Why would learning abroad give me a leg up amongst my future competition?

Good question. I'm from Europe and lived in 4 countries (also USA) so I speak from experience.

1. You have to start that journey with an open mind, you break out of your comfort zone and your brain learns to adapt faster, maybe even learn a new language and your personality will change because of this experience
2. Perspective: News in Europe is different then in the USA. Even when it's about the same subject. So you'll learn to question things more. Nothing is black or white. It's all just perspective and that experience will open your mind and your creativity and the way you look at things.
3. Different cultures. Trust me, every country is totally different and in your career you most likely will have to interact with different cultures. This experience is an advantage.
4. You'll become very independent, which is a strong asset
5. You have to be creative, if you're not yet you will become creative because you have to build up a new life. That requires determination, strength and creativity. How to find everything, where to meet new people, what food to eat. Everything is different so that means a whole new experience, almost daily. Imagine how your super computer (brain) is processing all this info and you learn so much more then in a local school/college. You can't learn this from a book, this only comes from experience.

If you get the opportunity I would recommend; take it!

Studying abroad gives you the opportunity to develop skills to communicate effectively with people from different cultures. This gives you an advantage when applying for positions where you need to work with people from abroad or with international partner organizations. If you are interested in an industry that is very strong outside of your home country, studying abroad may also give you the opportunity to intern at leading organizations in that field. If you studying in a country where you don't speak your native language, you can develop your language skills which can open up job opportunities where you need to speak that language.

I studied abroad in Madrid my junior year and it was truly a life-changing experience. I would group my experiences in to 3 categories that would give you a leg up on your peers:

1) Culture - Depending on where you study abroad, you will undoubtedly experience different food, customs, styles of living, and possibly even religions, languages, architecture, climates, etc. You will soak in all of these things and appreciate different cultures (including your own) even more when you return. Also, depending if you are going somewhere for language, this gives you the perfect opportunity to be immersed in that language and you may even need to rely on it 100% if you are in a place where few or no one speaks English. I was amazed how quickly I improved Spanish and, when I returned, it made my Spanish classes much easier :) This cultural knowledge is invaluable in being able to relate to others, and give you many advantages in the workplace (and social atmosphere).

2) People - no matter where you go, you will meet tons of new people from all over the world. Many of them will be fellow students studying abroad (it's called Erasmus in Europe), many will be business people, locals and of course travelers. I encourage you to talk to them, learn about other perspectives and cultures, and make lasting friendships. Plus, with technology, it is infinitely easier to stay in touch with those you meet abroad. These interpersonal experiences will give you a high sense of emotional intelligence and improve your abilities to network.

3) (Life) maturing - not sure if this is an actual word, but it is now! What I mean by this, is that you will gain a lot of experiences, you will be living on your own and will mature as both a student and a person. Studying abroad takes a lot of courage and can honestly be a bit dangerous (depending where you go and what you do), and it takes a strong person to be able to do that and enjoy it. It will also help you narrow down what direction you want to go in school and in your career. I never thought about being a teacher until after I studied abroad and realized how much I enjoyed meeting others and having discussions about language and English (I teach ESL). You may find yourself in a similar experience or discovering something you never knew you enjoyed.

As you can tell, I'm a huge advocate of studying abroad and would do it as a full-time career if someone paid me to. Ultimately, the choice is yours, but I strongly encourage you to look at all the benefits of studying abroad and growing as an individual.