, affordable public transportation and rampant discounts for students (Get an international student ID card. Seriously. It will save you a TON on train tickets.), make traveling a breeze. To be fair, your mileage will vary depending on your travel style, but saving money is not only doable, it’s actually pretty easy.
The other reason why it can be cheaper is because a lot of the amenities you pay for in the U.S. can be provided for you abroad at a fixed cost, depending on your program. Instead of paying for rent, cable, electric, gas, water, laundry, dishes, bed linens, and cleaning supplies – like you do at home – at CIMBA, we include all of that in a flat fee. When you arrive on campus, you’ll already have bed linens and a comforter on your bed and toilet paper and towels in the bathroom. Plus, spreading that cost out across 120 students allows us to charge you less per item than if each person were to buy each item individually.
- Personal Happiness
I could go into all the aspects of personal development that can come out of study abroad – decision-making skills, self-reliance, maturity – but I think I’ll save that for another post. For the sake of brevity (she said after writing 2 pages already), I’m going to boil down the personal study abroad experience to one concept – happiness.
A 2013 study that surveyed more than 1000 students worldwide found that students who studied abroad were significantly happier and more emotionally stable than they were prior to their departure. They also compared these students to those who never studied abroad and found that, as a group, study abroad students are more resilient and open-minded, giving them the necessary tools to live a happier and more harmonious life. At the risk of sounding mushy, turns out study abroad actually does help you discover yourself (as proven by science).
Like anything in life, you will get out of your study abroad experience what you put into it. If you treat it like an extended vacation, one where you never leave the tour bus, never interact with the locals, and spend obscene amounts of money of cheap gifts for yourself, then – no – none of the above information will apply to you.
But if you embrace the study abroad experience and let yourself be exposed to new people, new ideas, new concepts, and new ways of life, then you just might discover why study abroad is absolutely worth your time.
