Comments on: 6 bad excuses not to study abroad

By: GO! Overseas

GO! Overseas — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:46:01 +0000

All very valid points. The theme here is to not let fear of the unknown deter you from achieving your dream of studying abroad. If there is a will, there is a way, no matter the obstacles.

@Kayla. I believe that studying abroad at 27 will be a very unique and rewarding experience. At a younger age we sometimes cannot appreciate the opportunities that are given to us, and are then unable to take full advantage of the experience. I will wish you the best of luck in your upcoming adventure!

By: bj

bj — Thu, 13 May 2010 01:39:33 +0000

Kyla,
Don’t worry about your age at all. A lot of times you can’t even tell the difference in age between a 19 year old and a 27 year old anyway. I plan to study in Spain for my final senior semester next year and I will be 34! That doesn’t mean I have to hang out with kids 15 years younger than me all the time. I’m sure I will be able to find some people my own age and I’m there to learn about the culture anyway.

By: Kyla

Kyla — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 03:13:34 +0000

“To echo Adam’s reply I am headed for my Master’s Degree in Holland this fall. It’s cheap even though I am not an EU citizen (in Scandinavia its free, if you can afford to live there). Plus it shows that number six can be a good excuse for not studying during your first university experience.

Oh, I had real life bills and worries and I still traveled for a year when I was 31.”

This statement actually made me feel alot better. I’m in the process of going back to school for my second degree and I’ll be 26 when I go. I still have dreams of studying abroad and will probably be 27 when I do it, I feel that 27 is too old and that perhaps I shouldn’t even bother, but since you said you still traveled for a year while being 31 made me feel alot better. Granted, I know studying abroad when I’m 27 won’t be the same as if I had done it while I was 19 but atleast I’ll be able to say I still did it.

By: Erin

Erin — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:56:57 +0000

Great article! My semester abroad was an experience I wouldn’t exchange for anything. I wish I’d had this article to show a few friends that still whine about “not getting to study abroad.” It would’ve helped my argument for them to go!

By: Tim Patterson

Tim Patterson — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:55:34 +0000

I agree. Thailand is a great place to study abroad because it’s cheap, interesting and safe.

By: Tim Patterson

Tim Patterson — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:54:50 +0000

Yeah…you can always travel, but you can never be 19 again. *sniff*

By: Meliss

Meliss — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:54:22 +0000

Thank you for such a wonderful article. I studied abroad for a year in New Zealand when I was in college and loved every minute of it. I paid for my program entirely through loans and will most likely be paying those loans back for some time. Even though it was a bit more to study abroad than stay at my university in the U.S. I wouldn’t change my choice for one second. Every month I write that check to the bank and think back on all of my great memories! Coming home with more developed independence, flexibility and a better sense of self gave me an advantage when it came to looking for jobs. Studying abroad was the best decision I’ve made yet and I highly recommend it to anyone.

By: Eva

Eva — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:59:56 +0000

Great post and good points! I have to nitpick a little at #2, though. My school had a ton of fantastic study abroad options, but didn’t accept any courses taken overseas as equivalents for degree prerequisites (except in cases where, say, you were studying international development and arranged an IDS-specific exchange).

So as a Classics major, I couldn’t just take my Greek and Latin language prereqs elsewhere, and doing a study abroad would have absolutely cost me an extra year. (Cost being the key word – I was in no huge career rush, but obviously five years of university cost more than four.) That’s not to say it isn’t worth the sacrifice if you are able to manage it financially, but at plenty of schools, it will require that extra year of tuition.

By: Rachael

Rachael — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 01:44:59 +0000

I’m thankful I never made those excuses! I studied abroad for two semesters (Florence and Bangkok) and interned abroad for a summer. Best decisions I ever made! And a great answer to many of these excuses: study in Thailand! Insanely cheap (I guarantee you will save/make money just by the amount of tuition you WON’T be paying to your university at home), gorgeous landscape, interesting culture, super friendly people….win-win-win situation!

By: Allessandra

Allessandra — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:04:28 +0000

Im so happy I studied abroad. It opened my mind up not only to other cultures but also to my own abilities to adapt and deal in various situations. I learned alot about myself as well as my host country.