What do you imagine a day in paradise would consist of? For me, it would be a carefree day at the beach with positive people who likewise have no worries, no deadlines, and no stress! This was the life I was fortunate enough to experience while studying abroad!
I recommend studying abroad to ALL students and believe it is just as essential an experience as college itself. This is a special recommendation for African-American students because unless we expose ourselves to different areas of the world we are limited to stereotypes of us portrayed through media or the narrow perspective of certain musical genres. I believe that everyone is an individual and shouldn't necessarily prescribe to labels, life without labels would be a dream, but if we have nothing else in common we are of the same demographic; people of color and American citizens and therefore experiencing the same cultural heritage. Think about the most absurd questions you have heard from non-African-Americans at home about African-American culture, I'll wait...now multiply it. Can you imagine the pure ignorance and curiosity someone would have for you in another country? As an Anthropology student, I am very subjective and this curiosity and actions caused by it do not offend me personally. Instead, I am delighted when in a foreign place and I am allowed to express my views and opinions about myself and those similar to me. I see myself as a cultural liaison there to support or refute assumptions. Still, with a lack of representation our stories aren't being told, and we deserve an accurate global presence as much as anyone else.
The biggest issue for a lot of students is financial aid so they dismiss the idea of studying abroad because they believe they won't be able to afford it. Do not make that assumption and do not let money, control your decision making. Yes, be practical but there are opportunities and ways to make it happen.
The trip I participated in was a five-week program in Southern Spain that cost a whopping $4,900 and $1,300 in tuition and fees. This is how it worked for me. Initially, I wanted to participate in the program Summer 2014 so I met with the program director for more information. She was extremely informative in the breakdown of what the program had to offer me as well as internal and external scholarships that were available to me. Once I had all of the necessary information I then went to my university's financial aid office to learn about funding options. Unfortunately due to a disruption of family obligations I wasn't able to participate, but I didn't give up! Two years passed but I knew I wanted this experience so I researched more funding options such as fundraising ideas and decided to try again. I was really sad the first go around when things went sour but it gave me more time to prepare, which is my advice. If you are a freshman or even in high school treat study abroad as a part of college and plan for it, even if you have to save up until the time before graduation, just make it happen.
In the end, I was able to participate in an unforgettable experience with an amazing group of students and professors. I learned so much from my short time immersed in a different culture. I encourage you to do the same take the leap put in the work and experience the world and learning outside of the conventional classroom setting. You just might experience paradise or get bit by the travel bug which will cause you to travel more or farther and continue to share your story and connect with others!
