Not all majors lend themselves to study abroad. Top ten (or 20 or…) schools may offer many sections every semester but taking a chemistry course at a different institution may mean not getting the material needed for a subsequent course or as much as the home institution. Exploring a different culture is admirable but not always the best for gaining knowledge in one’s major.
It is NOT a common goal for most college students to do a semester abroad. btw- the world came to me because I was at a world class university, and in a university with many top ten grad programs. For chemistry the experiences can be had later in one’s education.
Different people look at a situation from different backgrounds/perspectives. Those who choose to major in chemistry get to explore so much about matter that most do not even contemplate- I am so glad I delved so deeply into chemistry as an undergrad even though my path diverged post bachelor’s. Unlike many nonSTEM fields, math and sciences typically build on previous knowledge. Knowledge obtained with a school’s prerequisites is assumed in further work. Time spent in labs can make it difficult to schedule many classes- think 2 credit classes with an entire morning or afternoon in the lab- 4 or 5 continuous hours twice per week. It takes time for reactions to occur, equipment to be set up… But fun. As is exposure to grad labs (Honors program).
People talk about the cultural exposure with living abroad but the chemistry major could be giving up so much of the at home exposure to nonacademic things if trying to squeeze in requirements into one less semester. One can not do everything.