You're making an investment in yourself and in your future when you choose to study abroad.  You are investing in the academic, professional, and personal areas of your life.  The global society that we live in today is more connected than ever before.  Obtaining firsthand international experience is important.  The skills you obtain abroad, whether hard skills or soft skills, will help you become a global citizen and make an impact on your career path.  Read on to discover just some of the benefits of study abroad.

By taking classes abroad, you are deepening your understanding of your academic discipline.  Learning from a non-U.S. perspective and from diverse international faculty and peers provides you with additional knowledge that enhances your UCSB education.  While abroad, you can take courses not offered at UCSB, explore a different area within your major and obtain a well-rounded academic experience.  Remember, you will receive UC units for all of your courses and with careful planning, you can fulfill degree requirements and graduate in a timely manner.

You're encouraged to obtain practical experiences abroad.  In today's competitive society, we understand the importance of building your résumé while on UCEAP.  You can show your future employers that you were able to navigate across cultures and perhaps that you became proficient in another language while abroad.  Many programs provide you with the option to intern or conduct research and all programs allow you the opportunity to create a global network and make lasting connections.

When you study abroad, your personal network will naturally grow as you will no doubt meet many other UC and international students, professionals and people from around the globe.  While you may feel out of your comfort zone, these new experiences will challenge you in ways that will make you a stronger person.  You will feel a sense of accomplishment after navigating a society whose language you may not understand, traversing around your host city without a map, adapting to a different academic culture, befriending locals who may become your lifelong friends and solving problems on your own.  Returnees often share that study abroad has transformed them into independent, confident, forward-thinking individuals ready to take on life's challenges.  UCEAP is a transformative experience that will surely impact your life.

Living in a different country allows you to gain firsthand experience in, and knowledge about, a specific culture.  It allows you to observe and participate in daily activities and traditions.  Whether you choose to study abroad in a place that is completely unfamiliar to you or in a location with a culture that is similar to what you're accustomed to, you will surely gain invaluable insights about the local culture.  These experiences will provide you with a better understanding of today's culturally diverse societies that are connected more so than ever before.