Opinion: Studying abroad is more complex than often portrayed

Discussions of studying abroad are often paired with idealized stories of broadened perspectives, breathtaking sightseeing and an exceptional Instagram feed.

Studying abroad does offer a wide variety of benefits. It can bridge cultural gaps, promise immense personal development for students and be an incredible learning opportunity.

Still, the risks involved with studying abroad should inform the commonly stated benefits in order for students to make sound academic, as well as personal, decisions.

Participating in a study abroad program isn’t always productive for both the individual and the community he or she visits — therefore the decision to study abroad should be balanced with knowledge of high opportunity costs and international power dynamics.

Students often spend more money than they intend to while abroad. Banks often charge international fees for every abroad charge, students tend to pressure one another to eat out, and almost every sightseeing opportunity involves transit fees at the very least.

Additionally, the semester abroad is notorious for setting students off track academically. The adjustment to a different grading scale or workflow is challenging enough even without the constant pressure to travel every weekend and go out every night. It is impossible to know the right balance between studying in the same way one would at home and making the best of one’s abroad experience.

The path to international independence is not easy, and it is ridden with loneliness. While one can find friendly people almost anywhere, language and cultural barriers can hinder connection.

Additionally, students who are not properly made aware of power dynamics and the implications of their behavior may make choices abroad that can be socially irresponsible.

One way this can manifest itself is in students’ sexual relationships. The temporary and lonely nature of a semester abroad often makes it easier for students to form sexual relationships that can be damaging to all parties. The simplest tasks are complex when studying abroad, to say nothing of more complex lifestyle areas, such as sexuality, which must be treated with the utmost care.

Oftentimes, this is one area of study abroad that is neglected in the preparatory meetings leading up to the program. Romantic relationships among the program’s participants could add unnecessary pressure on students. And if a participant chooses to become romantically involved with someone from the country he or she is visiting, the politics of attraction can further complicate the relationship.

Cultures often fetishize one another, and those who quickly engage in such cross-cultural relationships might unwittingly take advantage of geopolitical power dynamics and inequalities.

In other words, the study abroad experience could give its participants a sense of liminality — but this liminality should be experienced in a conscious way.

Altogether, living somewhere new can take a formidable amount of character-building to maintain a healthy balance in areas such as mental health, personal finance and relationships.

Study abroad can be a valuable and perspective-widening experience for students, but more should be done institutionally to prepare students for the kind of risks and pressures they can face. Educational efforts by study abroad offices should not shy away from controversial topics and aspects of studying abroad like loneliness, financial pressures and the consequences of international power dynamics vis a vis sexuality.

It is important for students to be offered a realistic vision of what studying abroad can be, not just an idealized narrative that could form unrealistic expectations for students. Studying abroad is valuable, but students should understand from the outset what they’re getting into.