Admittedly, students, specially the affluent ones, want to get the best education a school could offer. In some countries, where the education is not fully developed, most students prefer to study abroad, especially in well-known schools around the world. Yes, studying abroad requires a huge amount of money but the advantages are priceless. Also, there are schools that offer scholarships to students who are interested but do not have enough financial resources.
Studying abroad is enticing, especially for those who seen the places in television or social media.
However, before considering studying abroad, the following drawbacks should not be ignored:
- Living and studying abroad can be difficult. This is the case when you will live alone. Although one can find friends from the same country, the adjustment period is still very difficult because you have to familiarize yourself with your new environment and the people around you. Going to different places could also be a challenge as there is a possibility of getting lost.
- Students have problems with paperwork such as visa applications. Studying overseas is not as easy as riding a bus. There are a lot of documents that you have to have so that you can enroll. The main issue students usually have is visa application. Ideally, it only takes a week or two but sometimes, it can take months before your visa will be approved or worse, denied. Aside from visa application, there are schools, especially in English-speaking countries, require students from non-English speaking countries to take English proficiency tests like IELTS or TOEFL and there is a specific score that these schools need.
- The language barrier can be a problem. One of the issues overseas students encounter is language barrier. If you don’t know how to speak the host country’s native language, the first year could be very difficult. You will have to learn their language to effectively interact with the locals. Learning a language that is completely different from your own will not be very easy.
- Students have to find accommodation and pay bills. If you don’t have any relative abroad, you have to find your own place and pay your own bills. You will be overwhelmed when you find out that the price for renting an apartment and the bills are so much different you’re your own country. Unless you have a huge budget, this won’t be an issue.
- Living alone in an unfamiliar culture can cause homesickness. At first, you might be surprised when you see encounter traditions or beliefs that contradict what you’re used to. You might experience culture shock and would likely to miss home. This feeling would last for some time until you get used to your new environment.