Harsh Reality of Working While Studying Abroad That No One Tells You

Job is need of almost every student who goes to a foreign country for education. Some countries like Pakistan and India are not rich enough to afford the higher education system of developed countries. Almost every study abroad destination has a very big currency come to these developing countries. But a dream is a dream and people work hard to achieve it. In order to overcome the financial issue while studying abroad students start to work part time as many countries allow students to work up to 4 hours a day.

Most of the students I know that went abroad are doing a job with their studies. At least every male student does. I would also recommend every student to be prepared to do a job with the education otherwise managing the expenses can be quite tough. For that you should also the Top Countries that Allow Students to Work While Studying and choose your study abroad destination accordingly.

This work thing with studies is, however, not easy as it sounds. Everyone will tell you to do a job but they don’t tell you about difficulties you have to face while doing the job. Students should be ready to face any tough circumstances in a foreign country. It can cause quite a shock if you are not prepared. So it is StudyAbroad.pk team’s goal to inform students of such obstacles. In this article, I am sharing with you the harsh reality of working while studying abroad that no one else tells you.

1 -   Struggle of Finding a Job

First of all, finding a job is not a piece of cake. For most students, the job they are going to do abroad is their first job. Students have not become professional yet but in this phase they have to merge these status and live a life accordingly. Finding your first job can’t be easy because you don’t have any experience and most probably no skills either.

At start of this journey, many students have to struggle for months to find a place where they can work. And with no skills and experience, they only get a job with low pay scale. Of course, you will be making money later but at first you have to make your way through this frustration and depression.

Still, you shouldn’t worry because it is not like you will never find a job. It’s only difficult in start. After gaining some experience, you also gain some beneficial links and contacts that help you get work in future. To get you started you should know the Part Time Jobs You Can Do While Studying Abroad.

2 -   Work is Not Exactly Fun

I have seen my friends getting excited about starting a job who have never done a job before. This is because they only think of the perks they get (of course money) but they don’t know that it is actually a responsibility and not a fun one. In a job you are bound for few hours to do nothing but work that you are paid for.

If you are not optimist, you may feel like a slave imprisoned to labor. I remember the time when I would keep looking at the watch waiting for the off time at the job. It was depressing especially if you hate your work.

Now I am going to tell you how you can avoid this abysmal phase. Secret is to find a job that you like and would enjoy doing. A job that is fun and don’t make you feel like a prison. For example, I hated the job when I worked at a call center but I really enjoyed teaching and still love to teach.

3 -   Can’t Go Out With Friends

The time when you wish you didn’t have a job is when friends are planning an outing and you can’t go because you have to go to work. It happens every time because you only get a day off the job if there is an emergency and your salary is also deducted for it. Be ready to hold yourself and kill most of your fun activities.

·         SEE ALSO: Most Popular Jobs International Students Can Do In United Kingdom

4 -   Job Problems and Tensions

Students think that studying is a tension and requires a lot of effort and hard work. They say so because they have not done a job yet. Jobs doesn’t require but forces you work hard and take responsibility for even the slightest of mistakes. So don’t think job is just 4 hours of serving and earning money. It also drains your mental energy.

5 -   You are Always Busy

With the job you feel like you don’t get any time for yourself. And that is true because first you go to university then you go to work, then study and it’s time to sleep. Next day also has the same routine. This makes your life very busy. Only break you get are the weekends. Still if you know how to utilize the weekends in a fun way, it’ll freshen you up for the coming week.

·         SEE ALSO: Does Foreign Education Really Matter for Job

6 -   Studying Abroad Becomes More Like Working Abroad

It is difficult to focus on more than one things at a time if you are not used to it. At start, you hardly get any time for studies because you are all exhausted after the job. You have to manage and maintain a strict timetable in order to pull it off. Do remember that your real purpose to study there and you can’t give too much energy and time to just job.

7 -   Can’t Go Home

This part sucks the most about doing a job abroad. Usually students come back to their homelands in vacations they get from university. But there is no concept of vacations in a job. If you have good relations the employer only then might allow you the holidays. Otherwise, I know some friends who have not come home from Finland for over 3 years because they can’t leave the job.

8 -   When You Have to Leave the Job

You are going to do one single job for the whole time you are studying abroad. These student jobs are usually temporary. From time to time, you will find yourself switching between the jobs. Leaving a job can be quite a fatigue as there can be payment issues. You should also be prepared what you are going to do if you are fired from a job.

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Usama Ahmed Awan The Editor of StudyAbroad.pk, Usama is a BZU studied Software Engineer, now  a Teacher, Article Writer, Educational Counselor and Journalist. He has been  writing to assist students selecting the right career path.