[quote]Traveling abroad also allows students to achieve an independence and freedom that they cannot gain while at school, where your parents are still on a phone call away and a dining hall is a leisurely two-minute walk.[/quote]
Study abroad. Those two words can send any student into a fit of excitement that they have not had since being a child on Christmas morning. After the initial excitement ends, however, many people may have a different idea of what it means to study abroad.
For some, studying abroad means an experience to learn a new language, an opportunity to experience new cultures. To others, it’s a new place to party. These reasons are enough to travel to another country, yet many still believe it to be a “collegiate vacation” where students wreak havoc on the city they are visiting and gain little besides a prolonged hangover and empty wallets.
There are plenty of naysayers against studying abroad, believing it to be a waste of money that could be spent on graduating early or adding on an extra minor. Studying abroad, though it can be seen as a semester of vacation, still offers more good than harm.
Does it really matter if the “academic” component of the college experience is subsided so that a student can experience a new culture for the first time? The truth is, studying abroad provides more education than a semester at college can because it helps students learn about the world, something they will need the rest of their life, not just during their years at Elon.
Traveling abroad also allows students to achieve an independence and freedom that they cannot gain while at school, where your parents are still on a phone call away and a dining hall is a leisurely two-minute walk.
Ultimately, it is up to the student how much of a change and culture shock they receive when studying abroad. The more willing you are to take a step out of your comfort zone, the more likely an employer is going to notice this when you cite your study abroad experiences on your resume.
Elon has a large population of students who have been fortunate to travel abroad before college. Study abroad continues to be the best opportunity for many students to travel to another country for the first time. Studying abroad does not provide a perfect example of what life is going to be like after graduation, but it can serve as an eye-opener for students who have lived in one environment their whole life.
It comes down to the student on what they take out of their experiences traveling abroad. Some will remember it for the European clubs or South American beaches, but for many, studying abroad will be the first time they felt experienced a completely new life, one that will provide benefits one could not find simply staying at school.