Ever since I arrived on campus — and even before — my mom has pestered me about where I’m going to spend my semester abroad. She mostly wants me to study in a European country so she can visit me, and to appease her, I’ve been looking into the many different programs. A recent dilemma faced by one of my friends, however, has left me all the more hesitant to take the leap.

One of my good friends has been excited for the second half of his summer trip to Western Africa through MSU. His accommodations were going to be less than stellar, but he expected a great overall experience. On Friday, he received an e-mail telling him the class he was to be enrolled in while abroad, IAH 231, no longer was offered.

With the deadline to apply to programs having passed on Monday, he rushed to apply to a different program. My friend has yet to hear back from the program in London for which he applied, but will receive a refund from his trip to Western Africa regardless. The sudden change in plans made me question MSU’s study abroad program even more, so I decided to call the Office of Study Abroad and ended up having a lovely chat with a representative while learning about the ins and outs of study abroad.

One thing I learned was the programs don’t change all that often, especially on such short notice. But sometimes, often due to enrollment numbers, they have to be reworked.

Studying abroad offers students a chance many people don’t encounter in a lifetime. Without the school taking responsibility for the planning and possible financial assistance, many students might never get the chance to have the valuable learning experiences. Sure, the traveling can teach a person new languages or give them valuable lessons within their field, but the life skills — such as learning how to handle being out of a comfort zone and how to traverse unfamiliar territories — are the real appeals, at least to me.

We as a student body are lucky to have such an extensive study abroad program. MSU has turned spending a semester abroad from an “if” to a “when” question for many students. Many schools don’t have the same kind of long-standing support MSU has had in their study abroad programs.

There are so many loan and scholarship options that nearly every person, no matter their financial status, can have the same opportunity as the next person. Each program does a great job with predeparture orientations to ensure that students are ready for the trip.

So the only question for the student to ask is, “Is this right for me?” The benefits to each person will vary greatly. One person might choose to go for credits. Another might go for the life lessons. And each and every person has to decide on their own what the reason for him or her might be.

A lot of students might go into study abroad for the wrong reason. They might look at it as a semester-long vacation with blow-off classes in another country. A lot of people end up struggling in the programs, some of which are much more rigorous than the courses here in East Lansing. Studies in other countries shouldn’t be taken lightly; they are just as important to college as studies in America.

But when college is all said and done, will missing out on the opportunity be something regrettable? Some students after college will not have a chance to travel because they’re busy working 80 hours a week at a full-time job. Events from one’s trip might be some of the best memories of a lifetime. Some students also might find themselves looking back at school, regretting they didn’t jump at the chance to study abroad.

I can’t tell my mom for sure yet if I’ll take classes in another country. I’m leaning a little more toward doing so after speaking with the Office of Study Abroad. A lot of people can benefit from a semester abroad. But don’t take my word for it — it’s ultimately up to the individual.

Pat Evans is the State News opinion writer. Reach him at evanspa7@msu.edu.