Why Study Abroad?
A chance for personal, academic, and future growth.
An experience that changes lives forever.
No matter where we come from, what we’ve lived shapes who we are. What we encounter as students stays with us for a lifetime, making an impression that endures long after what we learn in the classroom has faded from memory.
This is the time when we discover what it means to be independent. It’s when we form relationships that last for decades. It’s when our understanding of the world and our role in it comes into focus.
Studying abroad is about much more than traveling, taking classes, and discovering new things. It’s also about your future—enhancing what you’re already learning with practical experiences, tools, and skills that prepare you for life. That brings benefits not just to you as a student and young adult looking forward to starting a career, but to your family and the academic institution you attend back home.
For students and families, study abroad means broadening horizons
Students who study abroad with IFSA come from an incredibly wide range of backgrounds, socioeconomic circumstances, and life experiences. What they bring with them and what they’re looking for are equally varied. But one thing holds true for all: Studying abroad with IFSA is an adventure and an exciting opportunity, both personally and academically.
Many who come to us are new to the idea of study abroad. Some are first-generation college students, people of color, members of underserved communities or those of limited means. They are already breaking barriers and see study abroad as a life-altering chance to enrich their academic and personal journey. Others actively seek out new experiences and see studying abroad as an exciting way to learn and think differently.
At IFSA, we take pride in being inclusive and meeting the needs of all students, regardless of their identity, background or reasons for studying abroad. For us, connecting each individual student to the program that best helps them reach their academic, personal, and professional goals is a core commitment.
Why study abroad? There are many reasons.
- To make an investment in your future and open new pathways
- To gain practical experience that can help you meet life’s opportunities and challenges after graduation
- To earn college credit, round out your degree, and enhance your resume
- To access top-notch instruction, curricula, and academic resources not available at home
- To experience the world and be exposed to new cultures, perspectives, customs, and lifestyles
No matter what your circumstances, motivations, interests, and goals may be, studying abroad offers proven benefits. Research has shown that studying abroad has positive impacts on academic skills: greater creativity; deeper learning through the ability to connect disparate information; enhanced facility with language; and global awareness. Those who study abroad also are more likely to complete their degree and complete it on time.
But there’s more to it than academics and living in a new place. Studying abroad may be the first time you’re on your own in an unfamiliar environment. Maybe it’s not. Regardless, it’s an opportunity to grow as a person—a chance to feel the sense of accomplishment that comes from doing something you’ve never done before.
The exposure to a completely new environment builds critical, intangible skills:
- Intercultural agility, empathy, and appreciation of diversity
- Ability to handle unfamiliar and unexpected situations
- Communication and collaboration
- Independence and self-confidence
- Problem-solving and resourcefulness
Many who come to us are new to the idea of study abroad. Some are first-generation college students, people of color, members of underserved communities or those of limited means. They are already breaking barriers and see study abroad as a life-altering chance to enrich their academic and personal journey. Others actively seek out new experiences and see studying abroad as an exciting way to learn and think differently.
These are skills that that will shape you for a lifetime—as a student and beyond, both personally and professionally.
An advantage for life after graduation
92% of IFSA students feel their experience has contributed to their independence
Source: IFSA class student survey, Spring 2022
For institutions, study abroad means priming students for success
The focus of U.S.-based institutions tends to be on degree programs, and rightly so: this is the investment students make. “Soft” life skills, problem-solving, and cultural awareness are not normally part of the formal curriculum, but are essential to student development.
Students who study abroad come back changed for the better. What the data shows is undeniable: they’re more likely to stay at their home institution, to graduate, and to complete their degree on time. And the education they get through IFSA programs is of high quality, with credits that transfer from Butler University, a top-50 institution.
Accelerating achievement
2x faster GPA improvement…
for students who study abroad vs. those who stay home.
Source: GLOSSARI research project
High-quality study-abroad programs also make institutions more attractive to future students by expanding the educational value and variety the university is able to provide. IFSA places a priority on curating individualized experiences, connecting students to the programs best suited for them through accessible IFSA-taught options as well as direct enrollment at top-notch institutions worldwide. We also offer a robust custom and faculty-led program service that enables institutions to offer programs specifically tailored for their students.