Recently, I was thinking about where I would want to study abroad, as I have always wanted to do so in college. While researching, I stumbled upon a really interesting bit of information. All undergraduate students in the College of Design and majoring in international studies at NC State are required to study abroad, similar to how certain classes are required for certain degree programs. This made me think: Why don’t other college programs within NC State require students to study abroad as well?

According to the College of Design website, the reason behind the requirement is to increase students’ global awareness, expose them to diverse cultures and environments and widen their perception of the world as this can improve their creative process in their future work. 

The international studies major page claims that studying abroad “adds depth to your education through sustained engagement with people and communities outside the United States.” This makes sense, especially as many international studies majors go on to work in or with different countries.

Upon reading this, it got me thinking about how a holistic awareness of the world is needed in an abundance of majors and professions and is just a very useful life skill in general. Personally, as a major in communication in media and Spanish, I foresee many advantages that could come with studying abroad. For instance, if I go into journalism and write for the news, having knowledge of other cultures and taking people around the world into consideration will help eliminate the bias that the United State’s news is often accused of.

Some may think majors such as education, engineering, nutrition, animal science—the list could go on—do not have a purpose abroad, but all of these majors have programs mapped out for them in various countries around the world on the NC State Study Abroad website.

The truth is that everyone can learn from traveling out of the country, no matter what they are majoring in during college. These programs all communicate how the experience of studying abroad can help connect their desired profession to a global society and understanding.

Additionally, studying abroad in college has proven to bring a multitude of benefits to students. Not only can you practice and improve your skills in a foreign language with native speakers, but you can also experience a different culture in real time, rather than through a textbook.

According to the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES), their students, even decades after their study abroad experience, claimed that it had a long-lasting impact on their life, personal growth, professional career and much more. 

One man from the IES abroad program, Gary Abramson, studied in Madrid, Spain in 1978 and said that a political science lecture he attended there led to his career working in Spain as a foreign correspondent for over 25 years. This made me feel even more excited about studying abroad, just imagine a semester abroad leading you to your dream career. 

Studying abroad can also help students grow to become more independent. Travelling to a new country alone, making a life for yourself there and learning to adapt and overcome in an unfamiliar environment can help students grow in a way that would simply not be possible here at NC State, especially since this university, city and state is something many students have been familiarized with from an early age. 

Ultimately, if students were all required to study abroad, even for a short-term trip that can be worked into their tuition, it could allow them to progress into more worldly professionals in the future as working adults. Plus, for some students who are unsure whether they want to study abroad, the requirement could take the stress out of making that decision.

Disclaimer: Due to COVID-19, both the summer and fall study abroad programs were cancelled. As of right now, programs are planning to resume in the spring 2021 semester.