Virginia Rufina Marquez-Pacheco – Contributor

Travelling abroad is an activity I had always imagined would take place after my studies. However, I discovered a couple of years ago that studying and travelling can go hand in hand. Studying abroad is a scary yet incredibly rewarding experience that more students should have access to.

To begin, I discovered that travelling and studying form an excellent pair. The act of studying is a set of activities and reflections taken with the goal of learning, like reading a book, taking a course, or doing an internship. When one tries to study, one needs to open one’s mind to a world of possibilities. The same is true when travelling. The traveller needs to be open-minded when going out into the world, at least if they aim to get the most out of their experience. Moreover, both the student and the traveller need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable and they both need to learn humility. Travelling and studying are activities that mutually reinforce each other’s ability to open a student-traveller’s mind and spirit. I can think of no better way to live up to Bishop’s motto: Recti cultus pectora roborant, or “sound learning strengthens the spirit.”

Individually, studying and travelling can be very stressful activities. Together, studying abroad can become overwhelming. Whether we like it or not, currently, studying abroad is a privilege that few students can enjoy. First, going abroad to study for a semester is a financial burden: not only is there a large cost, but you will likely be unable to work for the months that you are away. Luckily, there are governmental and university scholarships and bursaries that one could benefit from, though finding and applying to them usually takes some labour. Second, studying abroad can be a big mental strain, especially if you are neurodivergent like myself. Here, strong support networks and counselling services are key to ensuring your success abroad. For those students without access to a strong support network, whether its family, friends, or professionals, mental wellbeing becomes another barrier. Both the financial and mental burdens of studying abroad rapidly become ingrained in the system, especially when considering the intersection of broader systemic issues within university systems. To offer students the best opportunity for “sound learning” by studying abroad, it is imperative that institutions create the material and social conditions necessary to their participation.

Studying abroad will always be a stressful activity, yet the benefits are enormous. Though it may sound like platitudes, studying abroad is truly a chance for self-discovery, and personal and professional development. I had the opportunity to study abroad twice—in Greece in the Spring 2023 semester and in Italy in the Spring 2024 semester. These trips were an opportunity for me to learn practical skills in archaeology – my preferred field of study – to be exposed to ancient material culture, and to learn foreign languages. For example, I was fortunate enough that I was able to visit the Vatican Museums and see one of the famed Fayum mummy portraits. Yet, the greatest benefits were my increase in confidence and the amazing people I got to meet along the way; people whom I would never have encountered had I not gone. Andrée Laroche, a fourth-year history student, participated in the Torre Mordillo Archaeological Project last summer. She enthusiastically claimed that it was a life-changing experience, writing that, “It sets you up to make lifelong friends, learn a language, and live some pretty crazy stuff you’ll look back on one day with wispy nostalgia. Personally, it’s given me a push to be more ambitious with my life goals.” While recognizing that there are many barriers to studying abroad, she believes that “it should be standard practice for undergraduate students to study abroad at some point in their degree.”

So, if you ever get the opportunity to go study abroad, I highly recommend that you take it; it will be a life-changing experience.

Photo courtesy of Virginia Rufina Marquez-Pacheco