5 Reasons Why High School Students Should Study Abroad in South America
As the season changes so are our schedules. To most families it is back to school time. Whether you have young children going to a public school, local high school or college kids it is more important than ever to educate and lead them to understand the world around them.
Today with a smartphone in your pocket you can instantly find out what your kids are doing through their Facebook wall or call them from anywhere in the world without even needing to have a phone line. All you need is Internet and a Skype account. Have you ever considered study abroad in South America?
The global economy is changing the way we live and do business. And as it evolves, it’s more important than ever for high school students to understand the world around them and to learn another language, understand other cultures and develop leadership skills. One of the best ways to learn about the world is through studying abroad.
Here are five reasons why high school students should study abroad in South America:
One: It is close to home
There’s no better place to study abroad than to go to South American countries. Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Chile have study abroad programs specially designed for high school students. Flight time from Washington D.C. to Lima Peru is
seven hours 31 minutes.
Bogota, Colombia is only
five hours 14 minutes from Washington D.C. So mom or dad can easily take a short trip to visit. You don’t have to fly over 15 hours for a short visit.
Two: Cheaper air tickets
Air tickets are cheaper for flights to South American cities like Quito Ecuador, Lima Peru or Bogota, Colombia compared to Asia, Australia or some parts of Europe. One of the reasons air tickets are cheaper is because of the flight distance. A flight from Washington D.C. to Quito Ecuador is
2,693 miles. A local flight distance between Washington D.C. to Los Angeles is
2,299 miles.
Three: Spanish language and culture
Spanish is widely spoken in the world. Knowing a second language is not only necessary it is essential in our global economy. Speaking and writing a foreign language fluently may open up more job opportunities when your high school student graduates. Jobs in healthcare, education, social services, foreign services, international businesses and the U.S. Government need fluent second language speakers.
Most South American countries’ official language is Spanish. High school students who spend time studying abroad in South American countries will be able to speak the language more fluently and easily. They can use the language everyday in school, at the store, social activities and on TV.
Spending time studying abroad can help students understand the culture.
Four: Cheaper than Europe
Some students may prefer to study abroad in Spain for the Spanish language. However it is cheaper to study abroad in South American countries compared to any language school in Spain.
To find out the exchange rate, use Travelmath’s
currency converter. It is 1.313 U.S. Dollars to 1 Euro at the time of writing.
Ecuador uses U.S. Dollars which makes it easy for most families. One Peruvian nuevo sol is
0.358 U.S. Dollars.
Five: No jet lag
Since we are in the Americas, North America and South America, there is no jetlag when it comes to traveling to South America. When you need to speak to your high school student you don’t have to worry about the difference between night and day calls.
If you are in Washington D.C. which has U.S. Eastern Time and need to fly to Quito Ecuador, the time difference is
one hour. Or if you fly to Santiago, Chile from Washington D.C. there is
no time difference.
Are your high school students going back to school this fall? What if he or she could study abroad in South America for a few months or a year? Let us know your thoughts about studying abroad.
