I recently returned from my year abroad, which for me was south west of Munich in a town called Passau. The first thing to say about it all is what an experience it was! Without a doubt spending a considerable amount of time (i.e. a year) in a country is the best way to learn/further your ability in the related language.

However, as important and beneficial as that is, the year abroad is far more than an elongated language course. It offers the chance to experience a completely different kind of social interaction, which in turn promotes so much confidence. I remember one Spanish guy in particular who was incredibly shy and timid when I first met him but by the end would approach anyone he fancied a chat (or more) with, dancing on tables (got the pics to prove it) and was generally so much more comfortable with himself, which was great to see. Personally, I've always been pretty confident socially but going abroad and meeting so many people through a language that you're not 100% confident with certainly pushes the boundaries of self-assurance! But coming through such challenges makes those niggling little things back home seem so insignificant and easy to solve. I mean, how can you be worried about approaching a lecturer with a course problem or filling in uni forms here when you've just had to do the same in a different country in a different language?!

The initial shock of being somewhere foreign and away from friends and family soon fades away and then the fun really begins! I myself had to study law out there, being a law student, but there is still plenty of time for…social interaction! Passau is a relatively small place but there were always things to do, from parties and group meals to late night beer and xbox sessions with a couple of die-hard Finnish guys! The people you meet out there become very close friends, almost family (trying not to sound too melodramatic), the majority of which I never want to lose touch with and don't intend to.

The opportunity to travel is also fantastic. As Brits I fear we often forget how easy it is to jump on a train and visit these amazing places. Now, I'm no camera-bearing, monument-obsessed backpacker (forgive the sarcasm) but some of the trips we went on were mind blowing. Managed to visit Vienna, Munich, Berlin Hamburg, Paris, Budapest and, my personal favourite, Prague, as well as a few other little German/Austrian towns for Christmas markets, beer festivals and such other local events, which were great! I know I would have never made it to most of those places were it not for being on the year abroad and now I wouldn't change the experience for anything!

If there was one main argument for further study of foreign languages at uni, in my opinion, it is the year abroad! Such an opportunity has to be taken, it'll be one that will never be forgotten, provide you with vast amounts of great experiences and stories to for you recall and sound all cultured in front of friends as well as being great for the CV and future in general. You also receive money from the Erasmus or other such related scheme for doing it, so really there is no excuse to pass it up. If you have the chance to do a year abroad, I'd suggest grasp it with both hands! Good luck with those of you who decide to do it, you'll have the time of your lives!