Education is a vital tool in our day-to-day endeavors. Of late, there are huge similarities and differences in the educational curricula of many countries. With such, there are diverse tastes and preferences of the various educational systems by the students across the globe. The current policies and guidelines in education have greatly influenced the demand for education thereby prompting educational exchanges between the people from diverse regions, cultures, and political backgrounds. Further on, the availability of funding and scholarship opportunities by various governmental and non-governmental agencies has prompted many native citizens to study abroad. In the United States of America, the number of students studying abroad has increased tremendously in the past few years. The increase in this number is attributed to various fundamental reasons. The aspect of studying abroad has sparked a serious debate on the pros and cons of the same.

The essay will lengthily evaluate the advantages that can be realized by both the student his country if he studies in a foreign country. Additionally, the demerits accrued by the student and his home country in a similar scenario will be discussed too. The discussion will be highly inclined on the article on “The case of studying abroad” by Stengel.

Thesis statement:Studying in another country is not an important aspect of preparing students to be successful in a globalized world.

Advantages of Studying Abroad

The article by Richard Stengel in the Huffington post is a vital inclusion in the discussion of the advantages of studying abroad. As such, various instances and examples in the article are inclined in the fact that the merits of such an endeavor outweigh the demerits. However, I am in great contrast with the notion that studying abroad is essentially important in prompting some notable success to the student. Stengel has highlighted that people who have studied abroad enjoy a mean of about seven thousand dollars in starting salaries as compared to those in the home country. This aspect is phenomenal in their lives and families. With such, the students will meet their basic needs and wants hence the ability to live in the foreign country. Additionally,ir grossdomestic product. key components to any success.

The article is also categorical that the flow of student to overseas learning institutions has been triggered by the existence of scholarships and other support tools to the students. The aspect of financial support then because a second advantage associated with the willingness to study abroad. The financial support is entitled to students at various educational levels such as high school, undergraduate or post graduate. The support may be in whole sum or partial depending on the financial abilities of the agency. For instance, the Boren Scholarships are largely meant for undergraduates whose anticipation is to pursue their academics in foreign lands. The National Security Language Initiative for Youth funds high school students and recent graduates to study diverse languages such as Korean and Hindi to foreign countries especially during the summer break(Stengel). With such funding, the cost of education abroad is less as compared to that of the mother country. However, there is no correlation between the low cost of studying abroad and the success that the student may realize in his future life. Effectiveness and efficiency in decision making are some of the major triggers of success in life.

The third advantage of studying abroad is the fact that the programs to be studied are diverse and unrestricted as compared to those in the mother country. The article has backed up this claim by ascertaining that most of the Americans who have studied abroad have majored engineering, sciences, technological and other high-level courses(Stengel). The courses pursued have huge significance the global economy. The mother countries are bound to benefit from such courses due to the increased levels technological innovations and expertise in the key sectors of their economies. Over time, students who study abroad develop the abilities to embrace and appreciate the cultures, behaviors, cultural beliefs and practices in the new countries(Stengel). Such aspects are essential in promoting globalization in the modern world. By developing the flexibility to such adaptations, the humanity nature of the students is enhanced. Such an endeavor is pivotal in upholding togetherness and co-existence not only in the new country but also to the mother country. Additionally, increased investment opportunities and mind expanding experiences are some of the merits accrued by students who pursue their education abroad. The experiences acquired abroad are essential in developing the entire issue of globalization and its various aspects. Improved self-confidence and exposure may bring forth great success to the people who have undergone studies abroad.

Disadvantages

Studying abroad may bring forth various demerits to the student. Firstly, the article by Stengel ascertains that many students have a lot of fears as pertains to their graduation (Stengel).In the absence of funding, the cost of studying abroad will be extremely higher as compared to the mother country. This claim is the send disadvantage of studying abroad. The higher cost is attributed to the flight costs and other academic related costs such as fees and meals. With such, students from the rich backgrounds will pursue their education abroad thereby causing a lot of disparities in the education system in the mother country.

The third disadvantage of such study is the issue of communication barrier. In such a scenario, the student will face a lot of difficulties in undertaking his academic practices as well as communication with his colleagues. With such, the student may require some training that will have some cost attachments. Additionally, the student may feel isolated from the other members of the group hence difficulty in grasping academic concepts especially in engineering (Kinginger 54). Further on, the concept of studying abroad has caused serious damages to the family, cultural and religious ties that previously existed. The breakdown of the family ties has brought about adverse effects on the social behavior of the student. The aspecthas further prompted some students to indulge in some queer behaviors that are prohibited in their societies. For instance, increased abuse of drugs by foreign students is highly linked to the breakdown of family links. As such the students may not be able to realize their ultimate academic goals and objectives.

The breakdown of cultural and religious ties will hinder the student from engaging in his societal undertakings after pursuing his education. As such, the students will find it hard to fit in their previous religious set-ups. The students will, therefore, be looked down upon by their relatives and other members of the society. The difference in educational curricular may make some of the academic accreditations obtained in foreign countries to be rendered ineffective in their mother countries. This aspect is highly evident in the fields of law and engineering whereby the relevant bodies in the mother countries have to countercheck your accreditations with the required standards.

The demerits have adverse effects on the acquisition of the relevant educational skills by the student thereby limiting their success. With such, the education obtained from the foreign countries may limit the overall success of the student thereby reducing the significance of such educational practices in the global society. There exist other individual attributes that may trigger success in life apart from acquiring education from abroad. Such attributes may include self-control, self-discipline and respect among others.

Conclusion

The acquisition of education in foreign countries has profound advantages and disadvantages to the individual and his mother country. The broad variety of academic programs in the foreign institutions will ensure the acquisition of quality education by the student. Additionally, the funding of students by relevant agencies has greatly reduced the cost of education abroad. Higher payments, increased self-confidence, and exposure are also attributed to foreign studies. Conversely, language barrier and the breakdown of social, family and religious ties are some of the major demerits associated with foreign studies. The acquisition of success in this globalized society cannot be wholly attributed to overseas studies and education. The disadvantages of studying abroad as well as other personal characteristics will greatly undermine the anticipated success. To sum it all, the success of people in the global society is a multifactorial aspect and foreign education has minimal impact on it.

Works Cited

Stengel, Richard. “The Case for Studying Abroad | Richard Stengel.” The Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.

Kinginger, Celeste. “Language learning in study abroad: Case studies of Americans in France.” The Modern Language Journal 92.s1 (2008): 1-124.

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