What I Hope to Gain through Studying Abroad I am interested in how people from different cultures and societies interact and live.    I was born and raised my entire life in the Bay Area of California.  I want to live, learn and experience what life is like in another country.Studying abroad seems to offer a new perspective of education.  It provides a foreign environment in which students can engage themselves both academically and socially.  Such first-hand experiences are what I believe to be the key elements of true learning, as they allow one to attain knowledge based on personal experience and understanding.Through studying and living in another country, I hope to expand my knowledge and perspective of others.  I plan to do as much traveling as possible during my study abroad.  I am excited to meet new people from diverse backgrounds along the way.  I hope to engage in a mutually beneficial exchange of viewpoints with these people.Since I have always lived in one central area, I feel that my overall perception of the world is somewhat shallow.  I want to see how the world appears to others through their own eyes, thus developing a broader spectrum of values and ideologies.  I believe this experience will enable me to be a more productive and empathetic world citizen.   ...