Remember that old computer game Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? Kids all over the country played the thing obsessively, following the clues and tracking down the anti-heroine and, in the process, learning quite a bit about the world in which they lived. It became so popular, in fact, that there was a cartoon spin-off and a live-action television show. To this day, it's a cultural touchstone to people of a certain generation in America. Why? Because our fascination with the world in which we live is insatiable, and our need for a greater understanding of it seems to know no bounds.
Which is exactly why attending college abroad is such a good idea. The world is wonderfully large, and there is no way to possibly learn as much as we'd like to in one lifetime. Travel, of course, makes all the difference when it comes to gaining a better grasp of the world, but the fact remains that most people never get away as much as they'd like. But attending college in a foreign place doesn't just make it possible to understand the ways of life in a single country-it also makes it much easier to grasp the differences among all of us.
Also, as the world is becoming ever more globalized, it is now more important than ever to reach out and grasp as much of it as possible. For it is no longer an option for an American to claim that a working knowledge of the rest of the world is unnecessary. In order to truly make the most of the new globalized marketplace, not only an understanding of the world in all its rich variety is necessary, but also the ability to internalize and work with the unfamiliar. And nothing prepares a person to deal with the world better than living and studying in a foreign country.
As for the big question-which country to study in-there is no easy answer. Essentially, it comes down to this: What are your long-term professional goals and what are your short-term academic ones? For though they may seem to be quite obviously intertwined, this is not necessarily the case. There are some countries whose schools might tend to specialize in the area in which you would like to focus, but whose role in the world is not ultimately one that will be of tremendous help in your professional career. For example, Indian colleges and universities are famous for their excellent technical programs, such as IT and engineering. But if you ultimately would like to focus on a different aspect of the computer or engineering field, then perhaps you would be better off considering a school in some other part of the world.
Then there is the issue of safety. The world, after all, is a complicated place these days, and attending college in a country like Italy entails an entirely different set of issues than does a college experience in Tehran, Iran. Which is not to imply that one is better than the other-they are simply different-but both must be looked at in their own individual contexts, as well as in the context of what is happening in the world at large and within their individual borders.
In the end, though, the important thing is that you go. Because attending college in another country will be one of the single most enriching experiences of your life. There is just no better way to broaden your horizons and enrich your life experience. And in the end, isn't that what college is all about?
