The fact is that no matter where your roots are, moving abroad to live a new life, even temporarily, is an exciting challenge. For some, it is even a revelation. Wondering how studying abroad will change your life? Here are our reasons:
You will become more independent
Moving from high school to university is already a big step. Suddenly, you've gone from being a teenager whose business was run by his parents to a student who has to take responsibility for himself, organize his classes and his schedule.
Even with these new challenges, other areas remain the same. Mummy can always bring you small dishes, do your laundry or take care of your papers.
Abroad, you will really be on your own, and you will be able to rely only on yourself and your ability to get by. You'll have to manage your papers, do your shopping, do your laundry and organise your schedule so that you can study while having a social life. This is the kind of experience that will undoubtedly help you mature.
You will learn how to manage paperwork
Studying abroad will present you with a real administrative challenge. You will have to find accommodation, register for language courses, register with the authorities, obtain a transport pass, open a bank account, prepare your appointments at the university... the list is endless.
Learning to look after your personal affairs is an important step in life. You need to find out which institution is responsible for what, where to get the necessary documents and signatures, and how to communicate when problems arise (and with paperwork, there are always problems). The relief you will feel when you have enrolled in a new city and got into university will teach you that, with patience and knowledge, you can overcome anything.
The courses will open up new perspectives for you
Studying abroad does not seem to open up new horizons at first glance and yet. You are about to experience a different school system with different requirements and approaches.
Chances are you will be studying subjects you have never heard of before and these will bring new ideas and new ways of thinking. You will also learn to work more, as some foreign schools and universities require you to do more work than you are used to doing in normal times.
You will make friends from all walks of life.
This point is great. Abroad, chances are you'll meet a lot of people. And most of the time they will become your friends for life. Of course, it is also possible to make friends at your home university, but living abroad, and especially living an international student experience, really changes things. You'll see that!
Back home, you will see that meeting and exchanging with people from other languages and cultures has opened your mind. You may even continue to seek the company of international students after that!
Whether you leave for a few months or forever, living an experience abroad will change your life and your vision of things forever, that's for sure!