Studying Abroad: An Extravagance by Jacqueline

Studying Abroad: An Extravagance by Jacqueline - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

Studying abroad is a dream for many people. To others it may just be a luxury they never considered for themselves. Making studying abroad necessary has many disadvantages as well as some benefits. But overall it should not be a requirement because the cons outweigh the pros.
One problem is that it is very expensive. Most people can barely afford in-state college tuition; it is unrealistic to think that everyone will be able to afford studying abroad as well. Scholarships or grants would need to be awarded for a great deal of people to be able to go. And that means the government would need to be willing to give out more money to everyone or make the cost of college cheaper.
Also, some people may not be able to adapt to the new culture as well as other. The students would need to have basic knowledge on the language of the country they are visiting. Although many foreign countries have English speakers, there would still be a language barrier. The food would also be very different from American food and picky eaters would not survive.
A perk of making students study abroad is the chance to explore a new country while gaining an education at the same time. It’s an opportunity to learn a new culture and experience how people from other countries live. Making it required of students would give everyone the opportunity to share the experience and not hear about it later from their peers.
In conclusion it is an unrealistic goal to try to force every student to study abroad. It just cannot be done with the way college is set up now as well as the government. It might even deter people from participating in college because they have no desire to go to a different country to study. Simply put, it would not work out or benefit students any more than staying in America.