Packing a suitcase and leaving the country may sound dramatic — like something people do after a breakup or during a midlife crisis. But honestly? College is the perfect time to get on a plane and temporarily abandon your comfort zone.
This winter, the University of Mississippi is offering students an opportunity to go to Hawaii to study coral reefs, volcanoes and sea turtles for course credit. There is also a tropical ecology course in Costa Rica, an art history trip to Italy, a business and culture program in South Korea and French immersion in Paris or Lyon, along with endless more private programs.
These programs are not hypothetical — they are happening. The question is: Why aren’t more of us going?
Many students skip study abroad because they do not want to miss a football game, a Grove Saturday or spring concerts. But those things happen every year; opportunities to live and learn in another country don’t.
You can always tailgate again, but I doubt you will be 20 years old again, taking train rides across continents or hiking a volcano for course credit.
Travel is not about running away from Ole Miss, but about coming back and realizing the world is so much bigger than your GPA or Blackboard notifications. You don’t need all the answers. You just need a passport and a tiny bit of courage.
While this might sound like everyone’s dream, the reality is that money gets in the way for a lot of students. Plane tickets, program fees and housing abroad can make travel feel like something only other people get to do.
But it’s more doable than it seems — especially at Ole Miss. The university offers faculty-led trips that are short-term, credit-earning and designed for students who have never traveled before. These aren’t just brochures sitting in Martindale-Cole or the Duff Center — they’re real programs with real professors and real academic credit.
And yes, they can be affordable. Students who receive Pell Grants can apply for the Gilman Scholarship, which can cover $4,000 to $8,000 of a trip. The Study Abroad Office also offers its own scholarships, the Honors College has travel grants and financial aid can often be applied to approved programs.
Some programs, such as the Croft Institute or Modern Languages, even cover airfare or housing for certain immersion experiences. Traveling abroad isn’t just a dream but a financial puzzle that actually has uncomplicated solutions.
Cute pictures are not the only reward you will reap from travel. Scientifically, it rewires your brain. New environments boost neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to form new connections.
A study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that students who studied abroad became more creative and better at problem-solving. Traveling also teaches emotional regulation — like staying calm when your entire Spanish vocabulary disappears the moment someone actually speaks Spanish back to you.
Travel also makes you pay attention. Suddenly, you are noticing architecture, languages and how people hold their coffee cups. You get to see your own life from the outside and realize how big the world is beyond Oxford and your hometown.
Study abroad, take a class across the ocean or just get a stamp on your passport. You will return with a clearer understanding of yourself, your home and the world you are a part of.
Vidya Adlakha is a sophomore biological sciences major from Ocean Springs, Miss.
