With the invention of airplanes, a little more than a hundred years ago, traveling took a big turn. The same ocean that took months to pass through had suddenly either reduced in size or we had become faster. With this came the idea of study abroad programs for students. Study abroad benefits are not just personal, but rather a societal concept.
Among the myriad reasons to study abroad, people claim flexibility and appreciation to be the topmost benefits. Since studying abroad comes with a lot of investment, many students ultimately ask the same question: Why is studying abroad important? These programs allow you to increase tolerance in a way that no other school activity does. So how exactly does traveling improve our knowledge and experience with tolerance?
1. Understanding and empathizing with the concept of racism
The best and most effective answer to the question, “Why is a study abroad important?” is the tolerance of differences. Although the world is developing, we haven’t progressed. One of the most assertive ways to admit this is with the increasing levels of racial discrimination, which is today a big topic of concern. Although we admit that people need to reform rules that are considered offensive, some souls are still engraved in the kind of racism that our forefathers left behind.
Studying abroad attempts to tackle that. We start trusting and respecting our neighbors based on humanity. One of the studies abroad benefits is to become a global citizen who gives you an argumentative stance because of your experiences and opens you to enjoying those differences.
Being able to write an essay alone after this experience can put you in a position to fight back towards our society’s conservative sides. You can find more of such strong free essay examples on racism right here. Your experience will provide you with examples that are not assumptions but rather real-time happenings.
2. Increases tolerance of yourself
Being able to deal with yourself in a different land is one of the unique reasons to study abroad. Study abroad is a way of connecting to the world around you. With so many countries and places worldwide, it isn’t easy to understand the lifestyle of a certain place only through the words in your notebook.
Going to places helps you accept yourself. It helps you relate to people, and in turn, you understand and become more aware of your actions. Within time, you start being less judgmental towards yourself and find comfort in your skin. It is a great opportunity to learn to be able to increase tolerance towards your own personality and thoughts. This is among the most appreciated study abroad benefits that you can acquire!
3. Independence in college life!
Studying abroad is an opportunity that probably comes once in a lifetime for many of us. With that thought in mind, you tend to make the most out of a situation, giving yourself a sort of confidence that you wouldn’t find otherwise. You start gaining experiences and trust yourself like you never did before.
You start treating yourself to newer experiences, making you an independent being who makes their own decisions. Learning to be free is a process, and study abroad welcomes you to do so during your college life. This art is crucial to learn the beauty of self-acceptance as a student in a world where it is easy to hate. Isn’t independence and self-reliance two of the most amazing reasons to study abroad after all?
4. Helps improve your knowledge of new languages
You start understanding how coming into someone else’s land is about you exploring their cultures, and it should be your responsibility to study their language so that you can communicate and experience their country. To be able to communicate with the population of an entire country that is different from yours is an experience on its own. Learning through experiences is different from reading essays in those books of essay samples that takes you hours to get through.
People are great at asking: Is the monetary investment in study abroad worth it? Other than experience, why is a study abroad important? Traveling is not something that is going to harm you. You will learn something from even the worst travel plans. Finally, to answer your question, “Does traveling improve our knowledge?” Yes, it does! In ways, one would only dream of.
Nina Smith