A Plea to Study Abroad

The parameters of my life have been, for a long time, contained within a small, cushioned box called my ‘comfort zone.’ The comfort zone offers emotional and physical protection – leaving for university wasn’t as nerve-racking because it was only a 20-minute drive from my home; I didn’t stress about athletic performances because I stuck to basketball and never tried anything new; I eluded high-pressure environments in the workplace by working simple jobs. Yet this mental comfort I’ve enjoyed has also left me in a position where I have struggled with self-confidence and my self-image. By this, I mean that remaining within my comfort zone has prevented me from proving my abilities to myself or seeing what kind of impression I make on people in a new place. 

The reason I say all this is that it was not until I took a leap of faith and went abroad that I gained a better idea of who I am and who I want to be. Last summer, I found an opportunity to go to another country and spent the summer working in the Messenia coast of Greece as a scuba diving instructor. Naturally, this was not an easy decision as it was so different from everything I’d done before, as I’m sure studying abroad is with many applicants. As I was initially considering the job, a friend of mine said something to me that I carried through my travels. He told me, “There are two ways this trip could go. If it’s negative, it will be really hard, you’ll learn a lot about yourself, and you’ll be in a beautiful place. If it’s positive, it will be really hard, you’ll learn a lot about yourself, you’ll be in a beautiful place, and you’ll always want to go back to revisit your memories.” His words gave me courage by framing study abroad as a temporary, almost test-like experience, whose worst outcome will be an experience that fosters immense personal growth (and it is very unlikely to be at its worst). 

In the end, my friend was spot-on. Working abroad was one of the best times in my life as it showed me how other people lived, taught me about different ideas of what is important in life and what ‘success’ is, and gave me some incredible experiences and friends that there was no way to encounter within my comfort zone. It truly changed and enriched my life so much, leading me to do everything I could to go abroad again, this time for studies. 

However, even after that first experience, I still have worries about study abroad. An embarrassing factor making me hesitant to spend time abroad was, and still is, the idea of missing life near home, aka FOMO. FOMO is a very real thing that plagues the average young and self-conscious person and can be a serious threat to personal growth. As I considered whether to study abroad this coming fall, what I would miss was at the forefront of my mind – what if the job opportunity, concert, weekend that I will miss will be one of the best of my life? If this is a similar anchor dragging down your study abroad dreams, listen to these words: life is long. If you map it out over the span of, say, 80 years, you’d see that most people will spend 95% or more of their lives in their home countries, with many years to spend time with their closest friends and family. Taking a piece of one of those years and putting it towards a completely unique experience can exponentially increase your sense of connection with the world. While missing events that you know will be enjoyable is scary, it is justified by putting in context how special of a year you will have and how much time you have to spend with friends over the rest of your life. And when will the time ever be better than the present to spend this time? FOMO will morph into CGWO (Can’t Get Work Off), other responsibilities will mount, and for many people, spending an extended period in another country will be impossible. 

Furthermore, some people – me included – may be concerned about how spending time away from their home university could derail their academic and professional careers. This is a real concern, especially if someone feels as though they are already behind in the race for the workforce. Yet upon conferring with a dozen mentors and older friends, I concluded that many employers actually seek young people who have some sort of international experience, as it gives them a diversity of perspectives not enjoyed by someone who has spent all of their time in one place. 

As I sign off, I know that there are many, many factors that play into the decision to study abroad. Whether it comes down to financials, academics, comfort, or anything else, I want to say how special of an opportunity it is. If it’s an experience within your grasp, take it, because it will not be possible for long.