Study abroad provides students with an opportunity to earn college credit, when the program is sponsored by the student's school -- often in conjunction with a university located abroad. This gives students the advantage of taking classes that would not otherwise be offered to them, as they partake of the host university's academic offerings. These special classes provide information and a foreign educational process that may be very different than what the student would receive at his own university, creating an advantage of broadened horizons and perspective.
College is a time for personal growth, as students explore and expand their own goals, purposes, desires and opinions. Studying abroad provides broadened horizons in a way truly unlike anything students would receive in their home country. Students have the chance to participate with foreign cultures, experiencing alternative opinions and ways of thinking, and even interacting with multiculturalism beyond just that of their host country. The adventure of studying abroad encourages an open mindset, an attitude that welcomes challenges, and a spirit of problem-solving and self-confidence.
Studying abroad provides students with an advantage in the workplace. As employers seek college graduates who are adept at communication, fearless, with strong problem-solving skills, they are often drawn to candidates whose resumes boast a study abroad experience. It also provides an extra punch that will make the student's resume stand out amidst a sea of other graduates, making them more interesting. Employers appreciate candidates who are bold, open to new opportunities, with flexibility and curiosity, and time spent studying abroad is often a strong indicator of those qualities.
College is an excellent time for traveling, as students are often the freest they will be in their entire lives. Unencumbered by careers, families, mortgages and other life expenses, the college years provide a flexibility for travel students may not experience again soon. In addition, studying abroad provides structure to students' travel experiences; study abroad trips hosted by other universities often provide housing and multicultural activities, as well as a natural forum for interacting with the country's natives in the form of professors and fellow students.