The Amazing Things You'll Learn from a Study Year Abroad ...

Leaving home is a challenge in itself, and moving to an unfamiliar environment even more so. As for spending a year in another country - well, that's a whole new challenge! And you'll learn survival skills that staying in your home country wouldn't have taught you. When you look back, you'll realise that you've achieved so much during your year abroad.

Living in a country is definitely the best way to learn the language. Being exposed to the language every day will help you absorb a lot of vocabulary and become more confident in speaking it. You'll have the opportunity to speak to people every day and practice your language skills, which will improve much more than if you'd stayed at home and only studied the language in class.

A study year abroad will expose you to many different cultures, and not just the culture of the country you're staying in. You won't be the only person studying abroad at your host university, so you'll meet people from all over the world. In fact, you'll probably meet nationalities that you haven't met before, so it's a fantastic way to discover different cultures.

Studying abroad for a year will give you lots of useful material for enhancing your resume. You'll be able to show your newly-acquired language skills, that you're resourceful and confident, and that you can mix with people from different backgrounds. It will give you the chance to stand out among the thousands of graduates leaving college every year.

Making contacts is incredibly useful and the best way to hear about career opportunities before anyone else does. This is a big advantage of spending a year abroad studying, especially if you want to work abroad. You'll meet so many people who may be able to help you in the future, including those who are studying the same subjects as you.

Spending a year abroad will also change your outlook and help you develop as a person. It teaches you how to be resourceful and cope away from familiar surroundings. You'll learn to see life in a different way and meet people who come from very different countries. It all adds up to a changing way of thinking and seeing the world.

You might feel nervous about the idea of spending a year abroad, but when your year is up you'll have proved to yourself that you can handle new and challenging situations. It's a big boost to your confidence, and will also be a major selling point for prospective employers.

So look into spending a study year abroad - it will change your life for the better! Where would you like to spend a year?