Fall semester is almost over, finals are coming to a close, students are graduating, and students are left thinking: now what?
More and more students have been considering studying abroad, and for good reason.
Studying abroad broadens your horizons and opens your mind to a variety of different cultures and lifestyles. So many people stay stuck in this bubble we call the United States with first world problems such as: my iPhone battery dies too fast, or Facebook changed something again. On Twitter, it is quite common for Americans to tweet "#firstworldproblems" as a "hashtag."
Traveling to a completely different country — where the standards, rules, and society is completely unlike our own — could really be beneficial for students.
Most students seem to want this experience, yet lack the time or financial necessities to do so. Even with this issue, studying abroad is still worth looking into. There are programs and qualifications where financial aid can help in maintaining a low tuition fee if a student does decides to study abroad.
As students, we are in the prime of our lives right now. We haven't necessarily started our "real world" jobs, and we're still learning about our major, general education, and life in general at the moment. What better time to travel than before you decide to settle down at a nine to five job for the rest of your life?
A quote by Harun Yahya perfectly illustrates the lack of passion in students that want to travel, yet seem to hold back from doing so: "I always wonder why birds choose to the stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the Earth. Then I ask myself the same question."
Instead of spending all day on the Internet on social media sites, or living the same mundane lives that we all are used to as college life, why not go somewhere that focuses your attention on things that may help you realize are more important than your smartphone, your twitter account, or what's going on in E! News.
Studying abroad really can be an eye-opening experience that I think is crucial for every student. Globalization is important in understanding the world we inhabit, interacting with people, and essentially even understanding ourselves.
When put into a situation where you do not know anything about the country, or lifestyle, you are forced to really learn about yourself. I mean, take exhibit A — just watch or read "Eat Pray Love."
Traveling in general is a great experience, and the best timing to do so would be in the most memorable years of your life: your college years. These are the moments in life that you do not want to look back on ten years from now and think, "I should have done that." Instead, enrich your life and yourself by studying abroad, so that you can look back on your college experience proudly.
Sara Ehlers is a junior journalism major and contributing writer for the Daily 49er.
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