Experiencing educational opportunities in different areas of the world, being able to experience culture, language, and life outside of one’s comfort zone helps one grow in positive and meaningful ways. This might just be the type of experience that has students standing out in the eyes of college admission officers. There are numerous volunteer and exchange program opportunities for students wishing to travel abroad. Travel service providers like peak performance tours also offer meaningful experiences. Here are some of the benefits of international student travel:
Self-Awareness
School as a place to learn normally cannot provide experience as insightful as those that one gets from traveling the world. International travel enables the gathering of experiences firsthand, seeing different landscapes, and experiencing the life of different cultures. One gets to listen to the opinions and points of view of other people in different cultures, experiencing a kind of insight that is difficult to shake off. Profound experiences like these are known to give people a sense of place and purpose, and establish lifelong priorities and values.
Perspective
Learning about one part of the world is one thing, but actually having to experience it for oneself is another. Exposure to the lifestyles and perks of life in another culture helps people break away from a way of thinking that is localized to their comfort zone. The way individuals understand life and problems around them is largely based on their context. Learning how other people live triggers ideas and solutions to problems that do not necessarily rely on the typical everyday way of life back home. Cultural immersion also helps break down language barriers and open up new channels of communication.
Independence
Most of the time, educational travel happens during or after high school, at a time where one is making the transition from living at home with parents or guardians, to the possibility of life away from home. The experience of life away from home traveling prepares one for the independence of life in college in ways that the average vacation of camping trip cannot. Rips like these challenge students to open their minds about travel, food, friends, and basic needs. It shows the traveler just how much they have always taken for granted about their life, giving them afresh perspective on independence and freedom.
Leadership
One who has actually traveled has greater authority and exudes greater confidence than an individual who only relies on lip service. Instead of relying on the opinions of others, a well-traveled person will be able to establish the kind of conviction, confidence, and perspective required of a leader. It will be easier for them to gain the respect of others and coupled with the referees and contacts they amass, make them the right candidate for leadership positions.
Traveling away from home, even in an educational setting, can be tough. However, it shows that one is interested enough in the rest of the world to muster the courage to venture out for themselves and discover the rest of it on their own!
