Studying Abroad

Charlie Merry

Blog #8

Marketing

Prof. Popovich

 

Study Abroad

 

Studying abroad is an extremely appealing option to plenty of college students throughout the country. Studying in a foreign country is a unique experience that could be very beneficial for anyone. More and more students are choosing to study abroad, realizing that it could help them increase their cultural awareness. Over 4 million students are now choosing to spend a semester or more abroad. I have plenty of friends who are currently studying abroad or are planning on studying abroad next year. Saint Michael’s has a very supportive staff who encourage studying abroad to everyone who has the chance. I went through the simple process of applying for study abroad and was recently accepted. I’ll be spending the fall semester of my junior year studying in Barcelona, Spain.

 

Students are choosing to study abroad for a number of reasons. For example, some just want to become a better speaker of a different language. I’ve taken Spanish courses since 7^th grade and consider myself to be an above average speaker of the language. However, living in Spain will undoubtedly help me become a better Spanish speaker. I’ll have no choice but to learn the language if I want to get around the city or ask for directions from a stranger. Learning another language is something that’s important to me. I think it could be extremely beneficial for job opportunities, and it would be something that’s just cool in general. Hopefully I can improve on my vocabulary this summer to ready myself for living in Spain.

 

Another reason that students are choosing to study abroad is for the cultural experience. Many people aren’t given the opportunity to experience a different country with different customs and norms. I truly believe that every country can offer a unique way of viewing things and this will be interesting to experience firsthand. For example, the Spanish have a very different way of viewing things such as time, sleep, and what time to eat meals. The Spanish notoriously eat dinner extremely late, and take midday naps during the work week. I’m extremely excited to see how different it can be living in a foreign country. Not to mention how excited I am to take regular naps throughout the week.

 

Furthermore, the program that I’m doing study abroad through offers classes that will help me meet major and minor requirements for graduation. This was extremely important to me because I needed a plan that would allow me to graduate on time. This comes out as a win/win situation. I’ll be able to study in Spain, while also fulfilling the regular amount of necessary credits. I can’t vouch for study abroad just yet, but I’m anticipating a great experience. I definitely believe that Study Abroad should be utilized by more students, as it could be viewed as a once in a lifetime kind of opportunity.