Study Abroad. Travel. Learn!!

Study Abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a foreign country. Typically classes taken while studying abroad award credits transferable to higher education institutions in the home country. However, students may pursue these opportunities at any age and may not require college credit. Students studying abroad may live in a dormitory or apartment with other students or with a "host family", a group of people who live in that country and agree to provide student lodging.

Length of study can range from one week, usually during a domestic break, to an academic year.

Topics of study can vary. Some students choose to study abroad in order to learn a language from native speakers. Others may take classes in their academic major in a place that allows them to expand their hands-on experience (e.g. someone who’s studying marine biology studying abroad in Jamaica or a student of sustainable development living and studying in a remote village in Senegal). Still other students may study abroad in order to explore topics within the framework of a different educational system (e.g. a student of English who goes to the United States to study American literature).

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Why students may study abroad

One of the most common reasons students study abroad is language immersion. Students wanting to learn a language will go to school in a country where that language is spoken, the theory being that immersion into an environment where a particular language is spoken is the best way to learn the language. Indeed, many schools require that students majoring in a foreign language study abroad. However, this is more often done through an exchange program (see below).

It could be as simple as students choosing to study abroad due to a feeling of wanderlust. For many, college is the ideal time to travel, because they don't have full adult responsibilities yet, and they can take advantage of the option of studying in a different country. In this sense, many see one's early twenties as formative years in one's life, and being immersed in the unfamiliar society and culture of another country can prove rewarding to young adults.

Another popular reason to study abroad is the desire of many to gain an understanding of the world around them. The ability for students to go to a different part of the world and undergo complete submergence into another culture teaches them invaluable lessons about the diversity and complexity of the world, as well as important lessons about themselves.

Many students study abroad in an effort to expand their opportunities beyond those their home university offers. Strategically, study abroad offers many exciting benefits from high school students hoping to get into a prestigious university, to college learners pursuing reputable post graduate schools or professions. It may lead to scholarships, grants, and job opportunities to leading institutions or employment.