As a languages student, immersion in other cultures is commonplace. Through literature, film, and pop culture we are encouraged to learn about and understand cultural nuances that we may otherwise never have access to. So used to this way of teaching, it’s easy to forget that the lack of year abroad opportunities in Cambridge means that pathways between most other students and international opportunities are closed off. Speaking to students from other courses, it seems the lack of emphasis on the importance of studying or working abroad means most don’t even know the benefits they are missing out on.

Unlike most UK universities, Cambridge offers the opportunity to go abroad to just a select few degrees. This means that the benefits of a year abroad are being contained to only a fraction of Cambridge’s students, a downside of the university which sadly goes largely unnoticed. While many colleges offer travel bursaries to those who want to spend time abroad related to their degree, these rarely extend longer than a few weeks and depend on the individual colleges and how much funding they have to offer. Not to mention, many students see this, understandably, as a way to go on a fully-funded holiday where the emphasis is on cocktails rather than courses. It seems that outside certain faculties, the benefits of immersing ourselves in other cultures, and the ways in which this can enrich not only our lives but our academic prospects and careers, aren’t being adequately emphasised.

“The benefits of a year abroad are being contained to only a fraction of Cambridge’s students”

I don’t mean to suggest that students are naive to the benefits of travelling. In a University where a quarter of students at some colleges take a gap year before commencing their studies, it is safe to assume that this isn’t the case. However, the specific benefits of a year abroad are unique and derive from the length and nature of this type of experience.

In all the research I’ve completed for my own year abroad, I have found that the length is one of its greatest assets, as you have the time to plant roots in a new place. This undoubtedly creates much more opportunity to foster more meaningful and long-lasting connections with the people from that country. This is also more common on a year abroad because you will likely be alone and therefore forced to get out there, rather than hiding behind your extroverted friends or parents. Although undeniably daunting, our understanding of the culture in which we are immersing ourselves will be deepened in a way that is almost impossible to achieve when experiencing another culture alone.

“You will likely be alone and therefore forced to get out there”

Another unparalleled opportunity available to those of us who take a year abroad is the level of choice and freedom in deciding how to spend the year. Unlike in Law and Engineering where students can only study, Languages students are able to study, work, intern, or teach. This array of possibilities is an invigorating concept as a language student, as it is much harder to gain these types of opportunities later on without the guidance of the University services, who can help us to gain the most out of the year.

Based on the experiences of those who have returned, it is clear that the personal benefits of a year abroad are also extensive. While Cambridge seems to be very picky, I believe every field has something to gain from international study. Whether through working or studying internationally, the skills gained from interacting with and learning from another country’s practices in your field will widen your horizons dramatically. This, in conjunction with the benefits of simply living and interacting with another culture, makes for a more creative and unique academic outlook, as well as highly employable skills.

We can already see just how enriching international study and shared cultures are through the number of international faculty members and students present in Cambridge who bring so much to academic life. This type of environment can be created in other countries through Cambridge students studying abroad, allowing us to benefit by learning from other cultures while we also contribute to academia and industry in these places.

As a country who often struggles to understand cultures other than our own, the UK would undeniably benefit if more of the next generation were versed in many cultures, with skills enhanced by the diverse experiences of students’ during their years abroad. As Cambridge is home to many students with the potential to make change, more year abroad opportunities would make this future a much more feasible possibility, something I’m sure many of us would love to see when entering the world of work.

I feel as though my year abroad will be one of the highlights of my degree and can already foresee the benefits it will provide: a goldmine of opportunity that Cambridge is depriving the majority of its students from accessing.

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