By jcapobia
Because it's midterm week and I just finished climbing two mountains, I will make this blog quick and to the point.
As I was climbing a mountain in Cercedilla, Madrid today a question came to me. Something that I didn’t have an answer for and could use some help with. (Please send your answers to me in the below comments, in person, through Facebook, etc. I will aggregate them and reveal them in the next post).
Why study abroad?
- To travel: Is it to see the world? Should you be traveling to any and every country in your area so that you can experience many different cultures? Should you spend your last dollar (Euro) to experience everything while you can? How much are those pictures of the Sagrada Familia worth to you? How about that gondola ride in Venice? Can you even remember it all?
- To experience one culture / immersion: Should you stay in your host country and try to immerse yourself as best you can? Should the goal be to experience one culture in full, rather than 18 cultures in passing? Should you just stay, save some money, and explore your own host city, hang out with the host family, and immerse yourself in the culture as best you can?
- To learn differently: Is studying abroad useful because you can learn from foreign professors, learn with foreign students, and see a different style of schooling?
- Resume builder: I know you want to put “World Traveler” on your resume.
- Meet new people: Is it to meet people who come from vastly different worlds and cultures? To exchange ideas and worldviews with them, opening up your mind to things you had never thought about.
- Instagram photos: Photos of ice cream in front of European castles really do bring in the likes
- Economic: Cheap Drinks!
- Political: Lead the resistance against Trump from Abroad!
- Anything else?
If I have learned anything from my contact with the other GW Madrid students, its that people have come abroad for a diverse set of reasons. There are some people who travel every weekend, so who travel none. There are some who immerse themselves in the language and culture, seeking to challenge themselves every day, and others who dread even the smallest contact with their host families. And there are some who just don’t know what to do with themselves while they're abroad.
When do we ever do things and not have reasons for doing them? If we don’t have reasons for doing things then we can’t set goals for ourselves. Without goals we get caught up trying to do everything, and end up doing nothing. When I reached the pinnacle of that mountain I realized that I really did not set any goals for myself before I studied abroad, something that may prove fatal as I try to balance my urge to travel Europe with my desire to immerse myself in Spanish culture.
If you are thinking about going abroad, are currently abroad, or have already gone abroad, think about your reasons for going abroad. Do you even have one?
