According to the International Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the number of international students worldwide rose from 0.8 million in 1975 to 3.7 million in 2009. In addition, Unesco’s Institute for Statistics finds that the number is increasing by about 12% each year.

Once students are granted with the opportunity to expand their college choices, they will create a path that allows them to evolve as human beings and adapt to diverse societies. For many Columbus School students, expanding their educational ideas leads to visualizing themselves studying abroad. Some go for it and leave family and friends behind. This once in a lifetime experience cultivates independence, toleration and educational skills. People should study abroad because it will guarantee them personal growth, interaction with diverse cultures and future success in their later life, something unachievable if they study in their native country.

The United States is the preferred location overseas when it comes to studying abroad, it attracts most international students. It’s humans’ responsibility to expand their educational development. Acquiring language capacities and cross cultural communication are necessary abilities in order to triumph in the future.

Compared with Colombia, U.S provides prestigious internships and one of a kind job interviews, teenagers must take advantage of this experience. Studying abroad guarantees recognition and superiority, these skills are then reflected in their future labor life. It’s insane that students prefer to stay in an undeveloped country rather than aspiring for the best education granted worldwide. Teenagers who neglect the idea of expanding their education demonstrate mediocrity. It’s outrageous to recognize that bilingual kids decide to pass on the opportunities to study abroad.

Studying abroad is a wise alternative for Columbus School students because teenagers have the chance to interact with diverse cultures and expand their critical thinking skills. Amalia Uribe, Columbus School graduate, attended The Escuela of Ingeniería in Medellin for 2 years, then she traveled to Australia to finish her studies. This unfamiliar culture has revolutionized her way of thinking, she acquired the capacity to see the world from a different angle.

Teenagers open themselves to new opinions and perspectives when they interact with different cultures from all around the world and collage inactivates them to create strong bonds with their pears. Society needs to realize that in order to evolve, interaction between cultures must arise. Students need to exit their comfort zone and expand their horizons, otherwise they will end up with a close mind. When they experience life in the exterior, they learn new beliefs that demonstrate intellectual growth. Some people dismiss the possibility of studying overseas, rejecting the opportunity to meet new cultures. Their critical thinking sinks because they don’t have a vision of the exterior world and they never clash with the reality the surrounds them.

When teenagers decide to study abroad, they become tolerant to cultures they once imagined impossible to withstand. The interaction with different ethnic groups and believes allows them to evolve as human beings and ultimately reach maturity, something they would never fully accomplish without the chance to interact with other civilizations.