Study Abroad Advantages

“Create, share, and apply knowledge to make Iowa and the World a better place.” That is the mission of Iowa State according to Iowa State University’s strategic plan. All the classes, clubs, and organizations are made to help Iowa State reach its mission. Iowa State must have students that can conduct research to solve the problems of this century. The students have to be able to communicate in order to share their findings with other people. Finally, they must be able to apply what they have learned in real world situations to either solve problems or improve a product. The one organization that I feel supports Iowa State's mission the most is the Study Abroad Center.

According to the Study Abroad Center at Iowa State, their mission is
First off, globalization is here to stay. The world is working together more than it ever has before, and students who want to work in our interconnected world should study abroad. When employers are looking to hire, they love to find people who have studied abroad. Studying abroad is the most effective mean for students to develop needed skills because it gets them out of their comfort zone. People like to stick to what they know, and it is hard to learn anything new if you don’t put yourself out there. On study abroad trips you get to experience new cultures, environments, languages, and educational systems. The students get to see diversity from culture to culture firsthand. Through your first hand perspective you create new views and ideas on how the world works. While you are on your trip you practice these views and ideas so when you come back you can share them with your peers or coworkers. The knowledge you gained will somehow have a positive impact on your life and possibly the lives of others. This fits perfectly with supporting Iowa State's mission because you create new knowledge, share the knowledge, and then apply the knowledge to your everyday life. Not only does Iowa State have to support its own mission, it has to follow the rules of a land