There are so many reasons why you should study abroad whether you do this as part of your degree or because you’re looking for an exciting new opportunity. Whatever the case might be, by making the decision to study abroad you open yourself up to a whole new range of exciting and important experiences.
So, if you’re currently considering completing your studies abroad or even if you just want to take a year out to live and learn somewhere new, let us help to reassure you. MyBaggage.com has put together a list of seven incredible benefits of studying abroad.
Seeing new parts of the world
One of the most attractive aspects of studying abroad is getting to travel and see new places. You’ll move to your chosen country, but that doesn’t mean you always have to stay there. For example, if you’re studying somewhere in Europe, it is easy enough to jump on the train or hop on a plane and be in an entirely new place within an hour! You’ll create more opportunities for yourself to travel and see the world.
Experiencing different styles of teaching
You’re probably pretty used to being taught and learning in your own country by now, so why not shake things up a bit? By studying abroad you will get to experience how different nations teach and the resources they use to educate their students. This can be an extremely eye-opening experience and you might find you actually prefer their way of learning.
You’ll also find that by joining their education system you can become more immersed in their culture and you’ll learn new things about your chosen country. But choosing the right destination and the right school is central to this. So be sure to do your research before signing up.
Living and experiencing a new culture
While you’re there to study your chosen subject, you’ll also learn so much more when you move abroad. You’ll be able to experience their culture first hand, get to know the cultural differences and ask questions about their customs, food, traditions and social activities. As you meet more local people and even other students who have chosen to study abroad, you’ll have the opportunity to experience life in a whole new way, from grocery shopping to national holidays, every day will be an exciting opportunity to learn.
Improving your language skills
If you choose to study in a nation that doesn’t speak your mother tongue, this can give you the perfect opportunity to improve your language skills. Whether you’re already learning or you’re a total novice, living somewhere is one of the most successful and helpful ways to pick up a new language. You’ll get to practise as you go about your day and you’ll be surrounded by native speakers and those who can support you as you learn to speak their language.
Opening yourself up to new career opportunities
Studying abroad can do wonders for your career. If you fall in love with your chosen country you might wish to stay and look for a job out there. Alternatively, you might wish to return home and start your career there. If you do this, studying aboard looks great on your CV and can really help you to stand out from the crowd and beat out the competition.
You might even find you loved studying abroad so much that you want to move on to another destination and find a job out there. Whatever you choose to do, studying abroad equips you with the skills to be able to pursue your career wherever you go. It also opens you up to lots of different job opportunities – especially if you’re able to speak another language and can demonstrate all the new skills you have learnt during your studies!
Making lifelong friends
Another huge benefit of moving abroad to study is that you could end up forging life long friendships and relationships. At first, the thought of leaving your friends and family behind can be quite daunting, but if you take the leap, you’ll be sure to meet some great new people along the way.
You might find that you naturally gravitate towards the locals, or perhaps you get on really well with other international students on your course. You’ll grow your friendship circle and meet different people from all walks of life. Often these people can end up becoming some of your best friends. You might even find you choose to continue your studying or travelling together in the future.
Growing as a person
Studying abroad is a life experience like no other and not everyone has the courage to make the transition. By leaving your home, enrolling in a new school and starting what is essentially a new life abroad, you’ll learn a lot about yourself and find that you grow as a person. Firstly, you might realise that you’re a lot more confident and able than you ever gave yourself credit for. You might also discover new interests you never knew you had before such as music, foreign literature or art.
And other than the obvious stuff you’ll be learning during your studies, you’ll learn so much more about other cultures and people, that this in turn can teach you a lot about yourself. It’s a great chance to develop yourself personally, perhaps through making new friends, taking on new challenges or learning a new language.
As cliche as it might sound, those that study abroad often feel like they truly discovered who they were during their time away. Take yourself away from the town you grew up in and the same people you see every day and you might find out things you never knew about yourself before.
So what are you waiting for?
If studying abroad sounds like something you want to experience, then don’t hesitate! You could speak to your teachers or lecturers or look online for exciting learning opportunities that you can sign up to. Do it now and you’ll be packing your bags and hopping on that plane before you know it!
