As President Trump signs an executive order to construct a wall between the United States and Mexico, and then reportedly is to sign additional orders to limit or block refugee access into the country, we should take a moment to contemplate our perception of the world.

Too often, the people in the United States are raised and are living in a protected bubble. While our brains are filled with getting to work on time, making dinner or getting the next paycheck, we forget that families are living in warzones. We forget that people in developing countries are struggling to get water. We forget that pollution gets to the point where it negatively impacts the health of those who live nearby.

One of the best ways to get out of this protected bubble is to travel. Experiencing a culture that’s not your own opens your mind and gives you a new understanding of life around you. Without that exposure or understanding, we don’t experience or witness people who live differently than us.

This is where ignorance stems from, and when we are ignorant of other lifestyles and cultures, we become bigoted and hateful toward the people different than ourselves. Too many people in this country talk about immigrants as if they were less than Americans, less than human beings. This is wrong.

During college, we have the unique opportunity to learn about other cultures across borders with study abroad. Students come back with heartfelt ties to that location, lifelong friends and above all a deeper understanding of the world. People who have studied abroad also have the ability to share their knowledge and experiences, which is only beneficial.

Traveling abroad or even just outside your area fills your pocket with experiences and insights you could have never imagined, and overall broadens your perspective of the people around you. One can never fully understand the world, or what’s going on in it, from a single point-of-view.

When facing the challenge of President Trump and his handful of executive orders, it’s important to keep in mind different perspectives and the world around us. The only way to conquer ignorance is to stop blocking the world out.