Chinatown Discussion: The Importance of Studying Abroad

A few days ago, I spent some time with a good friend of mine, Jen, in one of our favorite spots in Chicago's Chinatown. As we sipped on our tea, one of the things we discussed was how few African-American students study abroad. Today, I stumbled on some stats collected by Prof. Funwi F. Ayuninjam of University of Nizwa in Oman, who used to teach at the HBCU Kentucky State University (KSU) and several other universities in the United States.

At KSU, less than 1% of the students have study abroad. In fact, Prof. Ayuninjam could count the students on his fingers; each academic year he surveyed had three students or less that went abroad.

Overall, in the United States, African-American college students make less than 4% of all who study abroad (83% of college students that study abroad are white/Caucasian).

These dismal numbers are a reflection of one common reason - finances. Many African-American students, from what Jen and I have noticed and from what Prof. Ayuninjam has noted, find studying abroad to be expensive. What is interesting is that there are many ways to lower and even eliminate costs to study abroad.

The easiest way to study abroad is through an exchange program. Exchange programs usually have you swap places with a student at a school in another country and you pay tuition as if you are attending your home institution. However, that could be different based on your school and the agreement that have with the school you would like to study abroad at. It's usually best to speak to the person at the study abroad/international programs office at your school for details.

Outside of an exchange program, there are direct enrollment programs and those offered during D-Term of J-Session. Again, the place to start is the study abroad/international programs office.

Overall, finances is not a big a deal as one would think. It takes careful planning and speaking with the right people and finding scholarships. The Gillman Scholarship is one of the easiest to obtain and the most popular (however, there is no guarantee that you will get it).

The main reason why I am pushing studying abroad is because I have noticed (and so has Jen), that when you go outside your comfort zone, your learning is enriched beyond what your school can teach you. To become culturally relative and to become successful and marketable in this increasingly global society, one must leave their home country for a period of time, short or long, to understand that their way of life is not the only way.

Throughout my life, I have been to Nigeria, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands (briefly) and Brazil. Now I am planning to go to South Korea. To go each of these countries, I paid only for food and souvenirs (in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, I paid nothing the whole time). Each of these countries are distinctly different and have their own unique vibe. I learned that race relations vary from country to country and how each country view Americans. If I did not have these experiences, I don't think I would be able to grasp an understanding of the diversity within every group across our planet. I am usually able to receive each individual as an individual and initially disassociate them from their culture, but yet still considering their cultural background. On top of that, my friends are diverse and are from across the globe.

I think the main thing that has caused me to go abroad and want to travel is curiosity. Once I have learned my surroundings, I want to learn someone else's. I want to see how does someone else eat, drink, speak, love, form friendships, etc.

My question for you is, what makes you want to study/go abroad (or not study/go abroad)? Why? Then ask yourself, how do you want to be successful in life and how would studying/going abroad enhance what you want to do?