You want to further your education, expand your knowledge of the world,
and gain the skills you will need for your career—studying overseas
will offer you the opportunity to do all of this. While leaving behind
friends, family, and familiar surroundings is a challenge, it is
important to remember all that you will gain by studying overseas.Living and studying in another country will expose you to people of various cultures. You'll likely meet a greater variety of people in your four years (or more) of international study than you have met so far in your life. “You learn to live far from your family and friends and develop in another atmosphere,” says Julieta Avila, a Mexico native studying at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri. After studying overseas, it will “be more easy to adapt to another country or culture. Also you learn to value and respect others' opinions,” Avila says.
Living on or near campus and interacting with students and faculty, you will learn how people of other cultures view the world. “You have the opportunity to interact with more internationals in your same situation and [ex]change ideas,” says Avila. You will expand your horizons and understanding of world issues.
“When I decided to come to the U.S., I saw an opportunity to get a master's degree and at the same time learn a second language,” says Carlos Henrique, a Central Missouri State University student from Brazil. Studying overseas will sharpen your language skills and expand your ability to read and think critically. You will be challenged mentally to develop the skills you will need for your career and your life.
Ying Xu, a Jamaican citizen studying at the College of Saint Benedict in Saint Joseph, Minnesota, came to the United States at the urging of her parents, “because they believe the U.S. has an excellent educational system.”
Xu has been in the United States for two years, and believes studying overseas has opened her eyes to a different education system and different cultures. While she associates closely with other international students and has joined the Asian Club (she has lived in Jamaica since she was ten years old but was born in China), she still values the diversity of cultures on her school's campus. “I was able to meet many people from different cultural backgrounds,” she says.
Studying overseas may give you the opportunity to study a subject or specialty not available at schools in your home country. Universities and colleges in the United States have invested large amounts of money in high-tech research facilities, science labs, and classrooms in order to provide students with the best education possible.
You can study in the United States and use the knowledge you gain to work virtually anywhere in the world. “When we search for a better job, it can be easier if you have a diploma from a foreign country,” said Henrique. Avila considered studying in several countries, but chose the United States “because you have more opportunities to get a job” after graduation.
