Texas Christian University provides students with many opportunities to expand their learning experiences, one of them being studying abroad.

“TCU Global supports the university’s efforts toward comprehensive campus internationalization,” according to TCU Global.

According to the United States Department of State and USA Study Abroad, students should “study abroad to build skills and knowledge, prepare to solve the world’s toughest challenges and compete in the 21st century workforce.” 

Going global gives students the opportunity to explore new perspectives while navigating different cultures and working with a diverse group of peers. 

Challenges

While studying abroad can bring a lot of challenges, studies suggest that it can transform students into responsible and engaged citizens. 

For senior Anya Ivory, studying abroad transformed what she thought were monotonous days at TCU into motivation for her future career, she said. 

Ivory said she struggled in classes and overstretched herself in various commitments before she studied abroad in Rome in the spring of 2022. She was a junior at the time and was a producer for the TCU360 newscast as well as an intern with TCU Admissions. 

The Impact

While in Rome, Ivory cultivated new relationships. Navigating foreign transit, establishing a new routine and budgeting with her friends grew them closer together. 

“It sounds corny,” Ivory said, “but the relationships I already had grew stronger since we lived there. We spent a lot of time together, learning from each other and really internalizing each others’ perspectives.” 

Ivory’s friend Lauren traveled abroad with her as well. They decided to live together the following semester, which was “a testament to how quickly that experience bonded us,” Ivory said. 

“International educational experiences that you undertake with thoughtfulness and purpose are valuable, regardless of duration and format,” according to USA Study Abroad.

When students are abroad, they aren’t offered the same 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio as at TCU. 

Ivory says that studying abroad was “Impersonal compared to TCU… I appreciate TCU and value my time here a lot more after studying abroad.” 

Ivory said she had a lot of support from TCU that influenced her to study abroad and that without that support, she would not have gone.

Career Path

Ivory said that when she returned from Rome, she shifted her career path. Her motivation to finish out her time at TCU grew because she saw it as a way to get back to Rome. 

According to International Student, “When you finish your study abroad program and return home, you will return with a new perspective on culture, language skills, a great education and a willingness to learn.” 

“Studying abroad reignited that spirit of learning in me and stimulated me enough to reevaluate,” Ivory said. “I love that TCU values students having that opportunity as much as I do.”