Every student may decide to study abroad for different reasons, but there are a number of benefits that almost every one of them could ultimately take away from these experiences. If you are personally entertaining the idea of spending some time taking courses overseas this summer, then you may reap your own share of perks that could change your mindset and your life forever.
While it is tempting to go abroad just based on your desires to visit the Eiffel Tower or see how Swiss chocolate is made firsthand, any trip you take is bound to shape your outlook on the world without you even realizing it. By immersing yourself in cultures foreign to your own, you will be exposed to new people and customs, which could enable you to take away fragments of insight and construct a more inclusive picture of the world.
Keep an open mind, not mouth
As travelers embarking on an international living experience prepare themselves for such an endeavor, they should be sure to keep an open mind. Rider University explained that by venturing to unfamiliar territory, students are likely to encounter populations with drastically different mindsets or customs. These could pertain to anything, including social issues and political or economic philosophies.
With these interactions, you may not know how to react, as your own beliefs may be put into question. The best course of action in these situations is to accept that no one is right or wrong, but rather just different.
Tolerance and flexibility are key components of studying abroad. As students make their way from country to country, they are going to have to navigate through communities with different values and lifestyles. At first, this can be challenging for travelers, who may feel uncomfortable among the entirely unfamiliar or incomprehensible circumstances in which they find themselves. However, if they embrace the unknown and make a conscious decision to explore it, they could reach an understanding of others and their cultural convictions.
This can only be accomplished, though, if students acknowledge that neither they nor the individuals they meet during their travels are going to change their line of thinking. Intrinsic values have been instilled in people since birth, making them an integral part of their being. Because of this, neither party is going to be willing to completely abandon these beliefs to adopt ones that are foreign to them. Consequently, students will get far more out of their study abroad program if they opt to listen rather than lecture, which can let them cultivate a strong sense of tolerance.
Embrace changes in your way of thinking
Once you assume a receptive demeanor, you may undergo some internal changes of which you are not even aware. Northeastern University stated that with this study abroad attitude, you could be setting yourself up for a lifetime of learning. Chances are that after you start absorbing all this foreign wisdom, you may want to feed your curiosity by further exploring concepts introduced to you overseas.
Not to mention, all the opinions you pick up from others may prompt you to look at every situation in your professional or academic careers from a variety of perspectives. It is nearly impossible to glean a wealth of insight over the course of your summer 2014, only to forget about it when you return to the U.S. On the contrary, that information you receive is going to make a permanent impression, which will influence your critical thinking. For this reason, almost every decision you make after this educational experience could be impacted by a more nuanced worldview.