Since studying and working abroad are gaining popularity and considered invaluable experiences, all higher education institutions should ensure that all students pursuing a bachelor’s degree go to another country during their studies. Although it is difficult to provide the opportunity for everyone, I believe that advantages like enhanced language skills, a shifted mindset, and gained knowledge outweigh disadvantages.
The drawback of including a period of time to spend abroad for students is high expenditure. Not everyone can afford life in a foreign country, so it would be compulsory for universities to cover all the expenses of students, including tickets, accommodation, food, and so on. It puts a strain on the government’s budget, so the only way to ease the burden on the budget would be to increase tuition fees. Negotiation with universities or workplaces from other countries is an additional difficulty. The process is challenging, since many of them may not have free places for new students, and the whole process of collaborating takes a lot of time, because preparing documents, health insurance, and a study plan require patience.
The major advantage of offering this opportunity is the improvement of language skills. Communicating with strangers in an English-speaking environment is the most effective way of practicing it. Learning something new in an unusual way of studying and in another language facilitates new brain neurons. Moreover, traveling to foreign countries makes people more responsible. In unknown places, people have to adapt to new conditions and make right decisions by themselves. Sharing experiences and memories with people from different cultural backgrounds helps to create a strong network and communication skills.
In conclusion, having periods of time spent studying or working overseas may have some obstacles such as excessive expenses, leading to high tuition fees and a long-lasting process of cooperation with companies and educational institutions. However, the pros of international study like development of language, communication, and soft skills are invaluable for every person and may serve as profound reasons to implement “study abroad semesters”.