Whenever it’s time for a child to go to college, it can already be hard on the parents. After all, it’s been 17 years (give or take a few months) of them living at home and relying on their mom and dad for their daily needs. So, when it’s time for your son or daughter to graduate from high school and they bring up the fact that they’ve been thinking about not only going away for school but studying abroad, it’s understandable why you might be hesitant to go along with the program.

However, there are actually benefits that come with a student making this kind of commitment and so if your child does present you with this option, we have provided you with five reasons why you definitely should consider letting your student study abroad:

1. It’s a great way to see the world. As adults, we know how easy the demands of everyday life can keep us from doing some of the things that are on our own wish lists. College is the perfect time for a young person to get out and see the world by experiencing different kinds of cultures including food, music and architecture. It will create lasting memories for the rest of their lives.
2. It’s an easier way to learn another language. Without question, it is professionally beneficial to be bilingual and one of the easiest ways to learn a second language is not by sitting in a classroom but being in a city where it is spoken fluently.
3. It can actually enhance your degree. When a student goes overseas to study for a semester or two, there’s a pretty good chance that they will be able to take courses there that are not afforded to them in the States. This means that they may be able to earn a few more credits. Also, it helps to make their academic resume that much more attractive when it comes time to seek out internships and a full-time job.
4. It gives broadens their employment eligibility. There are several studies that indicate that only about 5 percent of Americans ever go to another country to study on a college level. That said, with the job market in the States still as unstable as it is, studying abroad expands your child’s ability to be able to land a job following graduation. Being in another country is a way for them to not only make new friends and meet new professors, but to also make international connections; ones that they may be able to use for years to come.
5. It matures them. Say that your child is enrolled at Ohio University, they are living on campus and it’s a couple of hours away from your house. Just by spending time in a different environment, they are going to grow up and mature in many ways. But when they are in another country, thousands of miles away, it forces them to have to mature at an exponential rate because they have to learn how to be independent in so many ways. Studying abroad teaches them how to manage time, money and other resources in a way that nothing else can. A child who studies abroad doesn’t just take classes in another country. They learn about a whole new way of life and that better prepares them for “the adult world” once they return home.