Top Pros and Cons of Studying Abroad

As someone who’s pretty far removed from my study abroad experience — I’m old, OK — I have the benefit of years of reflection time to give you some solid advice on the matter.

You need to have all of the information at your fingertips before setting aside the time (and cash) to make the right decision. Let’s dive into the pros and cons of studying abroad so that you know what to expect and whether it’s right for you.

Pros and Cons of Studying Abroad

If your study abroad decision is rapidly approaching, here’s a summary of everything I’ll get into here:

I studied abroad in Australia through the University of New South Wales in Sydney. I always knew I wanted to go abroad during my time in college thanks to a deep level of wanderlust from a young age.

This was my time to learn about myself, immerse myself in a place that always intrigued me, and experience all of the Australian critters that can kill you.

All jokes aside, it was one of the best experiences of my life. That doesn’t mean it will work for everyone, though. Let’s dig into it all.

What are the main advantages of studying abroad?

A study abroad program can broaden your horizons in unexpected ways and flesh you out as a person. It can result in a better version of you, and allow you to discover new sides of yourself. That all sounds so cheesy, but it’s often true.

That said, it’s not true for everyone, but we’ll get into that later.

You expose yourself to different cultures.

This is probably the reason you hear most often when people talk about the benefits of studying abroad. You’re going to spend a significant amount of time in a new place, so naturally, you’ll be exposed to all kinds of new things.

You’ll be meeting new people, perhaps with different priorities, values, or habits than your own.

You’ll be eating things you may not be used to unless you go out of your way to find things you’re familiar with, in which case, what?

You may have to get used to different customs. That can mean eating dinner at a different time, tiny glasses of water, and portions that seem small to you but are normal to the rest of the world.

It’s all very exciting.

If you lean in, you’ll come out of it with an appreciation for all the things you have at home that you may not have access to abroad. You may also come to the realization that some places live better than your home country.

You’ll have to do some adulting.

You’re already sort of on your own in college, but in a study abroad program, you’re REALLY on your own.

It won’t be as easy to call mom about that family banana bread recipe you’ve been craving or to drop a load of laundry off at your childhood home. You’ll have time zones to contend with, first of all.

Secondly, you should be doing your own laundry in your home country.

You’ll need to build a network of trusted individuals who will be able to help you out if you need support.

The folks in charge of your study abroad program will be a great point of contact, as will all of the others in your program navigating the same obstacles you are. Dive into this opportunity for personal growth.

You make lifelong friends.

I haven’t seen most of my study-abroad pals in years.

I know that if we all reunited and came together for one night and one night only, though, it would be as if no time had passed.

That’s just how deep that bond is, at the risk of sounding cheesy again. You’re thrown into a new place, with new people from all over the world, and there’s a learning curve involved with that.

Fun fact: Once you overcome the initial awkwardness, you’ll find your people.

I’ve been lucky enough to see several of my study-abroad friends again over the years, and there’s just something special about that relationship.

It’s based on real connections no matter what you know or don’t know about where they are in life at the moment of reconnection.

Sometimes things will get hard, and that’s a good thing.

You’re making all those new friends, which is exciting. At the same time, you’re away from everything that reminds you of home, especially if home is the United States.

Everything is new.

Everything is different.

There’s a learning curve involved every single time something goes wrong.

You become that much stronger when faced with personal challenges, and end up feeling pretty proud of yourself when you come out of that challenge in one piece.

You’ll learn something you may not have otherwise.

My program was focused on anthropology and biology.

I was a journalism major.

What does this mean?

It means that part of me signed up to study abroad so that I could go to Australia, my host country.

I was already way ahead on my college credits and didn’t need the courses I’d be taking while abroad to make progress toward my bachelor’s degree.

Note: I’m certainly not advising you to do the same. Obviously, the students out there should try to choose a program that fits with your existing coursework.

Would I do it any differently now, years removed from my study abroad experience?

Nope.

I learned about why it’s so important to respect native cultures, and why all the people who climbed Uluru back in the day were either misinformed or jackwagons.

I know what an ant’s butt tastes like — it’s SweeTARTS, by the way — and know now that I’m braver than I thought I was. Learning happened regardless of the work I did or didn’t do toward my major.

You can work on those language skills.

This one didn’t apply to me, although Aussie slang is no joke.

For many others, studying abroad is an opportunity to immerse yourself in that language you pretended to learn for four years in high school. It’s one of the best academic reasons to study abroad.

Fun fact: Most locals love to hear visitors talk to them in their native language, so you’ll have a ready audience for all that language practice.

If you’re headed somewhere really off the beaten path, you may not have the option to speak anything but the local tongue. Learning a language under pressure or out of necessity is the best way to fast-track your language acquisition.

To practice ahead of time, I like Babbel for my language needs over Duolingo. While it isn’t free, it gets to conversation starters much faster than the owl. If you’re studying abroad, you’ll want to know more than, “Should we buy a kilo of oranges?”

It could be the start of a great thing.

If your wanderlust was dormant, it certainly won’t be when you get back from your time abroad.

When I came back from my study abroad experience, I was ready for the next trip almost immediately. I started researching where I could go on a college student’s budget, quickly finding that the list was quite short.

Since graduating, I’ve made it a point to make travel a regular habit.

READ MORE: We spent two years traveling the United States as nomads. See how it went!

I’m lucky enough today that my travel is much more frequent, and acknowledge that privilege. I also wonder if I’d be as into it if it wasn’t for that study abroad experience.

For many, a study abroad experience kickstarts dreams of living abroad. You did it for a semester, and want to immerse yourself even more in a new place.

There are a number of benefits of living overseas outside of cultural immersion, many of which overlap with why you should take on a study abroad experience.

You can see places outside of your study-abroad country.

I ran out of funds to do this and had a guy waiting for me back home, but I have lots of friends who extended their time abroad to include travel throughout Oceania.

(Don’t make decisions based on boys back home, by the way. Don’t make decisions based on girls, either, unless we’re talking about cute dogs.)

If you’re in Europe, it’s even easier to bop on over to this or that country, even on a long weekend.

You’ll need a budget to do all of these things, of course, but it’s something to consider while you’re abroad, especially if it might be a while before you’re able to travel again.

You’ll have some great stories to tell when you’re back.

Some of the things that happen while you’re on a study abroad trip stay on that study abroad trip. There are all kinds of other experiences that you’ll be telling stories about for years after returning home.

I’m still shocked that this happened, but I went skydiving while I was there. I jumped out of a plane over the Great Barrier Reef.

As I doubt any other skydiving experience will come close to that one, I’m happy to have ticked that one off when I was more susceptible to peer pressure.

Maybe you’ll have yourself a study-abroad romance and will fondly remember the night you walked the Seine with your French beau. I’m here for all of it. Just be safe about it.

Maybe you’ll have yourself a photo shoot in the Olympic Village. The memories you make while abroad stay with you.

It could open doors for a future career.

There are career benefits of studying abroad, too.

Experience living internationally could look good on that resume you’re putting together once your study abroad experience is done. You’re an international student now, and a young adult who can handle juggling a new place with student responsibilities.

It can mean you’re more adaptable than most, with all of those important soft skills at your disposal.

Play all of that up when you’re looking to land that first job. Spin your study abroad experiences to suit whatever gaps exist in your resume. It’s like schmoozing on paper.

Believe that your study abroad experiences made you a more well-rounded, impressive individual because they did.

You become a more spontaneous version of yourself.

Living far away from home is already quite an adventurous thing to do.

Navigating a new culture, a new way of learning, and even a new language also requires a level of spontaneity when you need to think on your feet and manage your day-to-day. Forcing yourself out of that comfort zone is one of the top reasons to study abroad.

I’m very much a Type A personality, but I didn’t have the luxury of my usual routine back home while studying abroad. I had to adapt, make choices, and, at times, become a little bit uncomfortable when it came to excursions I wouldn’t normally participate in.

I’m not saying cave into peer pressure at every turn. I am saying that you may find you’re just a little braver than you thought you were when you signed up for a study abroad program.

You’ll be somewhere long enough that you’re not just a tourist there.

It’s exciting to be somewhere new, but even more exciting when that new place starts to feel less new.

One of the best reasons to study abroad is that you’ll get to the point where you’ll be able to help tourists find their final destination. That’s unless you’re as directionally challenged as I am, of course.

You’ll be able to laugh alongside the locals about all the weird things tourists do during your international study.

The drawback here is that you’ll be chasing that feeling from now on. It’s rare that people are able to go abroad for as long as a typical study abroad program.

You’ll have to find that feeling in other ways, like spending some time in the less-trafficked parts of town when you’re out there exploring post-study abroad.

Try immersing yourself in a culture ahead of a trip by doing as much research or reading on that place before you get there.

Travelers are sexy.

I’m sure The Most Interesting Man in the World had quite a few experiences under his belt that involved leaving his hometown. Travel makes you more interesting.

Unless you’re out there bragging about this, that, and the other thing related to your study abroad program, it makes you hotter, too.

I’m not saying you’ll experience a glow-up while abroad. I mean, you might, but it’s more of a vibe. You’ll return with additional life experiences. You’ll have some fun stories. It’s a conversation starter in the smallest of small talks.

You’ll come back grateful as heck.

There is so much privilege involved with studying abroad. It’s something you need to reckon with as you wrestle with the pros and cons of the decision. Maybe that makes you uncomfortable.

If you’re able to go abroad, though, that discomfort shouldn’t be a reason to stay behind. Embrace that gratitude, go have an incredible experience, and return a better person.

It’s an education.

It’s not like you’re putting your life or college career on hold to study abroad. You’re continuing that education, hopefully with coursework that fits your interest areas and college goals.

I already told you that I signed up for classes outside of my major for my own study abroad program. That’s because I was far enough ahead in my studies that it wasn’t a terrible mistake.

Most of you will want to find programs that help you get to where you want to be, whether that’s personally or professionally. If you really want to learn French, find a French-speaking country and come back conversational. It can happen.

What are the main disadvantages of studying abroad?

Am I saying that everyone should study abroad? No.

I’m not saying everyone would even benefit from a semester abroad, either.

Below, you’ll find some reasons NOT to study abroad, because it isn’t for everyone. There are some real study abroad disadvantages, especially if you’re not interested in the experience for the right reasons.

It requires loads of planning.

Signing up for a study abroad program shouldn’t be a decision you make on the fly. You’ll need to look at whether your budget allows it, and sometimes that means talking to your family about whether it’s feasible.

It also shouldn’t be something you do to escape something, or because you’re bored of your life at home, or because you’re sick of your campus job.

Those really aren’t good enough reasons for any big life decision.

It can be expensive.

Your college may have programs that make study abroad programs more affordable, but you’re likely not going to return home with more money. Tuition fees don’t go away because you flee the country.

They’re likely amplified on top of travel costs, especially if you plan on doing some personal travel outside of your study abroad program.

I was very lucky that evidence of my garbage school newspaper job was enough to get my parents to put down the cash to help me go abroad. (I’m saying that the job offered me very little in the way of financial independence.)

Not everyone is that lucky. Studying abroad is a privilege. If you have to take a huge loan out on top of your existing student loans, it may not be worth those interest payments after the fact.

You may get homesick.

You certainly don’t want to sign up for a study abroad program just because you’re over the relationship you’re in back home. It sounds like you’re just not all that into that person, by the way, and may need to make some tough decisions.

It’s more likely that you’ll feel some homesickness when you’re abroad.

Honestly, I didn’t have this problem. I wept aggressively when it was time to go back home after my study-abroad trip. That’s my personal stuff, though.

Home wasn’t where my heart was for a myriad of reasons. It might be tougher for you if you’re very close to your loved ones, especially if it’s your first time away outside of college.

Your relationships at home might suffer.

Meeting new people is a huge part of a positive study abroad experience.

If you’re looking to go abroad just to follow your college boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friend, I promise it won’t be as meaningful of an experience. That should not be among your reasons to study overseas.

That said, if you’re leaving behind your one true love, it might be difficult to keep things hot and heavy over the course of your international experience.

My own college boyfriend and I went on a break during my time in Australia. (We watched a lot of Friends at the time, I’m sure.)

We didn’t pivot away from one another when I got back — see what I did there? — but I did feel like a changed woman upon my return.

It might have been all of those Australian men, but I digress.

READ MORE: If you’re already in a couple looking to travel together, I have a lot to say about that!

Culture shock is a real thing.

Studying abroad is an undeniable culture shock.

If you’re someone who has a hard time with change you may have a tough time. If you have little interest in expanding your horizons in terms of new opinions, new cultures, or even new foods, studying abroad may not be for you.

Sure, it may be an experience that changes your mind about certain things, but you will be miserable abroad if you’re not at least open to the idea of trying new things or navigating the world in a different way.

Not every country does things exactly the way you do or is there to cater to your needs, nor should they. That’s a great thing about travel, and it’s an education in itself.

You might not come back any different.

One of the drawbacks of studying abroad may be the pressure you place on yourself to make sure the experience is life-changing.

Some international students place unreasonable expectations on themselves and the study abroad experience. For example, if you’re a garbage person to begin with, you may not come back changed. You may just continue your garbage ways abroad.

I’m assuming you’re all quality human beings out there, of course. Why else would you be exploring time abroad? It just may not be as transformative as you’d like.

I feel like it sparked an even bigger travel bug within me, but I was still the same awkward Agnes upon arrival back in Illinois.

I was highly emotional about having left Australia despite the Vegemite, but I wasn’t a completely different person. That’s OK, though. You don’t need to return with a new personality to call your study abroad a success.

You may not feel welcome.

If you’re a student of color or part of the LGBTQ+ community, I urge you to do a deeper level of research before planning any time abroad, let alone a student experience.

You need to know not only about things you’d like to do in your chosen country but also about how welcoming that country is to students just like you.

As a straight white woman, I’m not going to pretend like this was a huge concern for me when I was looking at programs.

I would be concerned if I was thinking about going to a country where women are treated as second-class citizens. But I knew enough about global politics even then that they weren’t making my shortlist anyway.

A study abroad experience isn’t worth putting your safety at risk. You don’t need to go somewhere where you’ll feel harassed or targeted because of your skin color or sexual identity.

The good news is, there are plenty of countries out there that would welcome someone awesome like you.

Making local connections is hard.

A disadvantage of studying abroad is feeling a potential disconnect from the locals.

It’s fairly easy to make new friends in a study abroad program. You have a captive audience. You’re all thrown into this thing together from corners all over the world.

It can be harder to make connections with the local population, especially if you’re navigating language barriers while you’re at it.

I found the Australian people super warm and friendly. I haven’t always heard the same from other college kids who have returned home from less-than-stellar experiences abroad.

Note: I was also probably a little less angry about world affairs back then, which may have made me more approachable.

This one might be even tougher if you’re faced with situations you don’t agree with. If you’re in Thailand, you may need to wrap your head around unethical animal practices, like the elephant riding business.

Older folks in China spit on the floor to ward off evil spirits. You don’t need to pal around with everyone.

You might hate it.

I highly doubt it, but it’s possible. You might have a terrible study abroad experience. Here’s what I’d argue, though. It will likely still be a good learning experience for you.

All that nonsense about growing stronger following trials and tribulations is fairly accurate. I feel that way about travel fails from my travels as an adult, too. At the very least, you’ll return with some great stories, and good storytelling is a fun party trick.

It might be stressful

Studying abroad can be stressful. Learning a new language, navigating the financial aspects of study abroad programs, and even keeping up with your schoolwork are all challenges of going abroad.

Navigate all of that successfully and you’ll feel pretty resilient by the end of the program, though. You may find that any stress you felt at the start dissipates with time, too.

You may not be able to shake that travel bug.

This is less of a con of studying abroad and more something to keep in mind. You will likely return wanting to do it all over again. Life will be waiting, though. You’ll need to graduate, find a job, and move out on your own unless you come from money.

That doesn’t mean the fun is all over.

Make it a point to explore your world once you’re done with college, whether that’s a road trip for a weekend or an international trip to a budget-friendly location.

There are a million ways to experience events outside of your backyard if you make it a point to do so.

Studying abroad is worth it if it’s right for you.

For many students, it’s an experience they look at fondly, and a time in their lives that sets them up for many adventures to come.

Whether you’re headed to Australia, South Korea, or the Czech Republic, if your international experience is anything like my own, it will be a very meaningful one.

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