Corner Post editorial —
Study abroad is a necessity

by Maggie Hardwick, posted Dec. 9, 2011

The job market is competitive. Students join multiple clubs and interview for internships in a frantic attempt to make their resumes stand out. One experience that's becoming almost necessary to gain a corporate job is studying abroad.

"Study abroad is a great opportunity where students can earn credits while traveling in another country," said Matt Eisenbath, study abroad communications intern for CAFNR. "It is a chance to learn about other cultures and get outside Columbia, Mo."

Students at the University of Missouri can study abroad during an intersession, summer, a semester or an entire school year. Study abroad can provide students with classes that are required for their degrees, and scholarships are available for most study abroad programs at MU.

"I studied abroad in the Czech Republic for six weeks," Eisenbath said. "It was probably the best decision of my life."

The most common and obvious reason that students choose to study abroad is to tour a new country. MU makes it possible for students to see other countries they might never be able to experience otherwise. The opportunities for new experiences are what drew my attention to the study abroad program.

Another reason students choose to study abroad is to learn a new language. By being immersed in another country's language, a student is forced to learn the language to communicate with natives who don't speak English. Learning a language in the language's native country is the easiest way to learn and it also provides an incentive for the student. As soon as the student learns something in the classroom, he or she can then go out and immediately apply their knowledge to the real world. This shows students real-life applications of the language they are learning.

"In the classroom, I found the language course the most challenging and interesting," Eisenbath said. "It got to be pretty fun when you could walk by a few Czech people talking and actually understood part of what they said."

When applying this new language and stepping out of their "comfort zone," students meet new people. This broadens the student's vision to accept people of different cultural backgrounds. It exposes the student to new ideas, ways of thinking and philosophies on life that he or she may never have encountered otherwise.

The networking that the student gains because of this is invaluable because these international connections can be carried over into the job search and the business world. These connections can be a huge help to the company and the person as an individual.

"Business today is global and any exposure a student can gain to different cultures and how business operates around the globe is going to benefit them in their career," said William McLain, Hormel's manager of external communications.

Employers value the business experience because students learn so many skills that can be applied to the workplace. By studying abroad, students show that they are willing and capable of adapting to a new environment without coddling. By going to a foreign country, a student also shows independence and maturity by taking risks.

Living in a foreign country exposes a student to global issues, which makes a student consider problems on a larger level than just his or her hometown or university. Students with broad global vision are invaluable to companies because this kind of thinking is what keeps companies moving forward.

"Studying abroad shows a potential employer that a student is willing to step out of their comfort zone and take risks," McLain said.

This personal growth is important because it doesn't apply only to the workplace, but it can apply to all other aspects of life as well. Self-confidence is improved in numerous ways when studying abroad. Travelling to a foreign country with people a student doesn't know forces that student out of his or her comfort zone. Once outside of the comfort zone, many people realize that it isn't as scary as it seemed before and they are more willing to step outside of their comfort zone again when the opportunity arises.

Students also boost their self-confidence when dealing with new challenges like different teaching styles and diverse groups of people. By handling these new challenges alone, self-confidence and independence are improved because the individual realizes he or she can handle problems. In a new environment, with so many challenges, it is easier to pick out personal strengths and weaknesses. Once students understand their strengths and weaknesses, it is easier to make improvements.

With so many study abroad options and funding available, it is silly for students not to study abroad. I think it's becoming necessary to have study abroad on your resume to gain a corporate job. Employers are looking for more diverse experiences because companies want to hire the best possible candidate. Study abroad offers an array of experiences that students who haven't studied abroad simply don't have.

Personally, I've been to Canada, the Cayman Islands, Africa, Australia and the Caribbean with my family. I'm planning to study abroad for the first time over winter intersession in Costa Rica with the Science and Agricultural Journalism program. I chose this program because I'll be taking classes that work for my major while also developing personally and professionally.

When I'm in interviews or in casual conversation, the time I've spent abroad always takes the spotlight and interests the people I'm talking to. I'm so glad that I've had the opportunity to spend time in other countries and I can't wait to study abroad this year.

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