10 Must-Know Reasons to Study Abroad

Self development, independence, career and job opportunities are some of the most excellent reasons to study abroad. Here are the top 10 reasons to study abroad.

If you are looking for a new and interesting experience, studying for your degree abroad has countless benefits for your personal development, future job opportunities and life experience. If an international experience is something that you are considering, here are the top 10 positive reasons to study abroad.

1. Make International Friends

Studying abroad gives you an opportunity to meet people from diverse backgrounds. This widens your social network and gives you the opportunity to develop a deep understanding of different cultures, countries and religions. Upon leaving university, you will have made plenty of international friends which will be helpful to you in the future, both for your social life and for international networking.

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2. Learn a New Language

If you choose to study in a country where a language other than your own is being spoken, you will have a unique opportunity to learn a new language with immersion. This means that you won’t just be studying in a classroom, you will be speaking to people and hearing the language on a daily basis, enabling you to become familiar with the colloquialisms, slang and everyday expressions and not just learn them from a textbook. A second language will open up lots of new opportunities in the job market. You could work in your host country or benefit from your newly learned second language in your native country.

3. Life Experience

Going to new places, meeting new people and living in a new environment will widen and enhance your life experience and give you a global perspective on your current world view. Memories will be made and treasured for a long time to come.

4. Increase Your Employability

Employers are not just looking for a degree, knowledge and skills. They are looking at a variety of soft skills and abilities. International experience increases critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is one of the most in-demand skills in the workplace. It also enhances your cross-cultural communication skills, intellectual curiosity and gives you an international perspective on life.

According to a survey by the IES, an international internship organization, 46% found their first job upon graduation and an additional 47.2% found their first job within 6 months of graduating.

5. Earn a Scholarship

Students who choose to study abroad may be entitled to a scholarship. There are several scholarship websites that are the perfect resource for finding and applying for scholarships. They help streamline the process and provide you with all the information that you require including eligibility, deadlines, criteria and application procedure. Check out scholarships.com, fastweb.com, collegenet.com and collegescholarships.com.

6. Explore and Travel

You will have the opportunity to travel a new country and have easier and cheaper access to its neighboring countries. For example, if you choose to study in Europe, you can get excellent deals on travel to other European destinations like London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Amsterdam, Prague and Istanbul. Check out lastminute.com for the latest flight deals and look at low-cost airlines like Easyjet and Ryanair where you can find some excellent deals.

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7. Learn to be More Independent

Setting up a temporary home abroad requires finding accommodation, adapting to a new culture, managing a budget and taking care of all your personal, financial and social needs without any assistance from your family. At the end of your time abroad, you will have gained newfound skills and independence to benefit you in all your future endeavours.

8. Find Yourself

Spending some time away from your natural environment gives you the perfect opportunity to find new hobbies, enjoy new experiences and meet new people. It gives you a certain personal space that you may not have had up until now. You can use this space to explore your interests, find new hobbies and make decisions for your future career. You may discover a new sport, music or artistic hobby which will not only give you enjoyment, it may also take you in a new life direction. Being away from family and friends removes you from other people’s expectations (negative and positive) and gives you the time to be free to wander, learn and explore.

9. Immerse Yourself in a Different Culture

Immersing yourself into a new country and culture will enable you to develop cross-cultural communication skills which will be of great benefit to you in the workplace upon your return. Employers are looking for people who have the skills to succeed in our increasingly globalized world by understanding other cultures, religions and ways of life. It’s also great for your social life as the more you immerse into the culture, the more people you will meet and connect with — this is also great for your future networking opportunities.

10. Build Confidence

One of the great things about going abroad and having an independent life is that it builds your personal confidence. Once you have done something challenging and different in your life, you will have the confidence to do it again. Your newfound confidence will be extremely beneficial for both your career and personal life.

Alternative Options To Studying Abroad

If you don’t want to go abroad but would like to have an internationally recognised online degree, University of the People has a great option for you. UoPeople is an American accredited, tuition-free, online university that enables you to study for your degree anytime, anywhere. Our mission is to help students to overcome financial, geographic, political and personal constraints that may prevent them from having an opportunity to study for a degree.

We offer degrees in Business Administration, Computer Science, Health Science and Education. In order to keep UoPeople running, all we ask is payment for assessment fees that can be paid at the end of each course. If you are unable to pay these fees, you have the option to apply to one of our numerous scholarships and grants. Our belief is that education is a human right and should be available to all.

A list of additional inexpensive online learning options can be found here.

Conclusion

Studying abroad has so many personal, social and professional benefits, including making new friends, increasing your employability, learning a new language, opportunities to travel, explore, find yourself and gain independence. However, in order to do so, you need to be free of all financial and family commitments. If you are in a position to go abroad, don’t let anything hold you back! But if you would like to study part-time while keeping your current day job, then online university study is an excellent alternative option. You can study stress free at a time and place that suits your schedule, keep your job and have no interruption to your family commitments.