You have already made up your mind – You are going to enroll in a study abroad program. Now that that's settled, your main concern is most likely where you are going to hunker down and complete your coursework. However, why should you be worrying about picking a single place to spend your entire summer 2014?
By venturing abroad through Forum-Nexus, you will have the ability to tour a whole slew of cities, taking in as much culture as you can in one sitting. Just think about the benefits that come along with enjoying such an experience.
Even though you are going to be able to take in the sights of numerous exotic locales throughout Europe, you may still find that you are itching to head to one place in particular. There is nothing wrong with having your heart set on immersing yourself in a certain culture, especially one that may cater to your academic interest perfectly.
For example, if you can't get enough of international business, then you could be feeling constant pangs of desire attracting you to one of the centers of European commerce: Switzerland. Located in the heart of the continent, this nation serves as a crossroads for cultures, languages and economics. Because of this, stopping by Switzerland could serve you, your formal education and your overall cultural awareness a world of good.
Encounter cultural diversity at its finest
Switzerland is a mixture of everything that Europe has to offer. What makes this nation so fascinating is that fact that its heritage stems from a number of different traditions. With both Germanic and Romance roots, Switzerland's identity is all about diversity.
This area boasts a population with an array of linguistic, religious and ethnic backgrounds, becoming a better melting pot than those used to serve a steaming batch of fondue. As a result, when you head to Switzerland during one of the legs of your multi-country study abroad summer, you are probably going to come across a whole new level of nuanced culture. Due to the diverse range of influences, nearly every creative contribution to this nation's history, including art and music, has a rich, even complex nature to it, which would pique even the most left-brained people.
That being said, you may only view these more artistic aspects to be bonuses, considering the business educational opportunities to be the real meat of this experience. Well, luckily for you, Switzerland also presents plenty of those learning possibilities, which could really make you yodel for joy just thinking about the study abroad experience ahead of you.
Expose yourself to international business practices
If there is one thing that Switzerland has a handle on, it's business. While you are completing coursework in this country, you can pick up a few skills that can help you further down the road – and that doesn't mean those needed to open an overseas bank account.
Being a hotbed of European business, it will be important for anyone interested in global economics to learn the ropes of this nation so that they can operate seamlessly in this environment. For instance, one thing that you may want to experience firsthand is how they communicate there. Although the UN headquarters is in Switzerland, the Swiss are not the most diplomatic when it comes to doing business. Instead, the prefer to be direct and frank, addressing issues head on so that they can resolve them as quickly as possible rather than skirting around problems so that they don't hurt other people's feelings.
It is one thing to be told this tidbit of information, but it is another thing to be directly exposed to it. By being placed in the middle of the country's business world during your study abroad stint, then you can properly prepare yourself to operate in the European economic arena.