How studying abroad changed my life
Studying abroad was always a dream of mine, but I thought it was too expensive, maybe too long of a time away from home, and I severely doubted I would be able to fit all of my core classes in if I went abroad. Fortunately, I was wrong and I decided to go for it.
I was accepted to a program in Manchester, England. I had never heard of Manchester and wasn’t too keen on heading to England (mostly because of the rainy weather). But it was the United Kingdom or Illinois, and although I love my university, I knew I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to gain experience abroad.
In preparing to study abroad, Illinois suggested we create a personal learning goal for ourselves. My goal was to really get to know the sociology teaching methods used at Manchester and compare them to what I’ve experienced back in the States. To dig into this goal, I enrolled in two sociology courses (that counted for my major requirements!) at the University of Manchester. I also took a philosophy of ethics course for fun (which also counted as an elective back home at Illinois).
Although I did enjoy pursuing that personal learning goal, and achieved what I set out to, most of what I learned came from outside of the classroom. The skills I developed will help me in all areas of my life - not only school, but also the workforce, in personal relationships, and interactions with strangers. 
From going abroad, I learned more about myself. I learned how I like to manage my time and where I like to spend it. I learned that I am perfectly capable of making sound decisions without asking others to verify them. I've learned how to make my opinion known respectfully, and how to balance differences in opinion while maintaining a relationship. I've learned how to keep myself safe. I learned how to travel (visiting nine countries while I was studying abroad) and even how to escape most of the tourist traps on my own. I feel more capable now than I did before, without realizing how incapable I felt to begin with.
My time abroad has allowed me to become more confident in my decision-making skills, in self-reliance, and independence. A boost in my own confidence level contributed to those three quality developments. I couldn't have so easily been forced to rely on my own abilities here at home as I was abroad.
Further, my personal learning goal changed since before I went abroad: I was originally solely interested in seeing how academically different the teaching of sociology was across different cultures; now, that goal seems narrow-minded and one-dimensional. My experience has led me to change the way I view sociology and higher education as a whole, and led me to challenge my own pre-existing ideas about what I want to do in sociology. I now plan on pursuing graduate studies in educational policy, with an international framework in mind.
The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers more than 70 majors and provides a world-class interdisciplinary education that prepares students for lives of impact. Learn more about LAS.