There are countless motivational articles about why you should go abroad. This is just going to be another one. I’ll give you my top five reasons why I went to study abroad and I’m pretty sure that if you sit down and take a moment to make a list of your own reasons, you’ll end up going too.
We’re surrounded by fearless people crossing their borders and seeking adventure. We read about them in books, see them in movies or follow the adventurers on Instagram and secretly wish we were them. But we’re not them. We’re us and these are our lives we’re talking about. However, we can easily do the same thing, and if not easily, then with a little effort.
Do you fancy studying abroad? Yes? Then go, full stop. And keep reading my post since I’m about to give you those super-duper reasons to take off from your comfort zone.
1) Language improvement
This was definitely my number one. I’m a freak when it comes to languages and grammar, so going abroad was a must. Indeed, you can learn a language in your home country, but you’ll never be as exposed to it as if you go abroad. Going to a supermarket, talking to friends, attending a lecture, working…all these little things add up and eventually you become a fluent speaker.
Using the language on a daily basis is the most entertaining and natural way to master it (only this way you’ll learn all the fun slang and swear words). Did you know that Spanish people have a word for tourists? You know, those wearing white socks in sandals and their skin so red they look like a shrimp. The word is ‘guiri’ and it’s my absolute favourite word now. Not so favourite when I got sunburnt and heard people calling me that, but it was still fun.
Even if your level is not that high, you’d be surprised by how quickly you pick up words. I still remember how much I struggled with Scottish English when I first came to Scotland….the accent is just unbelievable. Nonetheless, after 2 years me myself I ended up having a wee Scottish accent (which smoothened during my stay in Spain). The same thing happened when I got to Andalusia! Fast, swallowed and totally incomprehensible. I’ve no idea why I always choose a destination with the most hurried and least comprehensible accent ever, but as Alexander Suvorov once said, ‘A hard drill makes an easy battle’. If you understand Andalusian and Scottish folks, you’ll understand anyone.
2) People
Going abroad is a great place to make new friends. Especially when you go to a university filled with students from all over the world, or start working for a company alongside other international interns. Not that you couldn’t make friends in your home country, but I’ve always found foreign people (or those who have been abroad) like-minded, empathic, smart and easy to get along. Maybe because they had to overcome similar obstacles like me to be where they are.
I’ve already met so many incredible people from various countries. I can’t even tell you how grateful I am and how much they’ve enrichened me. For example James, my Scottish ex-flatmate who taught me that you can start drinking at 11 am and still show up on a lecture or write an essay overnight and still get an A. But it’s not only about the people themselves, it’s about their culture, history and everything they bring with them from their country. So in a way, you get to know more than the country you’re currently in. It definitely broadens your horizons and you become more open and less judgemental (of their drinking habits).
Another advantage of having foreign friends is free language lessons! As long as you spend your time with natives, or people at a native level.
3) Experience
This is an unforgettable adventure you’ll surely tell your children and even grandchildren about. Although life abroad can become stereotyped too, once you decide to go, it’s more likely that you’ll be willing to leave your comfort zone and dare to do something bold. Again and again and again.
I’m sure I’ll tell my children about that time I went through my uni emails (for a change) and came across this Go Abroad Ambassador vacancy. The application was due the following day and I decided I’d get it. And I did #thepowerofpositivethinking. I had to fill out a lengthy form, including a few paragraphs about myself and a 30-second video promoting our university, which you can watch here.
I never thought I’d be able to write and here I am, proving my old self wrong. I never thought I could give up on animal products and here I am, a proud vegan gently spreading the knowledge (and hummus). I never thought I could teach children (you know how naughty they get) and yet here I am, after a year of teaching children in Spain, I am utterly convinced that it’ll be my bread and butter.
4) CV Boost
It undoubtedly adds to your CV. How many people can say that they went abroad? I know, nearly all of them. We all go on holidays. But how many of them actually lived there? I’m convinced that employers will value your international experience (other than sunbathing on the beach). It demonstrates ambition, independence and the ability to adapt to a brand new environment. Yes, these are the things you want to mention during a job interview.
I’m not saying that acquiring the above mentioned attributes is dead-easy, but in my view, you develop them with less effort when you’re abroad. You’re in a foreign country all by yourself and there’s no one to help you. You have to find a flat, a job, make new friends and adapt to a new way of life. Though be ready that things might not always come out as you plan them. I still remember the fright I felt when I moved to Scotland and couldn’t find a job for the first month. I feel like I handed my CV to every single café and restaurant in Glasgow. Most of them didn’t even bother to reply. I started panicking. I was ready to beg on the street (or on skype calling my parents). Luckily, this story has a happy ending. I got a job. So give yourself time and don’t be too hard on yourself.
P.S. Not only employers appreciate international experience, your friends will too and they might even look up to you (if you don’t mention that begging part).
5) Find your Happiness
I’ve been reading this book called Psychocybernetics by Maxwell Maltz in which the author claims that people are like machines. He says that we’ve got this built-in goal-striving mechanism and if we don’t have a purpose in life, we can hardly ever be happy. Be it teaching languages, writing a book, saving other people’s lives, finding a cure to cancer, we all need a goal and feel useful.
I’m not saying you can’t find your goal and happiness back home but if you’re like me and are still a bit unsure about it, going abroad is a great way to discover it. There’s an abundance of opportunities to try out new things and you don’t have to worry about embarrassing yourself (no one knows you there)!
During my stay abroad, I worked as a waitress, gave private language classes, got certified as a personal fitness trainer, turned vegan, started writing a blog, became fond of photography and bought myself a camera, had an internship in Spain, became a UofG Abroad Ambassador and lastly will work as a mentor for international students next year.
All these pieces of experience are directing me in a way I’m sure I wouldn’t be on if it wasn’t for going abroad. Even though I still might not know what my exact purpose is, I believe I’m getting closer and happier every day.
Remember: It’s your life and you can make anything happen. Literally anything. You can become the adventurer. Whether this means living in Australia hanging out with kangaroos (which is one of my dreams btw so don’t you dare do it before me), working in London or even abandoning this planet (which I hope won’t be necessary), you can do it. Be courageous and fight for whatever you’re eager to do. Don’t fear errors, because without failure, there is no learning thus no growth. No great deeds ever happened instantly and without errors. Even Newton had an apple fallen on his head before he came up with the law of universal gravitation.
If I still haven’t convinced you, here are some highly convincing photos of a day-long winter in Glasgow. I’m attaching some mainstream photos from Spain as well.
That’s it for today. Any more queries feel free to drop me (or other ambassadors) a message on Facebook or Instagram.
This article was originally written for the University of Glasgow and published on their blog.
Have a good one,