Every year, thousands of hopeful students embark on a new journey to study abroad, focus on their academics, explore the world and grow as people.
If this is something you’ve considered, you’ll know what an exciting prospect it is! This is an opportunity that few would pass up since there’s so much to gain from the experience.
Before you take the leap, let’s consider whether or not this is the best fit for you by looking at some pros and cons of studying abroad.
The Drawbacks
Lots to Organise
First of all, studying overseas takes a lot more careful planning, organizing, budgeting, and meticulous researching to get started than studying at home would. You’ll need visas, letters of recommendation, and plenty of other travel-related papers.
Alongside your travel visas and other documents, you’ll need to look into good international health insurance companies and make sure you have travel insurance and other essentials covered.
More Expensive
Unfortunately, most schools will charge higher tuition fees to international students. This is not to mention the travel costs and the cost of your visas, as well as the money you’re bound to spend on simply enjoying the experience – you’ll want to explore!
Overall, studying abroad is no cheap option, but if you have the funding available then it truly is worth the costs.
Home Sickness
Going away from home and everything you know for a year or more can be emotionally taxing, and you’re probably going to miss home a little.
However, when put into perspective, a little homesickness is easy to handle when you know exactly how long it will be until you get to go home and be with your loved ones again.
Culture Shock
Many students who go overseas find it difficult to adapt to a new culture. This can be a lot to deal with on top of the existing pressures of starting a new academic program and trying to focus all your energy on making it a success.
However, there are ways to overcome culture shock and handle the challenges that come with it so that you can fully enjoy your experience.
The Positives
An Experience to Change Your Life
Despite all these potential challenges, studying abroad is typically an experience that will change your life for the better.
Many students who have gone abroad report that they wouldn’t change the experience for the world and that it helped to shape who they are as people and the dreams they have for their careers and futures.
Learn More About Yourself
Taking the brave step to hop on a plane and move to a foreign country all on your own is one that’s undoubtedly going to lead to growth.
Learning independence and spending this time somewhere new to you will help you learn more about yourself, your dreams and values, and how you respond to different situations. You’ll discover all your own strengths and weaknesses which can help you to grow as a person.
Meet New People
Although you may start the journey on your own, you’re bound to meet some new friends along the way. In your residence, in your classes, or even just in the local community – there are people that will become an integral part of your daily life.
Many people meet and make friends for life when they move abroad, and getting to know people of different cultures and backgrounds will open your eyes to new perspectives too.
Travel Opportunities
Living in a foreign country, you’ll of course be able to explore your immediate surroundings, which will be amazing. But you’ll also be in close proximity to other countries and cities that you can explore in your free time.
You might want to use this opportunity to travel alone too since this will give you the opportunity to grow in so many ways.
Learn a New Language
If you study somewhere where a different language is spoken, you’ll need to be up to the challenge of learning the lingo of the people. The best way to learn a new language is to be exposed to it and practice it every day.
It’d be a great idea to start learning the language online before you go so that you’re not completely confused when you arrive.
Final Thoughts
As you can tell, there are plenty of pros and cons to the experience, but most of the drawbacks associated with studying abroad are issues that can be handled, or simply worth the discomfort.
Studying abroad is overall an incredible experience that could be beneficial in many ways to almost any type of person. If you’re considering this path but feeling uncertain, take this as your sign to go for it, take the leap and you won’t regret it for a moment.
