Parents’ Won’t Let Study Abroad? See Their Most Common Concerns and Answers

Study abroad is a dream of almost every student but only few get to chase and achieve it because of various hurdles in their way of success. There can issues like low grades, inadequate finances which can be overcome by working hard. But there is one hurdle that even if you are a topper and independent millionaire still you don’t get to study abroad despite being your dream. The reason is your family.

“You Don’t Choose Family. They are God’s Gift To You As You Are To Them” – Desmond Tutu

Family is the most important and beautiful thing in life. Life won’t be life without family. It is safe to say that almost everyone in this world is dearest to their family so are they to you. It is difficult to stay away from family but there come times in life when you have to be separated for good, a fact difficult to gulp yet fact.

Studying abroad is phase of life when you have to spend a lot of time away from your family in a far strange land. You do keep coming back to homeland and meeting your family. You also keep connecting daily thanks to technologies like Facebook and Skype but to meet personally there are always a few months gap.

If your parents are not allowing you to go abroad for education, it is totally normal and almost all parents oppose this idea of splitting their kid. Parents’ hearts normally get really sensitive about their children. They get different type of scary thoughts in their mind and are scared that these will come true. Today’s article is for those parents who are scared of sending their children abroad for education. I have gathered the most common concerns parents’ have, their answers explaining how they are worried for nothing.

Something Bad Will Happen

When you love someone, you become overprotective of them. When you are overprotective, you overthink about them and overthinking is never a good thing. This gets parents worried that something bad will happen to their son or daughter. They may be scared of plane accident or some other accident might happen. Scared someone will kidnap or take advantage of them as they are new and don’t know those people.

“There Is Nothing In This World That Can Trouble You As Much As Your Own Thoughts.”

This is something that is most unlikely to happen. They have probability of accident, kidnap or something likely as they have in their own country. International students are considered an asset and government takes special care of them. These incidents don’t happen much in developed countries.

A young student has spent a lifetime and is very well aware of his/her surroundings. They are not little kids that one lure with chocolate. Have faith in them and know that these fears are just imaginary and not worth snatching your kid’s dream career away.

She/He Might Get Stuck There

Often happens when some people go illegally to a foreign country, they get stuck there. That is an entirely different scenario. They are not students, they went illegally so they are already wanted and if they are going illegally, I don’t think their intentions are legal too. A student that goes abroad for education through a proper channel, is very much valued and looked after.

There is just no way that a student will be stuck in a foreign country, if there is any problem, Embassy will take care of it. Even in worst case scenario, they will deport the student back to his/her country.

They Might Have No Money

That is common fear among parents who send their parents abroad for education that if their kid runs out of money

he/she will be in a lot of trouble without any food or place to live. This also a case that I have never seen happen. Usually the accommodation in university is registered for whole year and its rent is paid in advance so if a student have no money in his pocket, they won’t be kicking him out.

Then comes the question of food. Every university hostel provides the facility of mess. You eat whole month and then pay at the end of month as its security fee is always included in the dorm room fee. So, a student don’t have a penny, he/she has a whole month to arrange it.

I have lived hostel life away from parents. While studying I made a lot of friends most of them were class fellows. We never had money issues, as whenever one of us runs out, other would loan him and that was the usual routine. Most of the time my ticket to home was purchased by my roommate that I would pay him after getting back.

They Will Be Bullied

Bullying is like ragging or disturbing other mates. Often parents worry that their student will bullied. Bullying is basically

illegal and rights of international students are specifically secured by officials and government itself. Anyway these things might happen in primary school but to bully a young university student is just not that common. I never got bullied. Anyway, with the passage of time you make friends, get used to the place and become strong. So, that’s least thing parents should be worried about.

They Might Go Wrong Path

Parents are often scared that their children will change after going abroad for education as they will be living in a society with new people and they will adopt their culture over their own. First do understand that just because new culture is different, it does not mean that it is wrong. Living in a new culture is a very important part of education and grooming in a foreign country. It expands students’ horizons and give them the ability to see world with a much broader view.

Just make sure, you do proper counseling and keep in touch after they have gone abroad. So, won’t join the bad side of the society. Make them understand what is good and bad for them though a young student is already aware of it.

Written By 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.

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