“Everyone needs to study abroad,” said Mychelle Vincent, a UNR student, who is currently spending the semester studying in Viterbo, Italy. “After being here, I can’t imagine my life without this experience,” Vincent said.
It seems that Vincent is not the only student who sees the importance of receiving a global education.Catherine Wilcox, a student at California State University, Chico, who is currently studying in England, believes that study abroad programs help students stand out in the job market.
“Students are looking for ways to stand out from the crowd and make finding a job easier,” Wilcox said.
These two undergraduates represent the growing trend in U.S students, who seek to take their education to an international level. The number of U.S. students choosing to study abroad has been steadily increasing for more than a decade. Data gathered by the Institute of International Education shows that the number of study abroad students has more than doubled since the 1998/99 total of 129,770 U.S study abroad participants.
The total number of U.S. students studying abroad is increasing.
The most significant jump in the number of study abroad students occurred between the 2006/07, and 2007/08 school years, with the amount of students rising by more than 20,000. Whether coincidence, or not, the first IPhone was also released around the same time by Apple in June of 2007.
Vincent believes that there is a correlation between the increase in study abroad participation and the evolution of new technology. “It only takes a few clicks to read hundreds of students’ stories, and experiences studying abroad,” Vincent said. She also thinks that the idea of going abroad is easier, knowing that students may stay in constant contact with friends and family.
Although the correlation between cell phone use and study abroad is not as strong as one might think, there does seem to be a solid connection between the number of adults using the Internet, and the number of students deciding to study abroad.
During the 1999/00 school year, only 46% of U.S adults used the Internet, according to data collected by the Pew Research Center. This percentage increased by about 5% each year between 2001 and 2008. Although cell phones may be the preferred communication devise within the U.S, many study abroad students opt out of international phone plans, and rely completely on the Internet to communicate with friends and family.
Vincent chose not to get an international phone plan, during her semester in Italy. "There is Wi-Fi in my apartment and in many places where I go...I can iMessage or use Facebook chat to text everyone, and I FaceTime my mom fairly regularly," Vincent said.
Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter make it easy to keep in contact with friends, and video chat can make long distance communication seem more natural. The Internet has become a quick and affordable way for students to communicate, without having to rely on a phone plan.
Wilcox also uses social media, and smart phone apps to communicate via the Internet. “I use Facebook message, WhatsApp, and Skype to communicate with people back at home,” she said.
With more efficient technology, and faster methods of communication, students have begun seeking to broaden their horizons by receiving a global education. The growing use of social media, and video chat to connect friends and family seems to make the whole world feel like home.
