Every college campus boasts the percentage of its students who study abroad during their college career. St. Thomas proclaims that more than half of students study abroad before graduation, and it offers between 150 and 160 programs in more than 45 countries each year. Additionally, the international programs page on St. Thomas’ website states that over 1,000 students study off-campus each year.

What no college website will boast is how many students choose to study abroad simply to party in a new country. Some students believe studying abroad will give them a whole new perspective on life and that they will come back with a greater appreciation and knowledge of the cultures they encountered.

But how can you become more “cultured” if you take a greater interest in experiencing the nightlife than in actually learning about the country? I worry too many students are choosing to study abroad for the wrong reasons and aren’t taking full advantage of the opportunity to learn and experience a new culture.

Something seemed a little strange to me when talking with other students who had previously gone abroad over J-term and who were comparing stories of going out every night. When I asked about the classes they took and how regularly they had homework and projects, the people who had class every day seemed disappointed. I was slightly more puzzled when St. Thomas’ study abroad website was not listed under academics but rather under student life.

I spoke with Tim Dohmen, St. Thomas’ senior study abroad advisor, about the positive and negative experiences that can occur while studying abroad. Dohmen stated that most students do have good experiences but warned negative experiences can happen if students are mentally unprepared.

“Many student returnees talk about feeling more independent and self directed as a result of their experiences and most can point to a greater understanding of another culture as well as their own,” Dohmen said. “If a student is unprepared academically or personally for the experience, that too could cause aspects of the experience to be negative. I do think it is important to note that study abroad is not necessarily meant to be easy, and sometimes the greatest growth comes from the most challenging and sometimes uncomfortable experiences.”

While experiencing a new culture is an essential part of studying abroad, it seems like the academic motive while studying abroad has been diminished. Students can learn outside of the classroom by learning the customs and traditions of a country; however, it becomes a problem when students think it is more valuable to “learn” what the inside of every local bar looks like. Getting to know other American students while studying abroad should not be discouraged at all, as it can often lead to lifelong friendships, but students should also be encouraged to get out of their comfort zones and meet resident students or other locals.

Perhaps the emphasis of classroom learning should be shifted while abroad, because how many people will look back in 50 years and remember name of the course they took while in Rome? Hopefully, students look back on their experience and remember some things they learned while in a new country, even if it is outside of the classroom.

Claire Noack can be reached at noac8702@stthomas.edu.