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The Magic of a Study Abroad Experience By Heather Watt  |
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 This past spring I spent five months in Lille, France, a small city North of Paris. I was an exchange student at the Catholic University of Lille, where I took classes both in French and English and had the amazing opportunity to live in a different country and meet students from all over the world. It is an experience I would repeat a hundred times over.
Studying abroad is an invaluable experience for young adults to gain confidence and independence. While it is not necessary to study in a place where a foreign language is spoken, it was not necessary to be fluent in French to study in France. I learned a lot of French just by hearing it every day. There were some challenging experiences, such as opening a bank account and visiting the clinic, but it was all a learning experience and I returned home in one piece! I grew to appreciate all the I have as an American, especially small cultural traditions and now I treasure my family and friends even more.
Many colleges and universities encourage studying abroad for all students, no matter what major. There are even programs that may apply specifically to your major, such as studying business in another country, or you can save your humanities courses to take abroad. The tuition cost was the same at the University of Lille because the school has an exchange program with my college and all of my scholarships, federal, and state grants were applied. I stayed in a college-owned student residence, but getting an apartment would have been a cheaper option. To help pay for some of the expenses, you can get a job tutoring students in English, something that many people don't realize is a natural skill.
I spent much less time studying than I do in the U.S., so I had plenty of time to travel. There are several budget airlines, and youth hostels are not nearly as scary as films make them out to be. The Euro made it easy to gauge expenses in other countries. I developed a slightly lower standard of living as I wanted to save money to see just one more city!
If you're interested in studying abroad, meet with your advisor to find out if your academic department will accept courses taken abroad. Inquire about different programs and what courses are offered. You'll need to plan ahead to set aside the courses you'll take abroad. Allow plenty of time to get your passport and apply for a student visa in order to live in a foreign country.
The best part of my time in France was experiencing firsthand another culture and forming lifelong friendships with people I would never have met otherwise. I've caught the travel bug, and I have a place to stay in Mexico, Finland, Turkey, or elsewhere when I'm able to travel again!
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