“We encouraged all four of our kids to study abroad because we believed there was tremendous value in learning to live somewhere unfamiliar.”
This past spring, I visited my daughter while she was studying abroad in Barcelona. As a parent, there is something incredibly powerful about stepping into your child’s world and realizing that, for once, they are the one showing you the way.
She guided us through the city, navigated the language and culture, and handled all the little details of daily life with a confidence and independence that was wonderful to see.
It also felt like a full-circle moment for our family. From early on, we encouraged all four of our kids to study abroad because we believed there was tremendous value in learning to live somewhere unfamiliar. After watching one study in Dublin, two in France, and another in Barcelona, I believe that even more strongly.
Study abroad is about so much more than travel.
Independence and Confidence
Living abroad requires students to figure things out for themselves.
There is no parent nearby to solve the small problems of everyday life. Students navigate transportation, manage schedules, communicate across language or cultural differences, and adjust when plans inevitably go sideways.
And they do figure it out.
That is where so much of the growth happens. With each unfamiliar situation they handle, students become a little more confident in their ability to make decisions, solve problems, and advocate for themselves.
It doesn’t mean you won’t get the occasional late-night phone call, the kind where the time difference makes your heart drop, but even those moments are part of the growth, for both of you.
A Broader View of the World
There is also something very different about visiting another country and actually living there.
Students experience another culture as part of their everyday lives. They begin to notice differences in how people communicate, learn, eat, work, socialize, and view the world.
It can challenge assumptions they didn’t even realize they had.
Ideally, they return home more curious, more open-minded, and more comfortable with perspectives that are different from their own. They may also see their own community—and themselves—a little differently.
A Stronger Sense of Self
This may be the piece I value most.
College itself is a time when students are beginning to figure out who they are apart from their families. Studying abroad takes that one step further by removing many of the familiar people, routines, and places that normally surround them.
Students learn what they value. They discover how they respond when something is difficult. They become more comfortable making their own decisions. And they often gain a clearer understanding of the environments in which they thrive.
Not every moment will be easy—and that is part of the point.
More Than a Semester Away
Of course, studying abroad comes with incredible experiences, new friendships, travel, and plenty of photos.
But those aren’t the reasons I encouraged my own children to do it.
I wanted them to experience what happens when you leave what is comfortable, immerse yourself somewhere new, and discover that you are capable of navigating far more than you realized.
Watching my daughter confidently lead us through Barcelona reminded me that this is the real gift of studying abroad.
They leave home to experience another part of the world.
And somewhere along the way, they learn a little more about themselves.
