5 Reasons Why You Should Study Abroad

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london_main Taking advantage of your school sending you away to a different city for a semester with little to no extra cost should seem like a no brainer. For some reason, however, some people still pass up this opportunity. Those people don't know what they’re missing – going abroad is essential to the college experience and is never a regrettable decision. Here are the top five reasons you should go abroad during your time at SU:

1. It’s a great learning experience. If you’re living in a different country for an extended period of time, you’re definitely going to be learning a lot of new things. You’ll be learning a different language (or a different way to speak your own), learning about different cultures, and a lot about yourself. Technically, you should be learning in the classroom too since you are there to “study,” but we all know the real studying happens when you’re outside of the classroom.

2. The food. Some places are more famous for their food than others. If you spend a semester in Italy, good luck enjoying another meal in America after being spoiled with six months of Italian food. Every place has amazing local cuisine that will make you question why you think Domino’s is so damn delicious. Even places like Budapest have some sneaky good dishes are sure to make your mouth water.

3. Foreign social life. For some people, the abroad experience is just one big party. They’ll use any excuse to go out drinking with the locals. But can you really blame someone studying in Madrid for wanting to hit Kapital every other weekend? Even if you’re not the partying type, going out while abroad is rarely a bad time. But don’t just limit yourself to hitting up the big clubs. Try to find some small local bars and pubs, and for the record, concerts overseas are absolutely insane.

4. Making new friends. The friends you make while abroad become your friends for the rest of your time in college. Once you guys get back to the States you’ll constantly have reunions so you can relive all the great memories you made during your time overseas. Those aren’t the only friends you’ll make though —you’re bound to befriend some locals who will leave some lasting impressions on your life.

5. Seeing famous sights. The opportunity to see things like the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall, the Sydney Opera House, Big Ben, or any other world famous sight is something that can be taken advantage of while studying abroad. These places are all famous for a reason and are absolutely breathtaking to see in person. Get your ass abroad so you can get to one or more of these cities and witness the beauty of these sights.