Over the past few weeks, now that I am comfortably settled in to my study abroad experience, I’ve been hearing some relatively negative things about my specific program and the country that we have been studying in (the United Kingdom for those just joining me on this journey). Some people are complaining about the type of food served, the weather, the size of our accommodations, the internship is too boring, the classes are too hard, where’s the WIFI, etc. While I admit that at first I was bothered by a few differences between school, work, and life here versus back in the United States (namely the lack of a dryer for my clothes), I’ve mostly adjusted to life here and there are a surprising amount of aspects that I prefer about life in the UK than back in the states (public transportation, the culture that’s freely available, and the fact that people are generally quieter, more polite, and better informed). So while I believe that most of my fellow students are well adjusted, myself included, others aren’t so much. Whether that’s due to homesickness or an unwarranted sense of entitlement is not as clear to me, but armed with the full knowledge that you miss your dear kitty Cat Benatar or just hate the fact that people drive on the opposite side of the road from Americans, I want to at least give some context as to how lucky we truly are as students to be studying abroad.
Let’s start with some basic information about who studies abroad. According to the National Association of Foreign Student Advisors (NAFSA), less than 2% of students enrolled at an institution of higher education in the U.S. study abroad, representing about 304,000 students in the academic year 2013-2014. These students gain a variety of cross-cultural skills, including easier communication between cultures and a better understanding of themselves and of their own culture, as disclosed in the Journal of Studies in International Education. Moreover, a survey published by the Institute for International Education of Students (IIES) found that among the students who studied in their programs from 1950 to 1999 (with updated results in a 2012 survey), “96% have increased self-confidence, 97% feel more mature and 98% understand their own values more clearly.” As students of study abroad, we are not only among a select few who have this very special opportunity but are also developing the cultural and emotional competencies to face much bigger challenges in the future.
When international internships are thrown into the mix, the results just keep getting better. The same survey by IIES reported that 70% of students who had internships while abroad reported “ignited interest in a career decision after the experience” while 83% said that the experience “allowed them to acquire skill sets that influenced their career path”. Furthermore, employers like the fact that students study abroad, to the point where they are actively looking for job candidates with international experience, a feature that is currently lacking in American businesses. In 2014, a combined report by the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of Memphis surveyed 836 different companies of all sizes and determined that 40% missed international business opportunities due to a lack of cross-culturally competent staff. And these companies are looking for more and more people with both hard and soft skills acquired within an international context, because 95% of consumers live outside of the United States, and that’s the nature of international business today.
So there is plenty to celebrate about getting at least a portion of your education in another country and no matter the details, we as study abroad students in the UK should be grateful for the opportunity, especially considering there are other students studying in much less hospitable countries. What is most important, however, is that getting a quality education and learning valuable, transferable skills is something that should never be taken for granted, no matter the location, no matter the context, and only heightened by its international nature.
Sources used:
http://www.nafsa.org/explore_international_education/advocacy_and_public_policy/study_abroad/trends_in_u_s__study_abroad/
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0403/benefits_study_abroad.shtml
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