The Benefits and Drawbacks of Studying Abroad

Studying in abroad is mostly considered synonymous to success, advancement, life enhancement and achievement. But as there are always two sides of a coin, studying in abroad has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. Education is imperative for any individual’s personal growth and career success and also for building of civilized society, what can be better than attaining education from a top rated institute at an international platform? Certainly, everyone wants to acquire best opportunities and best academic facility which can ensure smooth professional career and that is expected from studying in abroad. Before you mentally commit to undertake this challenging task of studying in a foreign land, let us discuss in this article what are its benefits and drawbacks to give you an overview:

Benefits of Studying Abroad

1. Impact of Foreign Qualification on Your Personality:

The individuals who have studied in abroad or have done an exchange programme are generally more knowledgeable and skillful because of wide ranging vision and multinational exposure. While studying in abroad you enhance your learning ability by being taught in the teaching styles and methods that are different than your own country, you are surrounded by multiethnic people, you are exposed to greater challenges hence learn greater lessons, you get understanding of so many different outlooks and prospective and eventually develop a broadened and inclusive mental capacity to look at life. You learn to be responsible for yourself and for those around you after this duration of staying along and surviving among strangers.

2. Boost to Your Career:

A short term or long term course done in abroad can add a remarkably positive impact on your resume. The recruiters prioritize CVs of foreign graduates because of so many facts including, foreign graduates know more than one language, they are easy to gel with their colleagues, living in foreign land have made them open to understand criticism and difference of opinion, they are independent and risk takers and often have creative ideas and bring something new to the company through their travelling and meeting a multitude of people.

3. Chance to See the World:

First of all, studying in abroad adds great value to your passport’s worth for your future travel. Even during staying in abroad, in the same expense you get to see another country, explore its culture, customs, history, natural landscape and lifestyle. You will have so many stories to tell your friends upon your return to your country.

4. You Will Build Contacts:

In study abroad years, you will be among a global community and broad network of people. You will be well aware about the ways of the other nations, their problem solving methods, their approach of life and their economical and social strategies. By building contact with multinational people spread all around the world, your own lifestyle will change for the better and your life will tread on a developmental path.

5. Enhancing Communication, Confidence and Language Skills:

You are basically gaining every day in abroad. Your communication, language and confidence will enhance by dealing with different people for survival in a foreign land. You will how to best present yourself in front of others, what to do and not do in a social gathering and how to understand so many different dialects of a same language. You will learn the basic required sentences of so many different languages for initiating conversation especially if you study in European Countries, America, Canada and Australia.

Drawbacks of Studying Abroad

1. High Expenses:

If you do not belong from a financially privileged family then studying in abroad is one expensive journey. Besides high cost tuition fee, you have to arrange for several other expenditures including medical insurance coverage, tuition fee deposit, university registration fee, travel ticket cost, visa fees and medical examination fee. If you achieve scholarships for studying in abroad, the expenses can be cut to half or totally exempted, but if you are going to afford the expenses of studying in abroad on your own, you must have enough finances to do so.

2. Security Factor:

In few past years, we have been experiencing numerous incidents of racist attacks towards foreign students especially Muslim students, it does raises doubt in minds of general public before deciding to travel to western countries. Being honest, there is constant state of fear and uncertainty in the minds of students in abroad regarding what the next day might bring and how badly they can be treated by racists merely because of following their religious practices and wearing their traditional attires.

3. Home Sickness:

Homesickness hits you hard when you are away from your family and friends for a long time. The continuous challenge of adjusting in new habitat, new culture and new people might bring you to the verge of mental break down. You become even more home sick when you realize you can’t just get up and go back to your people because of responsibilities, university attendance and visa restrictions, you have to commit to it and focus on your goal of completing your degree and be strong. Because skipping the course in between, leaving your university and travelling back to your country will cause a huge financial lose that you spent for studying abroad process.

4. Language Barrier:

Learning a new language is a life enhancing skill but it is not easy to grasp command on a foreign language in a short time. At first, you will find it extremely hard to even convey the simplest of message to others, doing grocery shopping, finding the address, doing domestic chores, travelling in the city and doing part time job.  But everything is hard at first until you master it; you will learn a new language eventually which will be a highly valuable skill that can pay you off in your future endeavors.

5. Cultural Shock

 Information about everything and anything is now just a click away today. But what you experience in person cannot be described in words or in encyclopedia. Immersing in different culture and customs although educate and broaden an individual’s approach towards life in general but at the same time it can an incredibly complicated thing to do on daily basis. There are apparent differences and there are psychological differences between people belonging to different cultures, it is a slow process that will unfold with time giving you cultural shock and inclusive learning. You have to be patient for that and accept things as they come and avoid passing judgment because after all you are in foreign land and a foreigner, you have to protect yourself.