There are numerous reasons why you should get international experience during your studies.
- CHALLENGE YOURSELF.
Moving abroad means big changes: new country, new city, new school, new language and new people. You will learn a lot- especially about yourself.
- NEW ACADEMIC AMBITIONS
The international opportunities provided by NHH give you the possibility to study at some of the world’s top universities. You get the chance to learn from the best in different academic areas, and work with ambitious students from all over the world.
- LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE
Good language skills are important in a globalized world. Learning by living in another country gives you the best foundation for learning another language.
Therefore studying at an international university typically offers opportunities for international students to learn their new host country’s language. Depending on the length of your stay, you may or may not reach native fluency. However, one thing that’s for sure is that your hosts will appreciate your effort. A little effort goes a long way towards immersion
- EXPERIENCE OTHER CULTURES
No matter where you go, you will find much that differs from life at home. By experiencing other cultures you will not only learn a lot about the world, but also have a better understanding of your own culture’s characteristics. Research shows that multi-cultural knowledge makes us more creative and adaptable.
- BE ATTRACTIVE ON THE JOB MARKET
An increasing number of employers, both Norwegian and foreign, operate in an international arena and therefore need employees with international experience. Being perceived as a professional in this arena requires good language skills, but also the ability to understand and respect cultural differences.
A prerequisite to success is the ability to master. Employers are looking for people who dare to move out of their comfort zone. A semester or more abroad gives you the chance to show that you are adaptable and ready to face new challenges.
- CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
When you finish your study abroad program and return home, you will return with a new perspective on culture. Language skills, a great education, and a willingness to learn. Needless to say, all these are very attractive to future employers.
Many students find that they love their host country so much that they decide to seek work there. If you can relate, you will find that a local education will be very valuable when searching for a potential job in that country.
- STAND OUT TO EMPLOYERS
Employers appreciate applicants who have studied abroad. With an international experience on your resume, you’ll come to the interview with more maturity, confidence, and practical skills with real-life anecdotes to back it up.
- FIND NEW INTERESTS
If you are still questioning why to study abroad, you should know that studying in a different country offers many new activities and interests that you may never have discovered if you’d stayed at home. You might find that you have an as-yet undiscovered talent for hiking, water sports, snow skiing, golf, or various other new sports you may never have tried back home.
You’ll also have the chance to discover other new and exciting forms of entertainment. Plays, movies dancing, night clubs and concerts are just a few activities that you can enjoy.
- PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
There is nothing quite like being on your own in a foreign country. You might find that studying abroad really brings out your independent nature. Students who study abroad become explorers of their new nation and really discover the curiosity and excitement that they harbor.
A benefit to studying abroad is the opportunity to discover yourself while gaining an understanding of a different culture. Being in a new place by yourself can be overwhelming at times, and it tests your ability to adapt to diverse situations while being able to problem solve.
- GAIN INDEPENDENCE.
Although any university experience offers the opportunity to grow personally, oftentimes students miss out on recognizing their full potential by choosing the closest university to home. Therefore, there may be a period where it is particularly difficult for post-graduates to adjust to life outside of academia.
However, with the additional challenge of navigating a foreign country, as an international student you will pick up crucial “adulating” skills. It is common to have to find housing, learn a language, navigate a new city, or budget with a foreign currency while living abroad.
When you move back home, you will be grateful to have learned how to pay bills, communicate with people from all walks of life, and take care of your own living arrangements.
You will be ready to put yourself in the driver’s seat to face life’s challenges, making you more confident and assured
- DISCOVER YOURSELF
At some point in everybody’s life, you have to at least wonder what makes you the person you are.
When you move abroad to study, you will be given the chance to see the world, and especially your native country, in a whole new light. Many international students report that this has had a big impact on their development as a person for the rest of their lives.
- TRAVEL THE WORLD
The first time you do something new, it can seem really scary.
For many international students, their studies offer them first opportunity to leave their home country. Those students get a bit of a guiding hand from the university, as they expand their borders and learn how to live in a new country independently.
Studying abroad imparts valuable travel skills that you can use anywhere in the world: navigating international airports, identifying the best local restaurants, learning how to find your way around an unfamiliar city knowing when to be conscious of cultural norms, or figuring out the public transportation.
Although you’ll become an expert at living in your study-abroad city, you’ll learn transferable skills along the way that will open up the world to you.
- EXPAND YOUR NETWORK, MAKE FRIENDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
As an international student, you automatically become a member of a large network of other international students at your university. Oftentimes, universities also host special events for their international students in order to grant everyone the opportunity to make a new group of friends in their new country.
- LIFE EXPERIENCE
Why study abroad? For most students, this time may be the only opportunity they ever get to travel abroad for a long period of time. Eventually you will find a job and career, and the opportunity to study abroad may turn out to be a once in a lifetime opportunity.
- ENJOY COMING HOME
After returning from study abroad and overcoming some reverse culture-shock, you’ll take in your home country with a new eyes and have a deeper appreciation of what it really means to be home.
The mundane things that you walk past every day at home might start to hold more value for you, and the elements of your culture that you longed for when you studied abroad can become very meaningful to you upon your return.