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The demand for going abroad has been increasing as educators promise college students a way to find themselves and distinguish themselves on their resumes once they graduate and move on to their careers. However, one must think critically on whether or not they should trust the source. In the book Psychological Science, they discuss common errors while try to think critically about a subject. One of the categories is “Failing to accurately judge source credibility: Who can you trust?”. Students may blindly accept facts from an authority figure they deem knowledgeable about the topic. However, students need to take into account they are trying to sell a product. In this case, they are trying to convince you to go study abroad (Halpern 8). I have always wanted to go to Spain. I have been studying Spanish for over eight years now and have been fascinated with the Hispanic culture. Even though I even joined Por Colombia on campus, I think there is a growth opportunity when you go abroad.How exactly does going abroad improve student’s ability to be a more well-rounded student at FSU? I sat down with Megan OMeara, an FSU student that did the first year abroad in Panama and asked her questions surrounding her growth as an individual.

In a study, done by Esther Niehoff, the researchers looked at how students grew in terms of the Big Five Factor Model. As stated by McCrae, “the well-established model Five Factor model (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness) is widely accepted for its high reliability and temporal stability.” To look at each of these qualities within the students’ personality, the researchers did a self-report research study. They gathered individuals who are going abroad and those who were not and asked them to fill out this survey twice, once before and once after. Their hypothesis was that there will be an increase in conscientiousness, openness and agreeableness while the student will be less focused on themselves. After comparing the two different surveys, the claims in the hypothesis were supported by the responses (Niehoff).

In addition to the study, Megan OMeara, a student at FSU, came to a similar conclusion through her own experience of going abroad. Megan decided to study abroad her first year at FSU because she wanted to have an adventure. She never was not with her parents, not even for summer camp. She was nervous about leaving for Panama City for twelve months, but after twelve months, she was grateful she went because she developed more skills that would help her as a student at FSU. After reminiscing over some memories, Megan explain that due to the fact she went abroad she became “confident, independent, mature, and you get like these skills”. As the study suggests, these students come back being more aware and accepting of other cultures. In our Seminole Creed, one of our pillars is Diversity. While FSU is diverse, going to another country and learning how to integrate yourself into a society is a skill hard to learn on a college campus. The skill to understand how integrate yourself into the community and respect other cultures is helpful in making you a participating member at FSU and makes FSU a more accepting university when you have leaders like Megan. Megan OMeara has found herself being able to discuss important culture references with the Hispanic culture and this skill will allow her to build connections that leave with her when she graduates.