If you take your academic career seriously at all, you’ve probably heard the oft-repeated myth: that it’s important and possibly necessary to study at an institution in another country before becoming a true scholar. You’ll get a job immediately with that on a resume, one professor tells you. Movies and books reiterate this concept, frequently portraying young academics as only fully coming into their own once they’ve travelled. With that kind of encouragement (and in this economy), who wouldn’t start scrambling for Go Global applications or postgraduate opportunities in another country?
Sure, travelling and seeing the world can be great. But it’s by no means necessary to achieve any modem of success. Here’s why you shouldn’t give a damn what these professors and screenwriters and even other students are telling you:
- You can see the world in different ways. Guess what? It doesn’t take university to see Sweden or the damp seaside hills of Scotland. In fact, visiting a country while not studying is actually a hell of a lot easier. Do you know how much a student VISA costs? Upwards of a grand. And do you know how to get one? Probably not, because it’s a lot more complicated than you think. It’s not only an online application, but you have to travel to go get your fingerprints taken (less James Bond, more war criminal). Besides, if you’re not there for class, you’ll have a lot more time to actually enjoy the scenery and local attractions.
- We’re not all extroverts. What’s the point of going to study somewhere else if you don’t like to leave your room anyways? Don’t kid yourself. Be honest about who you are. Going somewhere else does not a different person make. If I’m not in class or at work, I’m holed up in my dorm like the hermit I am playing Mario Maker. Travelling is ideal for those who are stimulated by social interaction and new environments, sure—but we’re not all like that.
- People are people are people are people… Part of this worldly scholar myth is that we are going to be learning from The GreatsTM, strange and mythical beasts that exist only where we are not. While there is some truth to this—people might wish to work under those whose work they admire—it is also important to seek out the talented mentorship your own town or university offers. It’s easy to romanticize other professors and schools as being arbitrarily better, but often this isn’t the case. It’s your own hard work, discipline, and research that is going to bring you success, not always the location. The library at Oxford, while being infinitely better than the one here at UBCO, is not what’s going to make you smarter. Besides …
- We have the internet. In case you haven’t been alive in the last 25 years, the internet has—surprise!— been invented. We can connect with scholars all across the globe in moments. We don’t need to physically travel in order to interact with them. Perhaps the idea of the travel-weary academic was more applicable in the middle of the 20th century, when certain kinds of knowledge were unattainable without geographical movement. However, this isn’t the case anymore. Sure, there are certain kinds of experiences one can only gain first-hand, but don’t buy into the hype that moving from Canada to Australia is going to be the deciding factor in your career.
- Depth over distance. Yep, I’m quoting Ben Howard. And that brilliant wordsmith is exactly right: it’s more important to shape your views in a nuanced, intricate, well-read manner than to spread yourself thin unnecessarily.This isn’t to say Go Global or studying abroad are bad things in and of themselves. But let’s be real: the idea that engaging in these activities is going to transform you into some brilliant academic is overhyped and unfounded. If you’re reading this article, more than likely you have all the tools you need for research. You’re not going to be a better academic or poet or artist simply by moving cities or countries. For some people, this does happen to be the catalyst for some terrific idea—but get it out of your head that you need to leave to create, because there is plenty to be found right where you are.