College is short, don’t waste your chance to study abroad

by CAROLINE PREUSS

Staff Writer

Go abroad if you can.

Not everyone has the opportunity to study abroad. For some, it is simply too expensive. For others, it does not fit into their degree, their responsibilities or their personal circumstances. But for those who do have the option, even if it requires effort, planning or stepping into uncertainty, choosing not to go is often less about circumstance and more about comfort. Students who have the opportunity to study abroad should take it, rather than letting fear stand in the way of a life-changing experience.

At home, identity is reinforced constantly by friends, habits and expectations you may not even be aware of. You know how things work, you know how people see you and you move within that without really questioning it. 

Abroad, those structures disappear. No one knows who you are supposed to be. There is no fixed role you have to fall back into. And while that can feel disorienting at first, it also creates space to redefine yourself.

That process is not always comfortable. There is a tendency to romanticize studying abroad as a perfect adventure, but the reality is often more complicated, possibly being isolating at first. 

Conversations may feel forced, simple tasks unexpectedly difficult. You may find yourself missing the ease of familiarity more than you anticipated. Things that used to be automatic suddenly require effort and attention. You have to step out of your comfort zone.

But growth doesn’t happen when everything feels easy. It happens when you have to adapt, deal with uncertainty and figure things out on your own. That is exactly what being abroad does. 

That might mean solving practical problems, dealing with unfamiliar situations or simply getting through difficult days. Over time, those experiences add up. You stop overthinking every step and start trusting that you will manage, even if things don’t go exactly as planned.

Living in a different culture confronts you with alternative ways of thinking. You begin to notice differences not just in language or behavior but in beliefs and what matters most in everyday life. 

That shift helps you see things from a different perspective. You become more aware in how you approach situations, conversations and even your own decisions. You start to see beyond your own perspective.

Improving your language is often mentioned as one of the main reasons to go abroad, but it goes beyond that. When you use another language every day, it becomes part of your routine. 

Over time, it just feels normal. That’s something you can’t really learn in a classroom, rather it comes from using the language in real, everyday situations.

Also, friendships abroad tend to develop under different conditions. There is a shared sense of uncertainty but also of openness. Everyone is in a similar position trying to figure things out and adjusting to something new. 

As a result, relationships often develop more quickly and with a different intensity. You connect over shared experiences rather than shared history. That creates a different kind of bond.

In the end, you don’t just come back with skills or memories, you come back with a different mindset. You become more adaptable and more willing to take risks because you’ve already been in situations that felt unfamiliar and learned how to handle them.

This is why the decision to go abroad, when it is an option, is a decision worth thinking about more. It is easier to stay in your comfort zone and avoid the uncertainty of being somewhere new, but stepping out of it is worth it in the end. 

A semester abroad does not guarantee personal growth. Not everyone will have a life-changing experience, but it creates the conditions in which that kind of change becomes possible. It puts you in situations that challenge you in ways your usual environment does not.

So if going abroad is an option for you, take it. Not just for the experience, but for everything you gain: new perspectives, independence and personal growth.