Why Study Abroad?

Part 1 - by Elizabeth G So you're on the fence about whether or not you should "waste time" away from your campus to embark on a semester abroad. You may be asking yourself, "what are the benefits?" or more importantly, "do the pros outweigh the cons?" For the sake of argument, let's assume that you have enough money in your budget to go anywhere you want for a semester. We'll look at the pros and cons (from a general standpoint - keep in mind not all may apply to you). From my experience, these will be the most common reasons for going or not going. We'll also answer some most commonly asked questions. Let's look at the top 3 benefits of a semester abroad first: 1. Second Language Acquisition - Yes, you too can learn a second, third or fourth language or improve upon the skills you already have in that language. 2. Going somewhere new - seeing and doing new things many times is one of the most rewarding experiences in life. You will expand your horizons and grow as an individual on so many levels. 3. It will change your life! - Perhaps this is the most important benefit of studying abroad. There is a great article here that gives some fascinating statistics and good quotes from past participants Source