A semester abroad not only helps students experience new cultures while completing their degree, but it also sets them up for future success by diversifying their portfolios while gaining a different understanding of the world around them. Student exchanges are gaining plenty of momentum at Fanshawe College, with the highest number of students yet taking the skills they have learned at home and applying them within an international setting.
The chance to go abroad is something that students are not considering during their time at school, which is something that Exchange Coordinator Brianne Dos Santos is trying to change.
“More and more today, employers are looking for something that’s going to make you stand out on your resume. International experience is something that employers are looking for.”
Dos Santos believes that with students graduating with similar credentials as their peers, the opportunity to separate yourself from the pack is imperative when searching for a job. Exposing yourself to an international market and showing that you are willing and able to thrive in a new environment is just one of the ways that students can get a leg up on the competition after graduation.
“It demonstrates that you had the courage to go abroad, and that you have that intercultural communication background.”
Exchange students from other countries that have come to Fanshawe see similar advantages, and have discovered that doing an international exchange can help them flourish once they return home to their studies. With the ways the school helps out, from comparable tuition fees to international scholarships offering students $2500 to help offset travel and visa fees, the opportunity is there without a substantial out of pocket cost.
The biggest and most notable benefit to doing an exchange is the chance to travel in an unfamiliar land. Students get the opportunity to immerse themselves in a different culture, and often discover new sights they would have otherwise only heard about. Students who have come to Fanshawe also afford themselves the opportunity to travel to many worldwide hotspots such as New York, Montreal, and wherever else in North America.
While these travel expenses may seem daunting on a student budget, the opportunity is ripe for the picking. By paying similar charges for tuition, room, and board, the extra expenses can be mitigated knowing that the major costs of being a student are very similar to what you would pay at your home school.
It’s the added benefits of experiencing new cultures, new foods, and building long lasting friendships while away from school that can make an international exchange an investment that will last a lifetime.
