The Spread of Studying Abroad in the U.S.
January 24, 2019
Over the years studying abroad is always more common for European students. Many teenagers are fascinated by the fact of spending a period abroad. They desire to go far from their comfort-zone to learn a new culture, a new language and mostly to know themselves better. However, American students still seem skeptical about this topic.
One of the biggest differences between Europe and the United States could be the parents’ opinion about traveling and studying abroad. American parents seem to be more protective and scared about sending their children to the other side of the world without knowing the people they are going to be with. European parents, instead, seem more confident about letting their children live with a host-family and learning to be independent before they leave for college. They have to face a completely new world without knowing how it is.
Lately, it looks like more U.S. students are beginning to think about this opportunity, but, is it going to be enough? Apparently, nearly 290,000 American students received credit for studying abroad in 2013, which means that the number increased 2.1% over the previous year. The destinations most common are the UK, Italy and Spain, followed by France and China. (1)
Another problem that could frighten Americans could be costs (2). It‘s true that a semester or a year abroad is pretty expensive, but we also have to think about all the pro’s of an experience like this (2). Others could be scared about missing important classes in college and some athletes could find difficulties to continue their careers after a period abroad (2).
People should really go against these stereotypes and start to jump into the unknown. The government should offer more scholarships and more opportunities to students and parents should be more aware of the benefits of studying abroad, because this experience will change your life forever!
2- https://www.gooverseas.com/blog/why-dont-more-students-study-abroad
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