Top Ten Reasons to Study Abroad: What better way to wrap up my four months spent overseas than to explain why you too should study abroad?? So, in no particular order…
- A BREAK: What could be better than running away from the MSE library to a place of your choosing.
- A CULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Sure, other places in the world are a lot like how you have come to imagine them from reading about them in the news and in books. However, to experience culture requires you to actually go to the place. How else would I have been able to taste Rivella (a Swiss soda)? Realize just how expensive it is to live in Switzerland? Seen just how clean the water and air is in Switzerland? Learn that Switzerland is a lot like Disney World? And how else could I prove to myself that with an amazing public transportation program it is possible to never get into a car for four months?
- Gain INDEPENDENCE: Simply said: there are few other ways that you can gain so much independence (and freedom from your parents) than to run away (…I mean, study abroad).
- Learn about YOURSELF: Many people think study abroad is a time to learn about other people and their culture. But perhaps just as much, it is a time to discover things about yourself that you may not have realized. How easily can you make friends? Are you willing to try food that you’ve never tried before? And honestly, by the end of it, I think you gain self-confidence knowing that you are able to survive even without your closest support network.
- Develop LANGUAGE skills: No, I did not learn Switzerlandish nor Brazilian. And yes, I have been asked if I learned both of these languages. And although I took a French class, I did not get too far. However, simply being able to read menus, ask for directions, and learn how to get by with simple words in the native language are great skills. For others, that are nearly fluent in a language, study abroad is an invaluable way to immerse yourself in that language.
- A unique ACADEMIC experience: The academic part of STUDY abroad can really range. Some people I know have decided not only to run away from Hopkins to study abroad, but also to run away from their academics. For example, to take a break from science or engineering classes to study the humanities. For me, I decided to continue my interest in public health. However, I definitely would not have been able to get the same academic experience at Hopkins. One of my classes included field trips to several NGOs. Another class included an internship at the World Health Organization. Others I know who studied abroad have had independent research projects in third-world villages. Although the Homewood campus can offer a lot, these unique experiences simply cannot be offered in Baltimore.
- An appreciation for the UNITED STATES (this includes Hopkins): You know what they say: you never truly appreciate something until it is gone. And just as I did not fully appreciate my study abroad experience until returning home, I also did not truly appreciate the United States and Hopkins until I returned. Seriously though: Hopkins students are one of a kind. And they can’t simply be replaced by people from other schools. I also believe that I appreciate my family and closest friends by having to live without them. And, of course, I appreciate bagels, a relatively low cost of living, and the English language even more so than before.
- A supportive PROGRAM: So maybe now you think that traveling abroad is important. Or that even researching or working abroad is important. And, well, it definitely is! However, one of the great things that comes with study abroad is that it means you are studying through a program. Many of these programs have been in existence for years and years. This means that not only is the study abroad office at JHU there for you if you experience problems (whether health problems or academic problems), but the program itself is set-up for people just like you and they can help you answer questions about getting a cell phone or help you with housing problems, etc.
- New FRIENDS (and adventures!): Sure, there are plenty of people to meet at Hopkins. But there are a ton of more people to meet outside of the JHU bubble. I loved being able to meet other people with a public health interest from across the WORLD. And, well, I now also have plenty of new stories to tell around the dinner table. Like that time I went camping in Venice, tried to feed a Swiss cow a piece of grass, and went to the World Health Assembly.
- A CHANGE for the better: Before I left, I was told by multiple staff members at JHU that people change when they return from study abroad. The idea of me changing makes me uneasy. And although I do not want to fully admit that I changed, I am already realizing little changes in me. I think I have come back more confident about myself in my abilities to adjust to new situations and to grasp public health problems. But more importantly, I think my time in Brazil and Switzerland (two countries that are often seen as polar opposites) have made me more accepting of other cultures whether this simply means trying new foods or considering other political systems. I have changed and, let’s hope, for the better.
Still torn? Let me just say that I have never heard of anyone regret studying abroad. So, with that, go out there and explore the world!!
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