My experience of studying abroad can be perfectly summed up by just one French phrase: les voyages forment la jeunesse , which, when contextually interpreted, means ‘travel broadens the mind’. This adage has been the fuel for my urge to study abroad in the US. Hailing from a small suburb in Mumbai, India, foreign education was like an elite bumper stamp of learning that I dreamed of owning from a young age.
I chose to major in Finance at the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University, where even a normal business major like me was introduced to a multidimensional realm of opportunities. The true value of studying abroad comes not only from the holistic experience and connections you make, but also from the possibilities of applying what you have learned in lectures to the day-to-day functioning of your life.
During my two years at Purdue University, I had an insatiable urge to make a difference in the society. I came up with a business idea, which could create a whole new sector in automobile communication and safety. To help me develop the concept, I received free and well-disposed help from the Burton D Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship at my university and links to ample external resources. After receiving extensive critiques and guidance, I was able to shape and develop my idea to the point where I won the 7th Annual Hult Prize at Purdue and even represented my university in San Francisco!
Studying outside India provided me with a platform from which I could truly propel myself, armed with a comprehensive array of choices. As a freshman, I had the opportunity to take graduate courses in the discipline of business law through a simple request I made to a professor. This showed me that nothing comes between you and your learning.
I was also an Honors programme student which gave me access to people on campus who had a genuine interest in guiding me through every problem I faced with utmost efficiency and empathy.
In my opinion, studying abroad gives you the power to make choices; they may be straightforward or challenging, but they will always inculcate a sense of contentment within you, because it is you making the choice.
While I do understand the issues of home sickness and adjusting to one’s new environment, a well-informed decision about studying abroad can reaps benefit that completely outweigh the emotion of nostalgia. It not only facilitates academic career but also helps you reach your personal goal.
Most US universities have a variety of welcoming clubs, as well as the platform for you to start your own little circle. Every student studying abroad can truly write and re-write the story of their life because home is not where you come from; it is neither a destination nor a place. Home is a new way of seeing and experiencing familiar things.