COURTESY OF LIZ NEALWhile most students study abroad to experience a foreign culture, immerse themselves in a language or break away from the routine of college life, a new study by the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) reports that the real benefits of studying abroad may come after students return to the States.
Of 3,000 students interviewed in the IES survey, 96 percent said studying abroad increased their self-confidence, with 69 percent of respondents noting that their experiences abroad greatly influenced their career goals.
Robert Booker, director of overseas programs for the Office of International Studies, said that he is not surprised with the results of the survey. Booker said that after studying abroad, many students have told him that they changed what they wanted to do with their life.
“[Studying abroad] makes you more culturally competent, because you gain the skills of handling the basics of languages and of non-verbal communication,” said Booker.
The study also found that 95 percent of respondents believed their experiences abroad continued to influence their perspectives on the world once they arrived back in the States.
“Looking back at the States and hearing different news about the U.S., you hear a lot of criticism of American values and policy,” said Booker. “You realize there are other people with other valid perspectives on things, and [some students] integrate the differences into their personal value system.”
Senior Alex Schoenbaum is one such student that believes his study abroad experience increased his self-confidence and broadened his perspective on the world.
“I think you gain self-confidence by being able to function in a foreign city, because [when] traveling you have to learn how to read signs, find places to eat, gain knowledge of customs and you have to ask people things, which forces you to be out going,” said Schoenbaum, who studied in London through the Olin Business school.
Reactions were more mixed in regards to how experiences abroad affect career goals.
“My internship in London convinced me to become a marketing major, when I previously wanted a career in consulting,” said senior Lauren Jensen, who participated in the Olin Business program.
Senior Andrew Goldstein, who studied in Madrid, feels studying abroad strengthened his previously developed career path.
“Going abroad didn’t make me decide to pursue an international career, I already knew I wanted to, and that is why I went abroad,” said Goldstein.
Senior Jeremy Sigmon, who studied in Toulouse, France, decided after studying abroad that he wanted to participate in a transitional program teaching English as a foreign language. Sigmon said that despite this, studying abroad altered his long-term goal of working in the international energy industry.
“[Living in France] opened the door to me of living in a third world country,” said Sigmon. “I realized there are other countries that are more different than here or France.”
According to the Office of International Studies, 20 percent of Washington University students have an international experience by the time they graduate, either through a study abroad program, an internship or a summer program. The School of Arts and Sciences has the largest and most diverse study abroad program, sending approximately 400 students abroad each year.
In addition to influencing career goals, Booker pointed out that students with international skills have a comparative advantage in the types of careers they can pursue.
“I think there is a significant difference between the students [who do not study abroad] and the students who get an international job, either in the states or another country, because they have the cultural skills to work with foreign clients,” said Booker.