One criticism often leveled at Americans is that we're too ethnocentric; because we live in such a vast expanse of land with few neighbors, we're not required to associate with citizens of other countries, and therefore have no deep understanding for other cultures. Although we're referred to as a "melting pot", most people from other countries quickly assimilate into popular American culture, so that we don't really get an opportunity to learn much about the lives of the immigrants around us.
The many study abroad opportunities available to college students today offer more than a selection of university-level courses; they give students a valuable view of the world through the eyes of another culture. Whether students decide to spend a semester or a year in another country or choose a curriculum that offers a four-year degree program abroad, their education is enhanced enormously by living in a foreign environment and associating on a daily basis with students from around the world.
Some students choose to learn the native language of their chosen host country and study classes given in that language. For others, many programs are available taught in English. For instance, McDaniel College, a small, private liberal arts college in Maryland, has a complete college campus in Budapest, Hungary, offering its students a strong, varied curriculum and a unique opportunity to experience this haunting, Old World city.
Study opportunities exist in many countries in every region of the world; some countries welcome foreign students to the extent of offering scholarships for tuition and living expenses, so the cost of living abroad doesn't necessarily have to be a bar to the experience. And course offerings are available in every conceivable subject, so this opportunity can be available to virtually any college student who wants it.
Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written numerous articles for local and regional newspapers and for a number of Internet websites, including Tips and Topics. She expresses her opinions periodically on her blog, http://beyondagendas.blogspot.com.