So I think we’ve established – I like school. I’ve graduated from 3 different universities with degrees in three different areas. And while there is certainly a lot to say about carefully considering your education, especially because of how much debt it’s likely to get you into, I totally get people who are bitten by the permanent student bug.

The only thing better to me that studying new things, is doing it somewhere weird and exciting. I mean… most people might not consider living in Sheffield, England that weird or exciting, but I loved it.

Learning in a different culture was fascinating to me. It was even more fascinating to compare what was required of me to get a Master’s degree in the U.S. versus what was required to do it in England and I was perpetually surprised by how many fewer hoops I had to jump through in England to graduate but how difficult and challenging the course work was – constantly pushing my brain in ways I’d never imagined.

One are of the world often overlooked for study abroad programs is the Middle East, although anyone interested politics or global relations should really consider it. American University of Sharjah (AUS), for example, offers advanced degrees in a wide variety of programs from Translation and Interpreting to a variety of engineering degrees.

If you’re already decided on attending graduate school, the real questions becomes where do you want to go, and for those not afraid of a new adventure, the entire world really becomes open to you. As a matter of fact, with the United States as one of the most expensive places in the world to study, pretty much anywhere you go from here, whether it be an institution like AUS or my own alma matter the University of Sheffield, you’ll either be paying a similar amount or saving significantly.

Additionally, global experience is becoming a more sought after resume skill with every passing year. There’s a world of difference between being able to say that you went on a trip to Rome for a week versus you lived in the United Arab Emirates for two years. Full cultural immersion teaches you the nuances of each place, allowing you to interact with businesses and potential customers there in ways that will make them open to your employers offerings.

Even if you work for a company that deals with a different part of the world than where you decided to study, studying abroad teaches you resilience like you never imagined, adaptability, and open-mindedness. Personally, I come from the land of 24 hour CVS and the first time I got the flu in England, I was horrified and annoyed to find the chemist closed at 5 PM – and sometimes all weekend if you didn’t live near a Boots.

Immersing yourself in a different culture teaches you that there is often more than one way to do things “right” and, even more so, your way might not have been the best way. It teaches you how to be a self-starter and get stuff done on your own, because something as simple as buying a microwave in a new city can become a project of misinterpretations, shipping logistics and currency conversion. It also teaches you how to be outgoing in an entirely new way – whether you’re a natural introvert or extrovert.

All of these benefits add up to an experience that it’s difficult to put a price tag on – that is, until you make your first salary request.

            Have you ever considered studying abroad?