Studying abroad is selfish. My group here has discussed this quite a bit, and it’s true. We each left all of our loved ones behind, spent our schools’ money, and took off on an individual journey to learn about a new place, a new culture, and new aspects of ourselves.
Studying abroad is selfish, but not in the ‘immoral’ sense of the word. Leading an entirely selfless life would be detrimental to any individual. Believe me, I tried. I thought (as many people do) that caring about others was more important that taking care of myself. What this ultimately translated to was a deep insecurity that I wasn’t worthy of being taken care of.
I am so thankful that I learned this early in life. There is a balance one must discover between being compassionate towards others and ensuring your own well-being. As much as the 16-year-old Kristen inside me hates to admit it, I know well that helping others can be a form of misdirection from helping yourself.
So yes, studying abroad is selfish. I didn’t come here to help people. I came here for others to help me- to observe, ask questions, ask for favors, meet new people, and try to better understand the world. When I called my bank to tell them I would be in Rwanda for four months, the woman asked a question I received frequently; “Oh, are you going on a mission trip?” It’s a perfectly legitimate question; many people do mission work throughout Africa. But when I explained I was studying in Rwanda, she replied with a slightly disappointed tone, “you’re not volunteering or anything like that?” There seems to be this idea that if you want to be the student, you go to Europe and if you want to be the teacher, you go to Africa. This unintentional superiority complex is very frustrating to me.
I am not even 21 years old. I am an undergraduate student who has lived a very blessed, but frankly, sheltered, life. I came to Rwanda selfishly, to learn about things that interest me from people far more experienced and wise. I have questioned many aspects of myself and even more about the world as a whole, and yet, I will return home with greater uncertainty about life than ever before. I’d consider that a successful study abroad experience.
Studying abroad is selfish, but not in the ‘immoral’ sense of the word. Leading an entirely selfless life would be detrimental to any individual. Believe me, I tried. I thought (as many people do) that caring about others was more important that taking care of myself. What this ultimately translated to was a deep insecurity that I wasn’t worthy of being taken care of.
I am so thankful that I learned this early in life. There is a balance one must discover between being compassionate towards others and ensuring your own well-being. As much as the 16-year-old Kristen inside me hates to admit it, I know well that helping others can be a form of misdirection from helping yourself.
So yes, studying abroad is selfish. I didn’t come here to help people. I came here for others to help me- to observe, ask questions, ask for favors, meet new people, and try to better understand the world. When I called my bank to tell them I would be in Rwanda for four months, the woman asked a question I received frequently; “Oh, are you going on a mission trip?” It’s a perfectly legitimate question; many people do mission work throughout Africa. But when I explained I was studying in Rwanda, she replied with a slightly disappointed tone, “you’re not volunteering or anything like that?” There seems to be this idea that if you want to be the student, you go to Europe and if you want to be the teacher, you go to Africa. This unintentional superiority complex is very frustrating to me.
I am not even 21 years old. I am an undergraduate student who has lived a very blessed, but frankly, sheltered, life. I came to Rwanda selfishly, to learn about things that interest me from people far more experienced and wise. I have questioned many aspects of myself and even more about the world as a whole, and yet, I will return home with greater uncertainty about life than ever before. I’d consider that a successful study abroad experience.