What are the Benefits of Studying Abroad in High School?

If you already know that you want to travel, why not do it as soon as possible? You don’t have to wait until college to study abroad. In fact, you’ll be better prepared for the independent life of a college student if you live in another country before graduating high school!

Luckily, there are so many programs and opportunities that you can take advantage of to get a head start on an adventurous lifestyle and start traveling abroad in high school. Although it’s a big step, chances are you will have the time of your life and learn more about yourself than you could’ve ever imagined.

Just like any other international adventure, there are countless benefits (and even some disadvantages) that you need to weigh before making a decision. Studying abroad in high school is an incredible experience, but might not necessarily be right for everyone. That’s where a pros and cons list comes in! Check ours out below.

More helpful resources:

• How to Make the Most of Your High School Abroad Experience
• How to Respond to Your Family’s Study Abroad Concerns
• Can I Study Abroad as a Freshman?

Studying abroad in high school: 11 pros and cons

Pro: You’ll get a taste of freedom and independence.

Nothing will prepare you better for the real world than jumping right into it (with backup, of course!). By traveling abroad in high school, you are free to try new things and learn about the world with the valuable support of your program, host family, and friends to help you along the way. 

You have the chance to craft your own identity separate from your family and make decisions for yourself. If you can learn to navigate the world as a highschooler, challenges in life after this will be a piece of cake.

After losing your luggage or getting on the wrong train, everything else is easy.

Con: You’ll miss out on moments at home.

Because you are off being independent and exploring the world, one study abroad con is that you won’t be at home for some important moments. Your family and friends’ lives will go on without you, so you might miss out on birthdays, weddings, funerals, holidays, reunions, and other events. 

However, the upside is that it’s now easier than ever to keep in touch, so you can still celebrate and be there for others virtually through video calls. It’s not quite the same as being there in person, but at least you won’t miss out completely.

Pro: You’ll have a family and friends in another country.

Your high school semester abroad will most likely place you with a host family (especially if there’s a language-learning component), so you’ll have a local support system to help you navigate and immerse yourself in a new culture and language. All host families are different, so this might be your chance to have siblings or be an only child, and create strong bonds and relationships far away from home.

You’ll have the chance to participate in their important moments and share your own culture with them, creating a home away from home that will be open to you for years to come. 

Con: You’ll be far away from family and friends back home.

In addition to missing out on moments at home, another study abroad con is that you’ll physically be far away from your friends and family back home. This can be hard for some people, especially if it’s your first time living away from your family. 

Even though you’ll be distant and not know all the details of their lives anymore, it’s still easy to keep in touch and share your adventures with everyone. You’ll also be busy trying a lot of new things, so you’ll have plenty to distract you from the distance. Plus, it’ll be good practice for when you go off to college (or decide to live a life of travel!).

Pro: You’ll learn more about yourself and your interests.

Kayaking? YOU? Who would’ve thought?

Another benefit of studying abroad in high school is the opportunity to grow in ways that you wouldn’t be able to by staying at home. While traveling abroad, you learn more about yourself, discover new interests and skills, and solidify your passions. By getting outside of your comfort zone, you give yourself opportunities to become comfortable with the unknown.

A pro of studying abroad is the chance to narrow down your interests, giving you a more defined and clear direction for your life post-high school. It may even help you avoid the dreaded changing of majors later on in college.

Con: It can be scary to move somewhere new on your own.

Moving abroad, even temporarily, is a huge step. There are a lot of unknowns, from figuring out a new city to navigating different cultural norms and habits. But that’s where the adventure comes in! 

If you knew exactly what to expect, you wouldn’t be challenging yourself and growing from the experience. High school study abroad programs provide a lot of support and resources to help you adapt, so you’ll never be truly alone in this new journey.

Pro: It will be easier to learn a language.

You’ve heard before that kids are better at picking up languages, but it’s also never too late to learn a new language! Instead of sticking to the traditional, boring, high school language classes, immerse yourself in a language you’re interested in and watch yourself improve!

Even with just a high school semester abroad, you’ll learn more than you could in a couple years of school. The best way to learn a language is through daily practice with native speakers, so what better reason is there to study abroad in high school?

READ MORE: How to Learn a Language in a Year: 5 Essential Steps to Follow

Con: It might be expensive.

But *so* worth it.

Studying abroad in high school is going to seem more expensive than staying at home when you look at it on the surface, but don’t let that discourage you! Think of all the benefits you’ll get out of the experience and compare the costs to your daily life at home, and you’ll find it’s not actually that bad.

Plus, there are lots of scholarships offering partial to full-funding to help you pay for your adventure abroad, possibly making it even cheaper than staying at home! Check out some high school scholarships here. (And don’t forget about FundMyTravel either!)

Pro: You’ll gain a new perspective and bring back stories to share.

Traveling opens your mind and a major benefit of studying abroad in high school is that you can bring these perspectives and ideas back to your loved ones. Because you immerse yourself in another culture and often live with people different than you, a little bit of their perspectives will rub off on you, opening the way for better understanding of the world. 

Not only will you become more open-minded, but you will also be a better problem-solver, since you’ll be able to think from all different angles. You’ll have so many stories of you solving problems abroad to share with your family and friends!

Con: You’ll be challenged beyond belief.

Let’s face it, traveling abroad is not an easy task for anyone. There are a ton of new things to learn and get used to (especially in a Covid world). There is a huge learning curve, and there will be days when you might want to give up.

Though this will feel like a con in the short term, in the long run you’ll see it’s very much a pro. If you stick through it, make the experience your own, and seek support when you need it, you’ll come home stronger than ever. All the challenges and obstacles that stood in your way help you grow, preparing you for even tougher challenges in the future.

Pro: You’ll get a leg-up on college applications.

Showing universities that you have survived the challenges of living abroad on your own, and possibly learning another language in the process, will make you stand out on your college applications. 

They receive many generic essays, but you’ll have a plethora of experiences, stories, and lessons to draw from that truly prove what you can do and how you are prepared for university life. By showing off your new status as an adventurous global citizen, you’ll have no problem settling in at college.

READ MORE: How to Talk About Your High School Travel Experiences on College Apps

Pro/Con: You’ll want to keep traveling abroad.

Ready for a life full of travel?

Depending on how you look at it, this can be both a high school study abroad pro and con. If you study abroad in high school, you’ll discover a love and interest in travel early on in your life, meaning that you’ll have plenty of time to keep exploring the world.

However, this also means that you might have to do a little bit more work and planning so you can keep up this lifestyle—but it’s totally worth it, as you’ll come home every time with new friends, new knowledge, and lots of adventures to share.

The more friends you make, the more places you’ll have to crash, and the more you’ll want to visit them. It’s a never ending cycle, but it’s a life you have to live. (You might even want to study abroad more than once.)

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The benefits of studying abroad in high school outweigh the cons!

And there are more pros of studying abroad than this list shows. Sure, taking a huge leap across the world to study abroad in high school can be intimidating and scary, but you don’t have anything to lose from it. In fact, you will gain so much more than you could ever imagine.

From learning a new language to having a second home, you’ll never be alone and will have the support of everyone around you. In a few months you could be learning Spanish next to the beach or celebrating Diwali with your new family and friends. The possibilities are endless, but you need to take the first step.

What are you waiting for? Start a lifetime of adventure now!

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