I recently made an edit to one of my Wikipedia articles on Study Abroad. I edited the section regarding the topic of why people study abroad. There already is information about people who study abroad for complete language immersion for there is obviously no better way to become fluent in a language than to be surrounded by people that speak it and interact with it every day. I completely agree with this thought. There is also talk of using study abroad as a tool to get into a prestigious university, say if you were lucky enough to study abroad in your high school years. Although this reason might not sound as glamorous, I have no doubt this factor is the impetus behind some decisions to study abroad.
But to me, having been a former student on study abroad, one driving force and motivation to study abroad that I found severely lacking and unmentioned in the article is the pure experience. The opportunity to be submerged into a completely new culture that has different values, lifestyles, and daily habits is such an amazing learning experience about people all over the world. Study abroad opens up one's eyes to see that not everyone lives as we ourselves do, or works for the same goals, or lives in similar places. This "enlightenment", I believe, is the best part about study abroad, and by far the best reason to study abroad. One can learn so much about the complex world, and in the process can not help but learn more about oneself. Here is the link: Study Abroad Edit #2
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I could not agree more about the "experience factor" regarding study abroad. I was fortunate enough to study abroad myself and it was a life-changing event that helped me gain new perspective about the world and the vast differences among the people who live in it.
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