https://www.durhamisc.com/blog/categories/careers/5-career-benefits-of-studying-abroad
My blog today is about my reactions to this article and comparing it to my experience abroad.
Number one on the list is “Communication Skills,” I can definitely agree and say that my communication skills almost skyrocketed while I was abroad. It’s almost like being a freshman and starting your orientation while trying to make friends in a completely new environment. Whether it be making new friends, communicating with store clerks who barely spoke English, or just trying to ask someone for simple directions, it was a challenge to increase those communication skills and be confident enough to express that you are struggling.
Next up on the list is “Learning a New Language,” I can agree with this, and honestly if someone who goes to a foreign country with a language that isn’t the persons first language, they would more than likely learn to communicate with the locals. I decided to take a two-week intensive Italian course before my semester started, and that for sure helped me learn the language a bit easier. I can’t say I am by any means fluent in Italian, but thankfully English is an extremely common language and most people speak a little bit of it.
Third on the list is “Global Connections,” To me, this is the most professionally beneficial aspect of studying abroad. Because of the communciation skills I have learned, I have been able to make friends and contacts with people all over the world. I am so thankful for the opportunity to connect with a global audience, and I hope to continue to engage with those people.
Fourthly is “Project Management,” one of the more interesting things to me about school abroad itself was that almost all of the coursework was within a group. I only had about 2-3 assignments/projects that were personal in all the classes I was taking. Almost every class had a set group that we worked with the entire semester. This was a great way of learning how to work on projects not only in group settings, but while also managing the non-school aspects of studying abroad. I definitely learned solid project management skills.
Lastly on the list of professional skills is “Boost Your Confidence,” I honestly think they just put this one on the list so that it was five things instead of four. Nevertheless, I do think my confidence is a little higher than it was previously. Going back to the whole communication skills aspect, I think that having confidence goes hand-in-hand with communication. If you don’t have the confidence to ask someone for directions, you can’t really better your communication skills. So I can say that my confidence is higher than previously.
All-in-all, I truly believe that studying abroad has benefits other than socially or personally. Being abroad can teach excellent work-life skills and better your professional development.
Kavan's Blog 