6 Ways Study Abroad Helps You Figure Out Your Most Confusing Pre-College Questions

By Julia Zaremba on June 13, 2016

“So, tell me about yourself.”

Uh-oh.

These simple admission questions seem straight-forward and kind of generic, but they have the power to separate the worthy from the Plain Jane’s, the genuine from the scripted, the trendsetters from the masses. They have the power to intimidate, interrogate, and, hopefully, inspire.

The thing is, these questions are eternal; they can stick with you after acceptance letters and serve as motivators to improve for future interviews and get through existential crisis (or inspire a few of them). They can motivate you to cram good deeds into the last semester of your high school career, or to reflect upon life when sitting in your new dorm room.

With a study abroad experience, these pesky college questions will all seem like invitations to talk about your crazy, life-changing adventures. Not only will your educational endeavors abroad automatically give you interesting content, but the passion will be evident in the sparkle in your eyes and the smile in your voice.

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So, take a deep breath and start impressing.

1. Learn About Yourself: “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

Every single experience abroad has the power to shape you into a stronger individual. But, more than just increasing patience, flexibility, acceptance, and endurance, travel exposes us to situations not found back home. After spending a summer in France, you know that you are a whiz at languages, but absolutely suck at making crêpes. It’s easy to realize that you value bureaucratic efficiency, after being stranded at the Turkish border for three hours, waiting for a visa.

2. Learn About the World: “Why are you interested in our college?”

The world is a big place, and studying abroad helps you realize that what we take for “normal” or “expected” back home isn’t always the standard. Whether it be class organization, teaching methods, public transportation, or ways to host a surprise birthday party, cultural and academic norms are different for every country.

How would you know that you prefer class conversations and afternoon siestas, if your school back home was all about MC tests and 8-hour days (followed by three hours of after school clubs)? Calling Spain home for a fall semester taught you more than just paella varieties.

3. Learn About Your Passions: “What activities do you find most rewarding?”

If you don’t take up the entire time slot talking about travel itself, and how it is the most rewarding hobby with a mentality that stays long after you unpack your bags, you might find yourself talking about your camera, which became your best friend on solo weekend trips abroad.

Or about salsa classes taken up when studying in Colombia, yoga sessions offered on your semester in India, or volunteering options when going to school in Kenya. Either way, it’s going to be a lot more interesting than “Netflix & Chill.”

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4. Learn About Others: “Who influenced you most?”

While most people talk about their mom or 10th-grade algebra teacher, some of the most inspiring people are strangers you meet on the street. Sure, Mom is always going to win because she’s your mom, but, you can’t deny that that woman standing on the street corner of Puno, seven children playing in her skirts, baskets overflowing with homemade tortas, isn’t working hard. Or that the owner of your language school in Mexico was an exiled poet who spearheaded two charity organizations, founded a Spanish school, wrote a book about child labor, and still has time to share his home-cooked meals.

5. Learn About Events: “What’s your stand on the immigration debate?”

Growing up in a bubble, with television news and the city’s predominant opinion, doesn’t exactly mold you into a global citizen. Spending time abroad exposes you to a kaleidoscope of new opinions; chances are, most of your study abroad classmates are from various countries and, thus, view global issues differently.

In addition, traveling abroad opens your eyes to issues you didn’t even know existed, such as child trafficking in Thailand or Lula’s presidential arrest in Brazil. Maybe you went to Italy to learn verb conjugations and pasta shapes, but instead joined Saviano’s crusade against the trash mafia.

6. Learn About Your Goals: “Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?”

So, you already knew that you like art or are interested in social issues, but you didn’t know that you wanted to become a museum curator until you visited the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao or that indigenous women’s rights were threatened until you lived among native communities of Bolivia.

Or, after spending a semester in Vietnam, you want to go back to teach English or start an orphanage. Our sense of purpose often comes when out in the world, discovering and learning, rather than when writing five-year plans with school counselors.

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After a study abroad experience, the next time that someone asks you, “What challenge are you proud of overcoming?,” there’ll be no need to stare back blankly or ramble on about passing that AP biology test. Instead, you can dazzle them with a casual reply that mentions stepping out of the familiar, embarking on an academic adventure in a strange country, figuring out bus schedules in a foreign language, getting lost, finding yourself, and coming back a new person: a citizen of the world with a broadened mind and desire to share your life lessons.

Sounds like a winning reply to me.

Congratulations! It is my pleasure to inform you of your admission into the University of Life!

Written and contributed by our partner GoAbroad.com.

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