Why study abroad

I always thought travelling is an important part of a person’s life, but studying abroad helped me realize how to make the best of it. When you travel to another place, on vacation for example, you visit the city, you learn about the local culture, you come across locals, but you never really get to fully appreciate the place you are in. Studying abroad encouraged me to become part of the new city I was studying in allowing myself to enrich both my personal and academic life. I studied in Paris for a semester and it was a great experience! Not only did I enjoy all the attractions the city had to offer, but I also improved my personality. I learned how to be more independent, how to adapt to a new culture and how to be by myself. This last aspect is not intended in a negative way, in fact, I learned how important it is to be able to take the initiative to go out even if other people don’t want to because you never know what you could miss out on and what you could then tell your friends.
At school I learned a lot of new and exciting things within my major, but the aspect that enriched my knowledge the most is learning how to think about a subject in different ways. Americans might have a certain approach to a problematic which is different from the French, so one should be able to be as open-minded as possible in order to consider both perspectives.
I definitely recommend studying abroad, it doesn’t have to be miles and miles from home, the most important thing is that you feel part of the new environment, not a stranger or tourist. The experience will have a significant impact on your life and the way you look at things; it’s the best way to enrich your knowledge while having fun and travelling, what more could you ask for?