Today, it's getting harder and harder to differentiate yourself from the pack. With ample study abroad internships and volunteer opportunities, everyone’s resume looks the same. However, you have the chance to do something unique and off the map by studying abroad in a number of different countries.
3. It’s a great semester for networking: If you study abroad, you will meet hundreds of people who are just like you. People looking for jobs in the near future, and some who took a leap of faith to study in a place they didn’t know as well as their home university.
4. Studying abroad makes you become a better problem solver, while stimulating your creative mind. Traveling all across Europe might seem like a daunting thing, and I can assure you that you will run into the unexpected. However, dealing with those problems, such as a booking a last-minute hostel, made me think outside of the box for creative solutions.
5. You find a home away from home. Some people are too comfortable at home, but I can assure you that culture shock doesn’t last long. It may take some time to get adjusted to your new country, but it will feel like home in no time.
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| Prague TV Tower |
So why is it that so many students fail to explore the world and study abroad? The business world demands a global mindset. And yet, many students fail to take advantage of this time in their lives when they can explore a new place. Instead, they complete their schooling in their home country.
Here are a few reasons you should study abroad!
1. Studying abroad changes you: You’ll have memories and a suitcase full of souvenirs, but you may also come back from your time in another country with an ability to think more creatively.
2. It makes you stand out from other applicants post-college. When you can start an interview off by saying, “I spent a semester studying in Prague,” you already have the attention of your interviewer. You’ve immediately established a few things: You aren’t afraid of trying new things and you know more than just your home culture.
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| Venice, Italy |
3. It’s a great semester for networking: If you study abroad, you will meet hundreds of people who are just like you. People looking for jobs in the near future, and some who took a leap of faith to study in a place they didn’t know as well as their home university.
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| Berlin Wall |
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| The Beaches of Croatia |
4. Studying abroad makes you become a better problem solver, while stimulating your creative mind. Traveling all across Europe might seem like a daunting thing, and I can assure you that you will run into the unexpected. However, dealing with those problems, such as a booking a last-minute hostel, made me think outside of the box for creative solutions.
5. You find a home away from home. Some people are too comfortable at home, but I can assure you that culture shock doesn’t last long. It may take some time to get adjusted to your new country, but it will feel like home in no time.
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| Prague Beer Garden |
Studying or working in another country can make us better thinkers—more flexible, creative, and open to new ideas. If you have the opportunity to differentiate yourself from the pack, take advantage of it!
Joey Notowich is the Spring 2014 CEA MOJO in Prague, Czech Republic. He is a junior at the University of Indiana, Bloomington.