Study abroad impacts the student experience for life

*Editor’s Note: From the Outside In is a monthly column written by an alum. Please email The Record at record@csbsju.edu with topic suggestions!*

One of the most valuable experiences in my life was the semester I spent abroad in Chongqing, China. It took me more than two years at St. John’s just to realize that I might want to study overseas. Initially, the Entrepreneurship Scholars (E-Scholars) program provided me with an opportunity to study in China for a few weeks in January 2011. That experience was so meaningful that I returned to China the fall semester of my senior year. Not surprisingly, life in China was very different from what I had experienced in the comfort of Collegeville, but that’s the whole point of going abroad.

What stood out most was just how different our cultures were and how quickly I found myself outside of my comfort zone. I learned how to travel light, try foods I could neither pronounce nor identify and how to haggle with taxi drivers. Surprisingly, the more time I spent outside of my comfort zone, the larger that space grew. New experiences became the norm, and I thrived in this new learning environment.

Part of my discovery was found by simply wandering around a new city and trying (poorly) to communicate in a new language. But those moments—when the unknown and awkward became the norm—instilled a confidence in me that wasn’t present before. I could learn in a new culture, even with an unreliable internet connection. I could find my way amid an unfamiliar daily routine. Perhaps most importantly, I could make new friends more than half a world away.

Studying abroad is first and foremost about studying in a new culture, but the experience is so much more than that. So, take that first step out of your comfort zone even if it’s for a short duration. You may find that there is a whole new world out there just waiting for you.