Prepare Your Children for Their Future Professional Live: Why to Do a School Year Abroad

As soon as a child is born, many parents start thinking about their child’s future career and employment: what career will my child study, what will he or she do after graduation, among many other questions. In addition, many parents think about the possibility of their children working abroad to expand their opportunities. For instance, living abroad for a school year is one of the most comprehensive ways to prepare for work.

In this article, we talk about the benefits of doing a school year abroad for your child’s professional life.

Here are the reasons why a school year abroad is the best option to start preparing your child for work in the future:

Achieving Bilingualism

We believe that this experience guarantees fluency in a second language, as students are at an age where they can learn, live with people who speak English as their first language, and are immersed in their culture for 10 months.

Different Educational System and Availability of More Advanced Subjects

The experience of a school year abroad allows students to take classes in a different educational system than the one they are used to, which makes their own learning methods more flexible and opens their minds to other ways of understanding knowledge. Similarly, they have access to subjects that they do not usually find in their home country, with which they can have their first approaches to the university level or explore their skills beyond the usual high school levels.

Ability to Adapt to Different Environments

During their school year abroad, students are in constant contact with different people, from different cultures, beliefs, ways of thinking… And they have to interact with them in different contexts, whether it is at home with their family, in their neighborhood or at their school. The advantage of this interaction is that the student acquires the ability to adapt quickly to different environments with a low level of frustration, which will serve as preparation for the job.

Frustration Tolerance and Coping Skills

This point is closely related to the previous one, as it relates to the wide variety of new situations that the student will experience during the school year abroad. For example, he or she will play different sports depending on the season, join clubs that interest him or her, attend activities in his or her neighborhood, volunteer, among many other activities. In each of these situations, the student will have to adapt to rules and manners, know his time, be punctual, assume certain responsibilities, learn what his limits are, know the consequences of his actions, etc.

Maturity, Independence and Autonomy in Decision Making

Another great benefit of doing a school year abroad is that students learn to make decisions independently and gradually gain the maturity to make informed decisions about their own future. Many parents are surprised at the level of independence their children achieve when they return to their home country.

Courage and Confidence in One’s Own Abilities

After living several months away from their comfort zone and achieving different personal, academic, athletic, social and family goals at their destination abroad, students feel that they can achieve anything they want. This self-confidence will be fundamental in preparing them for work, not only during the selection process, but also in their own professional work.

Creativity and Innovative Ideas

Openness to different cultures breaks down students’ thought patterns and helps them to see the world in a different way, as well as to find creative and less obvious solutions. This capacity for innovation stems from their own observation of the behaviors of others that accompanied the school year abroad experience.

The points we’ve mentioned here are just a small taste of how much a school year abroad means in terms of work preparation. Without a doubt, choosing a program like this is the best investment a parent can make for their children.

In the end, you can be sure that the time your child has invested and the money you have paid will have a benefit that will positively impact their professional life.