You must become a “global citizen,” skilled at interacting in and between multiple cultures and capable of analyzing issues on a global level. Getting an international education — in other words, studying abroad — is one of the best ways for students to build global competence. Study abroad is a challenging adventure, academically and personally. Students who return from abroad consistently report that they developed a greater sense of independence and confidence in their capabilities.
Students who study abroad return home with new ideas and perspectives about themselves and their own culture.
The experience abroad often challenges them to reconsider their own beliefs and values. The experience may perhaps strengthen those values or it may cause students to alter or abandon them and embrace new concepts and perceptions. The encounter with other cultures enables students to see their own culture through new eyes.
While abroad, you can take courses you would never have had the opportunity to take on your home campus. In addition, study abroad gives your language skills such a boost that it is normally quite easy to add a minor in a language or even a second major without having to take many more additional courses after the return to your home campus.
Did you know that less than 5% of people study abroad during their life? At the same time, the world continues to become more globalised. Companies from countries around the world continue to invest in other countries, building a need for people who are able to manage in different cultures. Through the employer’s eyes, a person who has studied abroad is independent, self-motivated, willing to pick up challenges, and able to cope with diverse problems and situations. Your experience of living and studying in a foreign country, getting to know other cultures, and learning another language can give you advantages in acquiring your dream job.