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Would studying abroad benefit me (In terms of coding)? And what are some pros/cons for this?
Just curious about whether it would benefit me or not.
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6 answers
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Mark’s Answer
Hi Jaden!
The experience alone is likely priceless. I've worked for companies that are global and understanding different languages/cultures would give you a huge head start on collaboration and teamwork. As others have mentioned, the cost is definitely a major factor to consider, but if that is not a concern I would certainly encourage you to give it a shot.
Not only that, you would be exposed to different methods of coding or problem solving that you might not experience otherwise. It's always good to see as many different solutions to a problem as you can. You never know when these methods might come in handy.
The experience alone is likely priceless. I've worked for companies that are global and understanding different languages/cultures would give you a huge head start on collaboration and teamwork. As others have mentioned, the cost is definitely a major factor to consider, but if that is not a concern I would certainly encourage you to give it a shot.
Not only that, you would be exposed to different methods of coding or problem solving that you might not experience otherwise. It's always good to see as many different solutions to a problem as you can. You never know when these methods might come in handy.
Thank you for the suggestion! I will definitely try to study abroad in the future when I get the chance.
Jaden
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Martina’s Answer
Hi Jayden,
Great question. I believe studying abroad would be benefit you. As a coder, during your career you will likely work either at a global company, needing to interact with people from other countries, or you may work on a product which will be used in multiple countries.
Having experience living and studying in another country will give you better insight into usability aspects of what you create, will give you extra empathy with users who may not be from or in the US, or are not English speakers. You are hopefully going to make friends and can imagine them more readily using software you write.
It may challenge some of your assumptions on "this is the way things are done", as there may be different approaches to life's and coding problems abroad. The maturity of end-user software products abroad is also different. This is all valuable experience on your career journey.
All the best,
Martina
Great question. I believe studying abroad would be benefit you. As a coder, during your career you will likely work either at a global company, needing to interact with people from other countries, or you may work on a product which will be used in multiple countries.
Having experience living and studying in another country will give you better insight into usability aspects of what you create, will give you extra empathy with users who may not be from or in the US, or are not English speakers. You are hopefully going to make friends and can imagine them more readily using software you write.
It may challenge some of your assumptions on "this is the way things are done", as there may be different approaches to life's and coding problems abroad. The maturity of end-user software products abroad is also different. This is all valuable experience on your career journey.
All the best,
Martina
Thank you for the advice. It would be nice making new friends and to develop my social skills.
Jaden
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Lorenzo’s Answer
Hi Jaden!
As someone lucky enough to have had a chance to study in the US, Europe and Asia, I'm a staunch advocate of the benefits of studying abroad.
In my opinion, what you'll gain from such an experience goes way beyond just programming skills.
You'll get to meet and connect with people from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures, experience different teaching methods and assignments, and broadening your horizons with new perspectives.
No matter if you plan to return to the US for work or explore other options, the skills and experiences you'll gain from studying abroad will be incredibly valuable for pretty much any career path you choose.
Wishing you the best of luck, and I hope you have an amazing time if you decide to go for it!
As someone lucky enough to have had a chance to study in the US, Europe and Asia, I'm a staunch advocate of the benefits of studying abroad.
In my opinion, what you'll gain from such an experience goes way beyond just programming skills.
You'll get to meet and connect with people from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures, experience different teaching methods and assignments, and broadening your horizons with new perspectives.
No matter if you plan to return to the US for work or explore other options, the skills and experiences you'll gain from studying abroad will be incredibly valuable for pretty much any career path you choose.
Wishing you the best of luck, and I hope you have an amazing time if you decide to go for it!
Updated
Steve’s Answer
Study abroad outside the US is unlikely to make you a better coder. It is valuable for other reasons, but will not be worthwhile to improve your technical skills.
Updated
Allisson’s Answer
Hello Jaden!
Generally speaking, I'd recommend studying abroad if you were not a native English speaker or if you want to work in another country like Switzerland, Denmark, etc. The US is at the top of the high-paying countries for Software Engineers and all programming languages use English in their syntax, so if you live in the US you have a good headstart.
PROS: You'd visit a new place, learn a new culture and be close to people instead of only seeing them through the screen. This would also help you learn their language a lot faster.
CONS: Since we can work from home and there are tons of online courses and boot camps, you'd have extra expenses related to living, visas (if needed) and airplane tickets.
My advice is for you to think about what topic you want to study, research the options, and about where and how you want to work in this area. This will guide your decision of whether or not studying abroad is a good choice.
I hope I could help you a little bit :)
Generally speaking, I'd recommend studying abroad if you were not a native English speaker or if you want to work in another country like Switzerland, Denmark, etc. The US is at the top of the high-paying countries for Software Engineers and all programming languages use English in their syntax, so if you live in the US you have a good headstart.
PROS: You'd visit a new place, learn a new culture and be close to people instead of only seeing them through the screen. This would also help you learn their language a lot faster.
CONS: Since we can work from home and there are tons of online courses and boot camps, you'd have extra expenses related to living, visas (if needed) and airplane tickets.
My advice is for you to think about what topic you want to study, research the options, and about where and how you want to work in this area. This will guide your decision of whether or not studying abroad is a good choice.
I hope I could help you a little bit :)
Dan Wolf
Retired Electrical/Software Engineer and part-time College Professor (BSEET and MS Engineering Management)
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Dan’s Answer
Strictly speaking about the impact or benefit to learning software programming, I don't see the value (cost vs benefit) of studying software programming abroad. There are plenty of high quality universities in the USA and they would not require the extra travel and relocation costs.
On the other hand, the exposure to another country, culture, and language would be a pretty nice experience that would be valued by companies who were based or sold products in that country. And personal exposure to the travel and new culture would likely help with your personal/people skills.
On the other hand, the exposure to another country, culture, and language would be a pretty nice experience that would be valued by companies who were based or sold products in that country. And personal exposure to the travel and new culture would likely help with your personal/people skills.