Everyone who’s ever had the chance to study in another country will, without fail, go on and on and on about the benefits of studying abroad. But what does that really mean for you personally? How is being in another country going to help you in the future, whether that be work or just generally in your day to day life?
This one might seem trivial- to spend a whole year in another country just so can say you did it on a piece of paper. But being able to make it a whole year in another country says something about you to your future employees! It tells them you’re the type of person with ‘worldly experiences’ and a ‘strong sense of independence’. You can go into your interview and talk about how it has given you a ‘global mindset’. You can gain all of these qualities as just some of the few benefits of studying abroad!
Try and reach back to that GCSC French or German knowledge or take a quick leap course in Japanese before your head out there. Studying abroad gives you the opportunity to refresh your memory of those long-forgotten vocab lists and grammar rules. You might even surprise yourself by how much you remember! Besides, nothing will help you more in the future than having the ability to simply communicate with other people.
There’s a big difference between exploring cultures while on holiday and living it for an entire year. Foreign cultures take on a new, indescribable form once you get completely immersed in it. Whether it’s going to a Chinese dragon boat festival or having a Spanish siesta, building cultural awareness can help you look at the world through a different lens- and I don’t mean your phone lens!
A major benefit of studying abroad has everything to do with what you learn in the classroom, or how you learn. Every country teaches a curriculum a little differently, meaning going abroad allows you to adapt to new styles of teaching. It’s that adaptability that can really help you out in the future! Try telling that to your next potential boss, I guarantee you, they’ll be impressed!
Maybe some of your benefits of studying abroad don’t come from the ‘studying’ bit at all, maybe it comes from the working side. Not only does studying abroad look good on CV for future employees, but it can help you build connections in other countries. So go on, get out there and start a conversation! You never know! Sometimes, it really does pay to make friends!
A new culture naturally brings new friends! And a year abroad is the perfect place to try and make connections with people from across the world! You might not become instant friends with every person you meet, but it’s always worth a shot! You might even meet your soulmate! You know the one, the one who’ll eat cookie dough and binge watch Disney movies with you all night.
A studying abroad list wouldn’t be complete without addressing the all-important factor of ‘me time’. A new country might be just what you need to wind down from the stresses of your home life. It might not seem like an important factor that’ll help you in the future, but really, I cannot stress enough the long term benefits of simply feeling good! There isn’t anything more motivating than starting your day off knowing you are at your 100% best!
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