Sometimes students may get an opportunity to study abroad. There are several reasons why studying abroad can be beneficial for a student.

The first reason that studying abroad might be beneficial is that it allows students to improve their proficiency in a foreign language if the student studies in a country where the primary language is not their own native language. This sort of experience will allow them to increase their proficiency in that language, and students could benefit greatly from doing so. One of the best ways to improve proficiency in a language is to totally immerse yourself in it; by living in an environment in which the student would have constant exposure to the language, the student’s level of proficiency will likely increase.

Another reason that study abroad might be beneficial is that the student will get to experience interacting with people from a different culture. This can lead to the student being exposed to different ways of thinking than what they might be used to. This, in turn, could lead the student to developing a more international mindset.

A third reason that students may want to consider is that studying internationally may allow them to attend schools that are highly regarded internationally or offer education programs that will allow them the student to study subjects that the schools in their own countries perhaps might not offer.

As I studied in Japan instead of in my own country, I found it to be most interesting to live in a different country. As mentioned in the examples above, this allowed me to experience living in another country, experience a different culture, and greatly increase my proficiency in Japanese. While I did understand some Japanese before moving to Japan, I found that being able to interact with Japanese people greatly enhanced my fluency. While I am not perfectly fluent yet, I have found that the constant practice has been most beneficial to me.

Overall, I feel that studying internationally was a valuable experience. While it was slightly intimidating to live in a foreign country at first, I adapted to it and enjoyed my time in Japan as a student. There are many benefits from studying abroad, and I believe that other students who try it will likely enjoy it just as much as I did.