Last Wednesday, I stopped by the UF Study Abroad fair outside of the Reitz Union to discover what options are open to me for getting out of Gainesville and my pitiful dorm room.
This is not to say that I don’t love the city of Gainesville.
Its dramatic daily fluctuations in temperature, ruthless bicyclists, unclean pizzerias and great variety of local — um — wildlife make it a home away from home.
I just think to truly make the best of my time here at the university and squeeze every cent out of the rising tuition, I need to take my studies past university walls.
You can only learn so much in a classroom setting (even less when you are sitting in Pugh Hall’s notoriously uncomfortable chair-desk combo).
I feel it is imperative for every college student to study abroad at least once during their time in college, even if it is only for a week or two.
And although they are incredibly entertaining and informative, weekly trips to the Jersey Shore don’t count.
Yes, study abroad does cost money, but there are plenty of scholarships, grants and free money that you can get toward the trip.
The organizations and people offering the trips are not going to send you over there and leave you to fend for yourself with a passport, an atlas and an old pair of shoes.
Plus, everyone I know who has gone on a study abroad trip has loved it, and they have said the trip pays for itself.
At the fair last week, I was stunned by the number of destinations offered through UF Study Abroad. I still have no idea where some of these trips go.
I dare you to locate Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on an unmarked map.
The point is there are hundreds of study abroad opportunities to take advantage of.
According to a study abroad presentation, only about 30 percent of UF undergraduates study abroad.
It is shocking that more people don’t take advantage of this opportunity.
Then again, maybe I am biased.
I have spent my entire life living in various countries and know what the rest of the world has to offer us as students and citizens around the world.
But as someone who grew up overseas and knows what life is like beyond our shores, I really urge everyone to jump at the chance to become a study abroad scholar.
Even by watching those corny but fascinating Cisco and IBM commercials, it becomes clear we are becoming a more diverse, connected world.
To succeed in the future, one must think in an international context and the only way to do so is look past the blackboard or LCD screen and gain a global perspective.
Instead of spending another semester in Gainesville, choose to study abroad and have the best time of your life.
My destination recommendation? Paris. Just for the food. Bon voyage!
Joshua Lee is a political science sophomore. His column appears every other Wednesday.
