Which High Impact Practice (HIP) is often described as transformative by those who experience it?

• A. Study abroad
• B. Internship
• C. Research assistantship
• D. Service learning

Answer: (A)

Study abroad experiences are frequently described as transformative because they blend immersive culture with academic learning, pushing students to adapt, reflect, and grow in ways that are hard to achieve on a typical campus. Living in a different country challenges daily routines, forces you to navigate language, social norms, and new systems, and often prompts a reevaluation of assumptions and identity. This combination of hands-on experiences and intentional reflection tends to develop independence, intercultural competence, adaptability, and a broader worldview, leading many students to feel a lasting personal and professional shift.

Other high-impact practices offer valuable learning as well—internships provide practical work experience, research assistantships build specific research and analytical skills, and service learning connects coursework to community impact. Yet the distinctive, widely reported transformative effect is most closely associated with study abroad because it uniquely expands perspective and changes how students see themselves and their place in the world.