For some, the question ‘Why study abroad instead of at home?’ might be a rhetorical one — the benefits of studying abroad being obvious — while many people still have doubts and hesitations when deciding to take this leap towards an international education.
But how do you figure it out for yourself? How do you decide if studying abroad is good for you? You’ve probably heard it all before, but here are a few ways people may not have put the issue of where to study:
1. Taking the hero’s journey
Be like Beowulf or Ulysses!
Be the hero who travels the world and comes home to share his spoils, adventures, and experiences with his friends, family, and neighbours. And only that! Please don’t bring home the head of the monster or the golden fleece…
So, if this sounds like an adventure you couldn’t resist, check out some of these amazing international destinations and decide if you want to:
- Study in Italy
- Study in Spain
- Study in Germany
- Study in the U.K.
- Study in Australia
- Study in Canada
- Study in the Netherlands
- Study in the U.S.
2. The comfort zone is overrated
Space will be the first boundary you will break when you will move out of your house, your hometown and your comfort zone. The sooner you go out there and get used to living on your own, the sooner you will get a better grip on your own limits and your destiny.
3. See if the grass is greener on the other side
You probably know that there are many Bachelor’s degrees out there, set up to respond to the changing economy, public demand, and innovative ideas.
Still, chances are you might not find that special Bachelor’s in Molecular Life Sciences within walking distance from your house or at your local university or college. So, in order to chase your dream, you’ve got to walk that extra mile.
Or just take the plane and study at one of these universities we recommend:
- Kansas State University, the US
- Swansea University, the UK
- KU Leuven, Belgium
- Charles University, the Czech Republic
- T251863inn University, Estonia
- IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany
4. Don’t weep, take the leap
Many people end up wishing they had undertaken a risky and adventurous professional experiment abroad at least once. But doing that later in life is harder than you might think!
Between careers, responsibilities, and the sheer dread of wasting valuable time, professionals end up accepting the fact that they will never find the right moment to explore life abroad.
That’s why studying is the perfect opportunity! Your education is meant to be time-consuming, inspirational, and formative, so it’s the perfect context to take the leap, and you won’t regret doing it.
5. Seek and you shall find
Yup, you read it right! Everyone says it’s important to find yourself in order to become an original person, but how are you supposed to discover yourself if you keep searching in the same place?
You can’t know what you’re good at or what you’re meant to be until you try, seek, live, fail (yes, fail!), and try again, beyond your local area code.
If you feel inspired, then try, seek, live, fail, and try again in cool fields, like:
- Bachelors in Business & Management
- Bachelors in Engineering
- Bachelors in Computer Science
- Bachelors in Arts and Design
- Bachelors in Medicine & Health
- Bachelors in Applied Sciences
- Bachelors in Social Sciences
6. Get to understand how other cultures think
Making decisions, in general, involves a certain degree of flexibility. The decision of where to study itself is affected by how flexible you are when considering your options.
Studying abroad changes the way you make decisions, by making you reconsider other options when you are confronted with choices. This is mainly because foreign people in foreign places think in foreign ways.
You will see that listening, observing, empathising, and analysing things differently will shape your mind for the better. Not to mention that talking and understanding a foreign language is proven to literally reorganise your brain, making it more complex and efficient.
And there’s no better moment to go ‘brain hacking’ than during your study years.
7. Get your money’s worth
You would think that staying close to home would be more affordable than going abroad to study, but it isn’t necessarily the case.
In fact, studying in your hometown might actually cost you more in the long run, affecting the salary you can get once you graduate. If you take into account the reputation of the university, the value of the specific Bachelor’s degree and the costs, you might end up making a very good deal overall.
For instance, some figures you should know are the:
- Tuition fees and living costs in France
- Tuition fees and living costs in Poland
- Tuition fees and living costs in Sweden
- Tuition fees and living costs in the U.S.
- Tuition fees and living costs in the U.K.
And who doesn’t like getting a great deal for their money’s worth?
So, don’t just choose the option that’s closest and easiest to reach. Take a leap, go for the journey, and go see what it’s like across the world!