Are Study Abroad Programs just a Waste of Time? People have a different opinion regarding study abroad program. Some opine that it is a waste of time while others think otherwise. I think that studying abroad programs are not just a waste of time. These programs provide an opportunity for the students to travel and see the world. Through abroad academic programs, students gain firsthand experience about a foreign country they have never seen before. Traveling in a foreign country for an abroad study programs also provides the student with an opportunity to see other nations neighboring the host country. For example traveling to France for an abroad education programs provides the student with the opportunity to see other European nations such as Italy. Studying abroad is not a waste of time because such program helps improve the social aspects of the student. Academic programs are not confined to a classroom setting only. They involve out of class knowledge such as the social affairs of foreign people. Academic programs are developed such that students relate what they learn in class and the real life events in different facets of life including the social patterns. Study abroad academic programs achieve this purpose when offered through academic institutions. As such, they offer new avenues of gathering knowledge by the students who learn through exposure to different environments. Consequently, students develop academically by helping them to utilize their class knowledge in boosting their lives (Cressey, 2004).
Study abroad programs assist students to learn from other students from different countries. Through the interaction in class and out of class session, students exchange information and knowledge. The exchange of information and ideas is an important ideal embedded