For college-bound California students, it is almost a certainty that their schedule, extracurriculars, and general college preparation will be centered around either the California State universities or the Universities of California. These, along with various other private schools and community colleges do offer a phenomenal education that is envied around the world.   So the hubris that one must have to leave the state must be astronomical. The hubris one must have to leave the country is almost ludicrous. Despite this fact, over 300,000 American students are studying abroad.

Why do they choose such an unconventional path? Some may have family connections to their new host country, some may have interests in a major that is vastly reinforced by a difference in geography or culture, a major of Japanese may have an incentive to find themselves expatriating in the land of the rising sun. Some are just bored and nihilistic, wishing to find themselves in a new and foreign environment during one of the most stressful transitions in early life.

Why students choose to participate in applying to universities abroad is often confusing, and yet it continues to happen. The number of students finding themselves in strange and distant lands is increasing. There have even been certain hopeful Burroughs students who have been sending applications to foreign universities, and if any of them manage to succeed, expect a follow-up story.

For fear of documenting future failures, they will not be mentioned by name, but the key reasons cited for a desire to study abroad amongst the group of Burroughs students who were contacted was a combination of wanderlust, economic incentive, and increasing disillusionment with America and its place as the land of opportunity.

For those who grew up in Ridgecrest, California, being just a few miles from home simply does not suit their thirst for adventure. For some, overseas tuition may be cheaper, depending on the country and its educational infrastructure. For most, a continued life in the United States simply seems depressing and tiresome. Whatever the reason, we certainly wish every Burroughs student the best in the realization of their dreams.