Why Should I Study Abroad?

1) The food is usually quite good.

2) The architecture, art, and music can be amazing!

3) You learn your own limitations—whether they are linguistic (¿se habla español?), geographic (map skills anyone?), culinary (oops, was that intestines I just ate?), missing home….

4) You appreciate absolutely everything-especially clean water, toilet paper, and a bed!

5) Your mind expands in a way that allows for inner growth.

6) You become more aware of your surroundings –physically, emotionally and even spiritually.

7) You realize that just by having the option to travel sets you up as a privileged individual in a world where some never have this opportunity.

8) When you come home, you realize that you should be more appreciative of difference—because it allows you to choose amongst many options for a life that is truly yours.

9) You make friends!

10) You know who you are when you come back—and you are not the same person as when you left.

First of all, the ability to speak more than one language will make you more marketable than someone who is monolingual and mono-cultural.

• Individuals with a Language Major find work in the fields of education, government, criminal justice, health-care, communications, business, law, and journalism.
• Specific professions include: Marketing or International Trade Specialist, Interpreter, Translator, Passport Examiner, Social Worker, Hotel Manager, Nurse, Doctor, Journalist, Teacher, and the Foreign Service.
• Nowadays, it is vital to give yourself as many advantages as possible; studying another language is one of the best ways to ascertain a future that is full of opportunity! Not only does knowing a language help to get that interview which opens the door, rather being multilingual brings success that lasts throughout one’s entire lifetime.

Finally, as a nation we need to underline the importance of studying languages and developing cultural competencies for our students to engage as global citizens. We are no longer living in a world that is centralized around the USA; rather other nations are growing their economies while we are lagging behind. One way to counteract this trend is through changing our expectations to include a much higher rate of language proficiency (or proficiencies) and a broader understanding of the cultures both inside and outside of our own borders. A point of fact, many of today’s undergraduates will be interviewing via Skype and competing with students who are multilingual from other nations for their first job. This competition will only grow and become fiercer as technology creates opportunities for people to work for a U.S. company while residing absolutely anywhere around the globe.

Seize the day! For all the above reasons, study languages, travel and/or live abroad, you will never regret it. Indeed, many years after you return home, the skills you will have gained will bring you many opportunities, resulting in a full, rich, dynamic life.