Having the chance to study abroad is one of the many incredible opportunities you get as a student. So why not grab it with both hands?
The thought of going somewhere completely new and unfamiliar can be super terrifying and you might be feeling a little bit hesitant about it. Don’t worry, we understand.
But when you give it some good thought, you’ll eventually realise that going on a year abroad might just be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. You’ll be able to meet new people, try new food and see new things. And if that’s not enough, think of all of the incredible Instagram moments…
If you’re still not sure if you should take the leap, here are our 54 reasons to study abroad.
1. You’ll be able to broaden your language skills – you could learn a brand new language or become fluent in a language you’re already familiar with.
2. You can try all of the local cuisines and maybe find a new favourite dish. Your taste buds will be having a ball.
3. You get to meet so many new, interesting people. Everyone, you know back home might be from similar backgrounds, with similar interests to you. This gives you the opportunity to learn about and connect with someone completely different from you.
4. You get to take a step out of your comfort zone to test yourself and your capabilities – and probably gain some confidence from it all.
5. You get to see the world.
6. You’ll get to take trips to somewhere new pretty often – when you go somewhere completely new to you, so many things are open to exploration.
7. You get to study new subjects that you may not have had the chance to study back at home – thus enhancing your skills and knowledge.
8. Your whole experience will impress your future employers – you’ll be a much more well-rounded candidate than someone who has never left their hometown.
9. The experience will be extremely noteworthy on your CV. It showcases a super long list of valuable skills and qualities.
10. Abroad, you’ll have to make a lot of decisions for yourself. So you’ll become so much more self-sufficient and independent.
11. You’ll be thrown in at the deep end – this will teach you to learn and adapt quickly – something that future employers will be super impressed by.
12. You’ll have the chance to potentially network with a vast range of interesting people across the world who could be helpful for your career.
13. You’ll be able to keep a journal or start a blog to share your incredible experiences with friends and family – as well as having a whole bank of memories to look back on.
14. While you are abroad you’ll make friends with people sharing the same experience and you’ll undoubtedly make friends for life.
15. As well as that, you’ll really learn who your true friends are. Who makes the effort to keep in contact with you no matter where you are, and who doesn’t.
16. There will be a huge support network available to you, so you won’t have to feel like you’re in it alone.
17. There are increasingly more funding options available for study abroad opportunities so the cost of it all doesn’t have to put you off.
18. And you can take every single advantage of lower tuition fees.
19. Your Instagram shots will undeniably make everyone incredibly jealous and – admit it – that feels kinda cool.
20. You have the chance to have a fresh start and be exactly who you want to be.
21. You’ll get the chance to learn more about yourself because you’ll be spending a lot of time by yourself.
22. And in that time, you’ll learn to appreciate and love yourself and you’ll gain a whole lot of confidence because of it.
23. You’ll have the opportunity to practice your skills in a brand new environment – this will test your adaptability and will wholly enhance your skills.
24. You will be able to tick off a bunch of goals on your bucket list.
25. You will get the chance to see so many places you probably thought you would never have the chance to see in a lifetime.
26. You can have your friends and family come visit so that you can be their gateway to new experiences.
27. You can take advantage of exchange rates to make your money go a little bit further.
28. Not to mention you’ll become an expert in foreign currencies.
29. You don’t have to be tied down anywhere – you can be free!
30. At the same time, it’ll make you appreciate home more. You’ll miss things like home-cooking and little home comforts, but that’ll make coming home even sweeter.
31. With all of the trials and tribulations you’ll undoubtedly face – the whole experience will make you feel like you can do anything.
32. You’ll gain knowledge and experience of new cultures and you will learn so much more about the world than you ever could inside of a classroom.
33. You’ll also see your own culture through a new lens.
34. And you’ll gain a global mindset.
35. You’ll become more spontaneous and adventurous and learn to live in the moment.
36. You’ll also learn to appreciate the smaller things.
37. You’ll have all of those wonderful perks of international student discount.
38. Working on your year abroad will give you so many international job prospects because you’ll have that experience.
39. You might even find some foreign love…
40. You will become an expert in every method of transportation and travelling alone will no longer phase you.
41. You get to find another place to call home.
42. You’ll learn – quickly – how to budget your money. Which is something that is surprisingly difficult to grasp and absolutely essential.
43. You will fall head over heels in love with travelling.
44. Just think how about how many life experiences you’ll be able to impress potential employers with during interviews.
45. You will always be challenged – and that’s a good thing.
46. Sending postcards and letters home is so much fun.
47. You’ll learn not to be so attached to and dependent on technology – you’ll learn there is so much more to life than what’s going on on your phone.
48. You will become a packing pro.
49. And thankfully, you’ll be able to send any luggage you need with My Baggage!
50. It will be an unforgettable experience.
51. And you will most definitely regret it if you don’t just go for it.
52. You learn that giving up is never an option and persistence will become one of your strongest and most valuable qualities.
53. It will be the best decision ever.
54. And getting off the plane when you eventually come home will be one of the sweetest moments in life.
Studying Abroad? If you’re travelling overseas, find out how My Baggage can help you…
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