By Summer Crawford

Staff Writer

Picture yourself in a foreign country, a place where all the sights and sounds and smells are unfamiliar. You hear languages of the native people and their specific dialect, and you see shops with titles that appear to be symbols or just a jumble of letters to the outside eye.

Imagine not being just any other tourist, but becoming an actual part of that culture and a student who will study at their finest institutes.

College students have several opportunities to break those restraining bonds on their “bubbles” and explore the world. Studying abroad is not something a whole lot of students choose to do, only a handful, roughly one percent according to NAFSA (National Association for Foreign Student Advisers), have their hands in this experience.

I find myself wondering why students would, given this amazing and once-in-a lifetime opportunity to study abroad, let this pass them by?

Taking chances and going out on a limb is what life is truly about, even if it means you are taking risks. Yes, traveling to another country with a few fellow students from the college you attend is going to be intimidating. However, studying abroad can prove to be worthwhile. As with any trip, there will be costs to consider. According to the Institute of International Education, the average cost to study abroad last year for a semester was $17,785. Although it can be pricy, studying away from home sometimes gives students an experience they can not get anywhere else.

Depending on the college a student attends and its policies on studying abroad, a student can use their regular tuition cost to pay for studying abroad. Certain schools have grants for students wishing to study abroad, and there are private organizations that offer scholarships.

Studying abroad can only help you. Do not let the fear of taking a risk keep you in the all- too-familiar comfortable environment and not seize a chance that could change your life. I strongly admire those few students in college who rise to the challenge of broadening their story, those who buy that ticket to another destination with only the desire to learn more about the world. Studying overseas brings a whole new meaning to the “college experience.”

Taking classes at an international university, even if just for a semester or two, has the potential to create lasting friendships with the people you meet in that country. It can give you time to figure out who you are and what you want out of life. It can help create connections that will land you jobs you never thought you could obtain.

I have only been to a select few countries outside of the United States, take for example, Jamaica. At 11-years-old, I was interested in what other countries had to offer. I am jealous that my parents have been to countries like Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Belize, Guatemala and so on.

Several months after graduating from college, my dad moved to Germany for 18 months for a job to install and train people on inventory control software. He was in Germany at the time when the Berlin Wall came crashing down in East Germany in November 1989. He did not study abroad in college, but he did get to experience the European culture which has influenced him to this day. His experience helped prepare him for a later career in Information Technology. What I would give to live and study from professors in an unfamiliar country.

Right now at CHS there are students who plan on studying abroad before or during their college years. No one can know what the future will hold, but I know studying in another country gives you a different perspective.

Some say that when you flip a coin, and as it falls to the floor, you suddenly know what your heart is truly wishing for. So I say, grab that dusty suitcase from under your bed and put on your explorer cap. Have an open mind as you accumulate stamps on your passport, making sure you remember that each ink stamp signifies an important part of your journey.