01/06/2007 | Newsletter, Focus
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Study your way to global advantage – The benefits of study abroad

In 2005, 2.5 million university students undertook a formal period of study abroad and this figure is growing, year-on-year. What did they gain? Study abroad can simply be a semester or year, on an exchange program. Alternatively, it can be time at an institution abroad, you organize. You might even wish to do a whole degree course abroad. So why might you consider this increasingly popular option and what are the benefits?

Choice

First, you have almost unlimited choice. If there is something specific you would like to study – and this especially applies to graduate students – you are sure to find it on offer, at a level suited to you, somewhere in the world. Teaching styles and study durations vary worldwide. Finding the right one can give the flexibility to create the study program just right for you as an individual. Looking worldwide also allows you to focus on extra curricular activities that you may wish to pursue alongside your studies. For example, many people select a university in an area of outstanding natural beauty, such as the University of British Columbia (50*), in Vancouver, Canada, for example, to take advantage of outdoor pursuits alongside their studies. Others may select a city-based university such as Ecole Normale Supérieure (18*), Paris, France, or the London School of Economics (17*), UK, or Columbia University (12*), New York, US, for the world-class arts experiences available in your free time.

Quality

The quality of education offered by universities varies tremendously between countries, and, indeed, within countries. Deciding to study abroad helps you focus on quality in your education. Global rankings, such as the THES-QS World University Rankings can help you quickly focus on some of the most highly regarded institutions worldwide. Analyses by subject area, help you further hone your shortlist of universities that are outstanding in your chosen area of study. It is just as important to aim high when you study abroad as it is when selecting a university at home.

Independence and culture

A period of study abroad is one of the surest and most enjoyable ways to become independent and to get to know a completely new culture. Going to university always entails a step towards autonomy from your home background, but this is multiplied many times over and is even more rewarding when the experience takes place abroad. Learning to adapt to another culture and manage everyday life in another country - and often in another language - is a character building experience that will stand you in very good stead for the rest of your life, and will certainly give you an edge over your contemporaries, who have not taken this step.

Career advantage

Certainly, employers worldwide are keen on people with international experience, as every company’s marketplace is now global. Increasing numbers of universities worldwide are now offering undergraduate programs in English. Beyond the obvious advantages of proficiency in more than one language, people who have studied abroad have first hand experience of immersion in another country, culture and climate and will be better prepared to understand the 21st century economic environment. People who have studied abroad display a higher level of independence and resourcefulness. Employers know that they will be able to rely on you in a multitude of future situations. Given the choice, they will usually select someone who has studied abroad in preference to someone who has not.

Personal development and growth

University study is always a time of personal development and growth. A period of study abroad will enable you to grow as a person in ways that go far beyond those that occur at university at home. Seeing yourself reflected in the eyes of another culture is a rich learning experience in its own right and no one who studies abroad ever seems to regret it. More often than not you will hear “that was one of the most rewarding choices I ever made; it set me on a unique path of success – definitely no regrets”.


Reference: The above feature is broadly based on Chapter 4, “The benefits of studying abroad”, of the indispensable Guide to the World’s Top Universities, published by QS in association with Blackwell Publishing and available to order from this site. Order now

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