Approximately 500 Ball State students study abroad each year.
During the 2012-13 year, approximately 13 percent of Ball State students studied abroad.
SOURCE: John Jensen, director of study abroad
• Research on studying abroad found that student’s personalities can grow and mature as a result of their travels.
• The study said studying abroad makes students more prepared to deal with future challenges and changes.
• Approximately 13 percent of Ball State students studied abroad last year.
After adapting to a new culture, many study abroad students see their own personalities change.
A 2013 study by Julia Zimmermann and Franz Neyer, two German psychologists at Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, found that students’ personalities can develop and mature from studying abroad.
According to their study, students experience changes in five basic personality areas after studying abroad. Students developed most in areas of openness to experience and agreeableness. They also saw a decrease in the category of neuroticism, and instead, experienced more emotional stability.
At Ball State, approximately 500 students study abroad each year, said John Jensen, director of study abroad. He said approximately 13 percent of students studied abroad during the last academic year.
Marcus Bingham, a senior political science major, studied at Keele University in England from September 2012 until June 2013.
Not only was this trip his first outside the country, but also his first time on a plane. Once in England, Bingham had to learn to cook for himself and to deal with minor cultural changes — food he considered bland as well as smaller roads and cars.
Bingham said he noticed a distinct difference in his own personality after studying in England.
“Before I went, I was more reserved,” he said. “When I went to England, I changed for the better. I became more confident in myself. I’m so much more independent than I was when I left.”
Bingham’s sister and mother noticed a change when they visited him in England. When people asked about the most exciting thing they saw in England, they mentioned Bingham and how much he had changed.
He said the new attitude transferred over to America. He has explored more of Muncie and made more friends this year than he did both freshman and sophomore year. The study abroad experience gave him willingness to go out of his comfort zone.
“I became a 'yes' person,” Bingham said.
He said he’s more adept at handling the stress that came with preparing for graduation. Even though he returned to the United States, Bingham kept contact with the university. On Tuesday, he learned he will return to Keele in the fall to pursue his master’s degree.
Zimmermann said the increase in openness to experience and decrease in neuroticism were mainly a result of making international contacts. She also said the reason for increased agreeableness still needs to be studied.
Robiyabonu Dustova, a sophomore pre-business and criminal justice major, has studied in America for two academic years. At Ball State, she represents the international student body in the Student Government Association.
Growing up in Tajikistan, she had never flown out of her country before studying abroad.
Here, she noticed an increase in freedom. She said there was no distinct American culture, but instead, a mixture of different people and ideas: something different than her home country, she said. Because Dustova knew English before coming to Ball State, communicating wasn’t a huge challenge.
Dustova now considers it her home and speaking English has become more natural than any other language.
Dustova agreed with the results of Zimmermann and Neyer’s study.
“I got more mature than my friends studying back in my home country,” Dustova said. “Your global vision, the way you see things, the way you think, the way you create, is different.”
Jensen said he also has experienced student growth by speaking with students after their study abroad experience. The students are often more confident, adventurous and willing to try new things.
“It’s challenging when students go overseas,” Jensen said. “They face challenges that they may not face while they’re at home here. Anytime an individual faces these kinds of challenges and has to push through them, it’s a growing experience.”
In addition to affecting character growth, he said studying abroad is a valuable learning experience.
“You’re gaining a new perspective on your major,” Jensen said. “You’re gaining a new way of looking at things.”
He said the university tries to make students aware of the study abroad opportunities available through the Rinker Center for International Programs, including information on scholarships and other financial aid assistance. He said studying abroad is up to students to decide whether to go for themselves.
Bingham said everyone should study abroad.
“I know everyone won’t have those same experiences as me, but that’s the point — to have those different experiences,” he said. “There is a bigger world outside of just Indiana, and everyone should get a chance to experience it.”
Zimmermann, who also studied abroad, said in an email to the Daily News that she recommends studying abroad, but it’s not the only experience that can lead to maturation.
“I think it is a great opportunity and exciting experience that — as we showed — has substantial effects on young adults that go beyond foreign language competencies or advanced career options,” Zimmermann said. “However, I would not go as far as promoting it as a universal remedy. If you asked for my opinion as a former exchange student, the answer is: Do it. Go out.”
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