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Avalanche Peak | Arthur’s Pass, New Zealand
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As I’m
writing, it is Monday, the first of May, 2017.
It is my final semester, and my final week of class. The chapter of life called “college” will be
over in a matter of days, and I will be moving to Kansas City for work. Throughout this semester, I’ve had many
moments of looking back, and I often think about what I would tell myself if I
could go back in time to talk to my freshman self. Unfortunately, time travel isn’t really a
thing, and we have to live with our decisions.
BUT if I could go back, there are a few things I might tell myself such
as “Mark, don’t stay up all night for that test. You’re going to be fine.” Or “Mark, she’s just not into you. Sorry dude.” Or “Mark, when your friend from
high school asks you if you want to join his pyramid scheme, just say no.”
There
are a lot of decisions I’ve made in these last four years that were definitely
not the wisest. There is one thing,
however, that I believe I did right, and I believe that everyone else should
consider doing it as well – studying abroad. I know what you’re thinking – “It’s expensive,
impractical, and only for smart people.”
Honestly, these assumptions are not necessarily true. If you look further into it, you’ll find that
studying abroad is actually an extremely practical decision. What other time in your life will you be able
to move to another country for a summer or semester? Also, if you do an exchange program, you will
typically be spending the same amount of money on your study abroad that you
would be spending on school here in the States.
To top it all off, the GPA requirement for most study abroad programs
ranges between 2.5 and 3.0. So, is it
really impractical, expensive, or out of your league? Most likely not.
Study
abroad may not be for everyone, but I would encourage you to at least give it a
chance. Pay a visit to the study abroad
office. Look at your options, and weigh
out your finances. If it doesn’t work
out, at least you can say that you tried, but please do not go four years
without considering this phenomenal opportunity. I took time to consider it, and it led me to
a life-changing semester in New Zealand.
I urge you to do the same.
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Find out more about Mark's ISA Dunedin program at http://studiesabroad.com/programs/country/new_zealand/city/dunedin.
Search for study abroad opportunities like these in over 50
other countries: http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search.
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Need help getting started? Take the first steps: http://studyabroad.uark.edu/getting-started/first-steps.php.
