If you haven’t done so yourself, you probably know someone who has been abroad to study, work or live. When you meet them again after they come back home or if you visit them, you somehow find some changes in the person who you knew. These changes are mostly because they went abroad and became an individual with broad perspectives and experienced a lot of newer things.
People who travel and get a chance to live in a different country are never the same. They are never home because they will always miss some people, some places or experiences of the different country and these experiences change them as a person. There are a lot of positive reasons why every student should study abroad because it also gives them a chance to travel and explore that country besides meeting international people and trying our new cuisines or having new experiences.
This article lists just 7 of those compelling reasons which makes studying in a foreign country a must for every student.
Maturity
When you are in a different country on your own making your decisions and being responsible for yourself and sometimes others, you gain a level of maturity that you don’t when you are in the comfort zone around your parents and friends. The fact that you are surrounded by familiar faces willing to help you out in any situation will never be able to get you to a maturity level that you attain being on your own in a different country surrounded by strangers. Being on your own causes you to grow up quickly and thats a good thing.
Independence
When you are responsible for studying, working, managing your time between both these activities and finding some time for socializing, you suddenly learn amazing multi tasking skills that you never knew you will need before moving out of your home country. You are independent in a different country and will take all your decisions on your own, but more importantly you will be solely responsible for all your decisions. This independence comes with a big responsibility of managing your time effectively and trying to find a balance between different activities.
Global Friendships
Studying in a different country is the easiest way of making friends worldwide. Most countries would have students from various countries in the university and it will be easy to meet them through a lot of activities both inside and outside the academic institution. This makes it easier to know different culture, enjoy different cuisines, and of course have a certain known face in a different country when you travel. The joy of having someone wait for you at the airport in a new country is something you have to feel for yourself rather than explaining in words. Its amazing to know that no matter where in the world you land you will always have someone you know and have met.
Confidence
The fact that you move to a different country to study and be on your own is a big decision and requires confidence. You have to deal with a lot of strangers and you come across a lot of situations you never faced before in your life. Talking to strangers, learning a new language and a new country’s way of living and customs & traditions; to getting along with a lot of strangers, while living and working with people from a different country, working in groups doing assignments and getting used to so many different conditions is all a big boost to confidence of a person.
Finding Yourself
Every travel website states that traveling allows you to find yourself and this is also true for studying abroad. You find the much needed time to spend with yourself. You come across situations where you are lonely in the happiest or saddest moments and you have literally no one to share your feelings. Its also a feeling of growing up, acting mature and feeling closer to yourself. You know your strengths, your weaknesses and know newer things about yourself. You try out newer things which you would not try in your own surroundings and known atmosphere. All of these help you find yourself and grow as an individual.
Real World Knowledge
Getting out of the comfort zone helps you go out and have real life experiences. No matter whatever university you go to or whatever school you attend there are some experiences which are only taught by life. They have to be experienced rather than learned. Also, dealing with people in real world everyday whether its renting a place, finding a job or working with people who are from completely different backgrounds is all a part of experiencing real world. Being in a different country makes you more knowledgeable about their political scenario, cultural aspects and more important things about a different country which you can’t learn online or in books. All this real world knowledge adds to your personality and is highly valued by employers.
Job prospects
Studying abroad adds that international exposure which looks great on your CV. Being able to work with people from different backgrounds, settling in to varied circumstances and being able to adapt are all the skills which you learn while working in a different country. But just mentioning the fact that “I studied in a different country” won’t get you anywhere. The same fact has to be justified with reasons and transferrable skill set. When you are able to convince your future employer that the foreign exposure has added something valuable to your personality or to you as a person it will all fall in place.
There are of course a lot of other advantages but these 7 benefits sums up the experience of being a student in a different country. Just do it. Go to your university’s study abroad office and get your options and get set to experience a life which is worth it.
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