Happy first annual National Study Abroad Day! As a member of the study abroad community for the past 30 years, we’re thrilled to participate in a day dedicated to bringing awareness to the impact of studying abroad. If you’re a study abroad alum, you know just how life-changing the experience can be! Especially if you’re a part of the Forum-Nexus family :) And we may be biased, but we think summer is the best time to study abroad!
If you’re thinking about studying abroad but haven’t yet taken the leap, we’re sharing 5 reasons why you should study abroad in the summer:
Studying abroad in the summer complements your existing college experience.
When you study abroad in the summer, you aren’t taking anything away from your experience during the rest of the year, but adding to it! In addition to going to a college or university and making new friends from different places, studying abroad allows you to expand your circle to other students and perspectives from around the world. The classes you take while abroad can complement your coursework back home. Maybe you’re an athlete, or have a major commitment during the semesters – studying abroad in the summer can give you the freedom and balance of new experiences to fully round out your college experience.
You can get ahead on your degree and academic requirements by studying abroad in the summer.
Taking classes while catching views of the Eiffel Tower or the Aegean Sea doesn’t sound so bad, right? When you study abroad, you’re taking classes and earning credits that can transfer back to your home institution and get you that much closer to graduation. Depending on the number of credits you choose, you could knock out half a semester in just one summer, which means a lighter load during the following semesters or even the opportunity to graduate a semester early.
Studying abroad in the summer enhances your resume.
In an ever competitive world, studying abroad can help you stand out amongst other candidates. Studying abroad in the summer can allow you to maintain other jobs and extracurriculars during the school year, further enhancing your resume, rather than taking anything away from it. You’ll be gaining tons of new knowledge and experiences from studying abroad that you can elaborate on in interviews in the future, demonstrating skills like communication, adaptability, and time management. Curious about how to add study abroad to your resume? Check out our guide here.
With Forum-Nexus, you also get hands-on experience through our Professional Visits to companies and organizations. Plus, you have the opportunity to complete an internship while studying abroad in the summer, taking your resume to a whole new level.
You’ll become a better traveler and citizen of the world when you study abroad.
Studying abroad isn’t just about academic and professional growth – it’s about personal growth, too! Summer study abroad takes you away from your usual day-to-day routines and into the unknown: New places, new faces, new languages, new foods. Learning how to navigate foreign transportation or communicate with others are skills that will last a lifetime. Understanding the history and culture of the place(s) you’re studying abroad will give you new perspectives, and that knowledge can help you carry better conversations in other settings. Increasing your International IQ and learning both inside and outside of the classroom while studying abroad is a special skill that has an impact way beyond a couple of weeks or months abroad.
Studying abroad in the summertime gives you a sample of what a full semester or year could be like.
Maybe you’re thinking about studying abroad long-term, but you don’t know where to start or if you’re even going to like it. Studying abroad in the summer allows you to get a taste of the experience without diving in for months on end. And when you choose a multi-country summer study abroad program like ours, you get to experience several different countries and cultures all within one summer, which not only allows you to see and do as much as possible during your time abroad, but also gives you a variety of options to consider in terms of where you might want to spend a few months for a future semester. Or, you may find that a summer abroad was the perfect amount, and that you don’t want to go abroad for longer than that. The choice is yours, but studying abroad in the summertime can be a great help in making that decision.
Of course, there’s no better time than now to study abroad! Summer is just a few months away, and you can plan for one epic study abroad experience with our Ultimate Summer in Europe program. If you’re ready to gain personal, professional, and academic experience while soaking in the summer sun across some of the best cities in Europe, take the leap! It’s free to apply to study abroad with us this summer, and we have a variety of 3, 4, and 5-week options to choose from.
We hope this first annual National Study Abroad Day encourages you to step outside of your comfort zone and into new, life-changing study abroad experiences that will leave a lasting impact on your life and be something you look back on as a highlight of your time in college for years to come.