Foreign exchange programs aren't just for the lucky few anymore. In fact, the academic world has well-documented the benefits to all involved and are working toward making studying abroad more available for the masses. Studying on foreign soil is as old as apprentices journeying to craftsmen to learn a trade, except today's students are packing up to learn from the masters regarding art, science, math and even medicine. Here are just a few of the perks you can expect to gain in addition to knowledge (and some frequent flier miles):
1. Expanded horizons lead to personal growth for college students. Meeting people with vastly different backgrounds from yours will stretch your ability to understand and tolerate differing views and beliefs. Relationships built during foreign study tend to last lifetimes and leave doors open for future experiences. Your world view will broaden, and as a result, so will your independence and maturity.
2. It is a training ground for intercultural development. Over 98% of respondents to one survey report that their time abroad helped them to see their own values and biases more clearly and evaluate them from a broader perspective. Future global leaders sometimes start their journey to understanding as students studying on foreign soil. Students represent the face of America to a generation of their peers and have the opportunity to open doors of communication everywhere they go.
3. A sharper view of future goals. The majority of American college students return home with a renewed passion to extend their learning by going to graduate school. Some even come back with a completely new career path that they might not have ever realized if they'd not journeyed a far.
The longer the student spends time away from their base campus, the more likely the benefits are to increase. The average length of stay over the past few decades has shortened considerably. Whereas the majority of college students used to study abroad for a full academic year, now the average stay is under ten weeks. Nonetheless, similar benefits are still reported.
Your advisor is the place to start. He or she will have the necessary applications for you and advise you about credit hours and even the possibility of financial aid funds that transfer. You have everything to gain.
1. Expanded horizons lead to personal growth for college students. Meeting people with vastly different backgrounds from yours will stretch your ability to understand and tolerate differing views and beliefs. Relationships built during foreign study tend to last lifetimes and leave doors open for future experiences. Your world view will broaden, and as a result, so will your independence and maturity.
2. It is a training ground for intercultural development. Over 98% of respondents to one survey report that their time abroad helped them to see their own values and biases more clearly and evaluate them from a broader perspective. Future global leaders sometimes start their journey to understanding as students studying on foreign soil. Students represent the face of America to a generation of their peers and have the opportunity to open doors of communication everywhere they go.
3. A sharper view of future goals. The majority of American college students return home with a renewed passion to extend their learning by going to graduate school. Some even come back with a completely new career path that they might not have ever realized if they'd not journeyed a far.
The longer the student spends time away from their base campus, the more likely the benefits are to increase. The average length of stay over the past few decades has shortened considerably. Whereas the majority of college students used to study abroad for a full academic year, now the average stay is under ten weeks. Nonetheless, similar benefits are still reported.
Your advisor is the place to start. He or she will have the necessary applications for you and advise you about credit hours and even the possibility of financial aid funds that transfer. You have everything to gain.
About the Author:
Jim Hart has been the director of academic advising at a medium-sized university for eight years. His interests include student exchange programs, online college graduate degrees, career advising, online degrees in the sciences, and CLEP examinations.
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