Study abroad teach new lessons

It seems appropriate to look back at how we spent our summers and what we gained, even as we look forward to the new year.I spent six weeks on the UGA Classics Department’s study abroad program in Rome, Italy.Studying abroad was an experience that every student should have.You have a singular opportunity to learn things you just can’t pick up in a traditional classroom.In Rome, I made friends with a young entrepreneur,the guy who ran the pizza shop around the corner.I was able to spend time with his group of friends. I gained insight into the lives of young people like me, but in a foreign country. Although I laughed at some of the discoveries, it was an invaluable experience.As our access to places all over the world increases, the ability to understand other cultures grows with it. Study abroad programs help you to do that.Merely visiting other countries is not enough yes, you will see the sights, but a one week trip is not long enough to give you a real idea about what living in that country is like.

Studying abroad offers the unique experience to participate in the daily lives of people in a foreign country.There is certainly something to be said for finding the program that best matches your major or area of interest.The learning experience is more hands-on and more intimate with the material.Therefore you learn far more than in a traditional classroom presented with only a textbook and your professor’s Power Point.You are living in your studies, so the learning process becomes more natural.You won’t even realize just how much you have learned until you look back.I discovered more about the Roman Forum that I ever thought possible just because I was standing in the midst of the ruins as my professor was lecturing about them.Professors who take students on study abroad trips are more enthusiastic about what they are teaching, too.I guess they have to be to be willing to take large groups of 20-year-olds on long trips overseas.Most students know how much of a difference it makes to have a professor who really cares about the material.The University offers so many study abroad programs in so many countries.There is surely a study abroad program that would interest every student. so why not go?