Benefits of taking a placement year or year abroad during your studies

On many university undergraduate courses, one of the great perks is being able to take a year out from your core studies. 

Plenty of unis offer this option: you might go abroad for a year to study, or you might take a work placement year either abroad or in the UK. 

Here's why it might be fun - and rewarding - to head somewhere else for a while...

Travel of any kind, to any place, can broaden your horizons. That doesn't mean spending a year in Antarctica learning how to blink like a penguin – simply working and studying in a different city or country can give you a glimpse into different cultures and ways of doing things.

If the idea appeals, overseas travel has plenty to recommend it. 

You'll meet new people from very different backgrounds, and you'll naturally develop a more international outlook as a result. 

Just as studying elsewhere opens you up to new experiences, so does spending a year on a work placement at home or overseas. 

One benefit is taking your learning out of the classroom. “It allowed me to put the knowledge and skills I acquired at university to practical use,” says management student and year-outer Pria. “It gave me clarity on what I want to do in the future.”

You'll also return with sharper professional skills, having grown used to what's required in a working environment.

There are two sides to this coin (happily they're both positive). On one side you get to develop a professional network that will be useful once you graduate. 

“Spending a year working in a different country is invaluable,” says student Alice. “It allows you to gain a competitive advantage by widening your international network as you build new relationships.”

On the other side? New friends, yay! 

“I met some amazing people who I now class as my closest friends,” says student and year-out veteran Emilie.

So, we'll level with you. Leaving your cosy uni setup and working or studying somewhere else, perhaps overseas, in a totally different personal and professional environment? Not always easy. 

“It was the most challenging year of my life,” Emilie admits. “But I wouldn't change a single thing about it, as it has also been the most character-building experience.”

Pretty much every student we speak to about this topic agrees: you're going to come out of it with more self-confidence, in yourself and in your skills. 

“I came back a new man,” says student Raphael. “My mindset was different, I was more mature, more open to ideas...more genuine.”

If you think immersing yourself in new cultures, maybe learning a language, getting some workplace experience and enhancing every aspect of yourself like some montage from a Rocky movie is going to help you get a job in the end...well, you're probably right.

Your CV's going to have that extra 'pop' that really makes it stand out against the competition.

“It lets you hit the ground running when you start your graduate role, giving you first-hand experience of the working environment,” says student George, who completed a placement year with Dyson.

Do well in your placement and you could also secure a grad job within that company.

OK, we've covered professional development, CV enhancement, connections to make the most brazen LinkedIn networker weep with envy, a broader global outlook, more friends AND the kind of deep cultural knowledge that only comes from living and working somewhere. Which just leaves one little thing about a year out.

IT'S FUN.

“I can honestly say that I’ve learned more about myself during this past year than ever before in my life," says student Alice. "I can’t stress enough how unforgettable my experience has been.”

Raphael agrees. “I could not recommend it enough!” he says. “The experience is perfect for those who want to explore new aspects of themselves and their surroundings. You gain more than just academic knowledge from it.”

Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) is one of the longest-established business schools in the UK and home to a thriving and truly international community. 

We are a triple-accredited research-intensive business school that combines world-class research with excellent teaching and high levels of student satisfaction. We welcome students and staff from more than 180 countries and have a presence in 24 countries, including campuses in China, Germany, Ghana and Malaysia.  

We challenge and support our creative staff, students and partners to realise their ambitions as they experience a transformational journey that leads to real impact on whole industries, societies and economies.  

Lancaster University is among the best in the UK, and has been the top university in the northwest of England for more than a decade.

To find out more, visit the Lancaster University Management School website.