Is Studying Abroad Worth It? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Is Studying Abroad Worth It?

"Not everything that you learn that is global happens in the classroom."

131
Is Studying Abroad Worth It?
Photo by Fancycrave on Unsplash

Each weekday morning Emma Bautista wakes up at 6 a.m., opens her laptop and teaches English to Chinese students through her webcam.

"Being able to relate to people of different cultures is super important in a career, especially if you want to do something international," said Bautista, a second-year telecommunication and Spanish major.

"Studying abroad helped me with learning people skills and connecting with people that are different from me."

Bautista spent six weeks over the past summer studying in Seville, Spain. While there, she was able to practice her Spanish and immerse herself into a culture different from her own.

She believes studying abroad helped prepare her for her current job. Bautista teaches English to Chinese students through an online platform called Qkids.

"I do feel more qualified and more open-minded to different cultures and more interested in finding out about different cultures in general now," she said.

Paloma Rodriguez, associate director of undergraduate academic programs at the University of Florida International Center, wants as many students as possible to participate in a study abroad experience because it is essential to personal growth.

According to her, the most important thing to gather from studying abroad is how to effectively communicate the skills learned through this experience to employers.

"Unless you are able to say all those key words to an employer, the fact that you got lost in Paris, it's not immediate that they understand what you went through," she said.

"You see it's not just having the experience but knowing how to talk about it."

Rodriguez also believes that global learning happens out on the field instead of in a classroom.

"Not everything that you learn that is global happens in the classroom," Rodriguez said.

"Sometimes it happens cooking Japanese soup with your roommate."

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
girl with a hat

This is for the girls who have dealt with an emotionally, mentally, physically or verbally abusive father.

The ones who have grown up with a false lens of what love is and how relationships should be. The ones who have cried themselves to sleep wondering why he hurts you and your family so much. This is for all the girls who fall in love with broken boys that carry baggage bigger than their own, thinking it's their job to heal them because you watched your mother do the same.

Keep Reading...Show less
Blair Waldorf Quote
"DESTINY IS FOR LOSERS. IT'S JUST A STUPID EXCUSE TO WAIT FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM HAPPEN." - BLAIR WALDORF.

The world stopped in 2012 when our beloved show "Gossip Girl" ended. For six straight years, we would all tune in every Monday at 9:00 p.m. to see Upper Eastside royalty in the form of a Burberry headband clad Blair Waldorf. Blair was the big sister that we all loved to hate. How could we ever forget the epic showdowns between her and her frenemy Serena Van Der Woodsen? Or the time she banished Georgina Sparks to a Christian summer camp? How about that time when she and her girls took down Bart Bass? Blair is life. She's taught us how to dress, how to be ambitious, and most importantly, how to throw the perfect shade.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

11 Moments Every College Freshman Has Experienced

Because we made it, and because high school seniors deserve to know what they're getting themselves into

602
too tired to care

We've all been there. From move-in day to the first finals week in college, your first term is an adventure from start to finish. In honor of college decisions coming out recently, I want to recap some of the most common experiences college freshmen experience.

1. The awkward hellos on move-in day.

You're moving your stuff onto your floor, and you will encounter people you don't know yet in the hallway. They live on your floor, so you'll awkwardly smile and maybe introduce yourself. As you walk away, you will wonder if they will ever speak to you again, but don't worry, there's a good chance that you will make some great friends on your floor!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

21 Things I've Learned About College Life

College is not what everyone expects it to be.

308
laptop
Unsplash

The college years are a time for personal growth and success. Everyone comes in with expectations about how their life is supposed to turn out and envision the future. We all freak out when things don't go exactly as planned or when our expectations are unmet. As time goes on, we realize that the uncertainty of college is what makes it great. Here are some helpful reminders about life in college.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Lessons I Learned My Freshman Year

The first year of college opens your eyes to so many new experiences.

155
johnson hall
Samantha Sigsworth

Recently I completed my freshman year of college, and boy, what an experience. It was a completely new learning environment and I can't believe how much I learned. In an effort to save time, here are the ten biggest lessons I learned from my first year of college.

1. Everyone is in the same boat

For me, the scariest part of starting school was that I was alone, that I wouldn't be able to make any friends and that I would stick out. Despite being told time and time again that everyone had these same feelings, it didn't really click until the first day when I saw all the other freshman looking as uneasy and uncomfortable as me. Therefore, I cannot stress this enough, everyone is feeling as nervous as you.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments