The brochures look fabulous, and your best friend is already signed up and ready to go. But is studying abroad something you'll truly benefit from? Ask yourself these questions to help determine if  

study abroad

  is for you.

1. Do you enjoy traveling?
Studying abroad offers plenty of opportunities to explore your surroundings through field trips, weekend breaks, and even as part of your coursework. And not only will you get a bird's-eye view of the place where you're staying, you may also be a stone's throw from other exciting cities you've always wanted to visit.

2. Do you like learning new languages?
Living in a foreign country enables you to become immersed in its language. With that level of exposure, you can learn the language much more quickly and thoroughly than you would just conjugating verbs in a classroom.

3. Are you a hands-on learner?
Instead of looking at textbook photos of the amazing architecture of Parisian cathedrals, walk through the historic structures and snap your own shots for your scrapbook. Rather than reading about the birthplace of pizza, visit Naples and take a bite of the real thing. Firsthand experience adds meaning to your education and helps you retain what you learn.

4. Do you like making new friends?
Studying abroad provides the opportunity to meet people who are vastly different from you and get an inside look into why they see the world the way they do. Those fortunate enough to stay with a host family often discover lifelong friendships and a home away from home.

5. Are you open to new ideas?
When you study abroad, you have the chance to experience cultural differences personally, challenge your own beliefs, and get rid of biases you've held against others. That way, you can operate from a much more informed perspective on the bigger world outside your own little world.

6. Do you enjoy a challenge?
It's not easy to walk the streets of an unfamiliar city and ask for directions in a foreign language. Living abroad can be uncomfortable at times, but as you begin to adapt to the unfamiliar, you'll stretch yourself and discover abilities and strengths you didn't know you had.

7. Are you looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience?
With programs structured by those in-the-know, study abroad provides an all-access pass to the best a foreign city has to offer. While you can certainly make the time to travel at another point in your life, studying abroad through an established program provides the connections you need to get the most out of your time overseas.

Are you ready to study abroad? Get started now!

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