Benefits and Challenges of Studying in Switzerland

There are 50 ranked study abroad destinations in the world. Every country offers education and a good lifestyle. Each country has something special and something that are not very much liked. Just like that, Switzerland also has pros and cons for foreign students. Overall, Switzerland is a wonderful country to study abroad. There are few things that can be counted as additional benefits for studying here. However, alongside, some challenges to be faced too. In this article, you will see all these benefits and challenges for international students.

SEE ALSO: How to Apply for Study in Switzerland? See Complete Application Process

Benefit: Beautiful Country

Switzerland is without a doubt a beautiful country and one of the best tourist destinations. Every year thousands of tourists visit this country from around the world. You will get the best of the education at world’s 12^th best study abroad destination but with that you will also get to live in the most astonishing country.

Switzerland is one of the happiest countries on Earth. Most of its cities are culturally very rich. Students can visit many amazing landscapes, mountains and meadows which foreigner spend thousands of dollars to see. This is a definite additional perk for international students here. Switzerland is right in the middle of Germany, France and Italy. There is only few hours distance with these countries. It’s a blessing if you are an adventurer.

SEE ALSO: How to Get Student Visa for Switzerland

Challenge: Very Expensive

Switzerland is a beautiful country with great higher education system. But it is also a very expensive place to live. It is particularly difficult for international students because they have to settle everything from scratch there. It is already hard enough to move to a foreign country and start a living. On top of that when you have to afford a place like Switzerland, it can come as quite a shock.

SEE ALSO: Study and Living Cost in Switzerland

According to Numbeo.com estimations, Switzerland is about 400 times more expensive compared to Pakistan. Two of the student cities in Switzerland, Zurich and Geneva are reported to be World’ most and third most expensive cities to live. Here see the Best Students Cities in Switzerland. Following table shows an estimated monthly living cost of most famous student cities in Switzerland.

Benefit: Very Low Tuition Fees

As costly as Switzerland living can be, they have covered it up with the lowest of tuition fees. Study cost at all public universities in Switzerland is very low. Even the students from developing or poor countries won’t feel any problem with university charges. They also don’t let this low cost affect the quality of education. Even at the world’s 10^th best university, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), they cost only about 70 thousand PKR per semester. Following table shows approximate tuition fees at public universities of Switzerland.

Challenge: Very Strict Rules

Switzerland is said to be very strict when it comes to rules and regulations even for the smallest of the matters. Most people live by the book and are very serious with their principles. You will see people and getting vicious if you don’t follow the guidelines. Just like normal people, university teachers in Switzerland are also made of principles. They will teach and cooperate with you in any study matter. They also have great communication skills and qualifications. However, they will only cooperate with you as long as it is according to guidelines. For example, once your grades are decided, you can forget any favor from them. They will not go lenient. It is suggested to even follow the laws that you may think don’t really matter.

Benefit: Stay after Completing the Course

This is a great favor from the government of Switzerland that they let student stay even after completing their course. After completing your study, you will have to get a residency permit from cantonal migration offices that will allow to stay for more six months in Switzerland. Motive of this extension is to allow students to look for a full time or permanent job. During this search period, students can work for up to 15 hours a week.

You have whole six months to find and work for a company. If you do good on this period, employer can offer you permanent job. Based on which you can apply for work or residency visa. Another good thing is that they won’t discriminate you from their Swiss or European graduates. They offer the job to who is more deserving and there is no priority matter.

SEE ALSO: Student Accommodation Options in Switzerland

Challenge: Difficult to Get a Job or Internship

This is a problem for the students who want to work along with studies in Switzerland. Most foreign students pursue a job with their education. However, it is a little difficult to find a job or internship for foreign students. One of the reasons is that you may not know their languages. Having knowledge of more languages increases your chance but you have to know the native language.

If you do manage to find a job, your employer will need to get a work permit for you. He will have to submit an application to concerned authorities that they have hired a foreign student. Even with all these problems, students can forget to find a decent work related to studies.

SEE ALSO: Getting Jobs and Residency in Switzerland