The Motivations Behind the Move
Studying abroad. No matter where you go or how long you planned for it, you will probably feel like you have been yanked out of your home onto a very different terrain. In a short period, you will be expected to get used to new living and dining situations, meet new people, probably work, while excelling at your faster-paced courses at the same time.
After potentially living your entire life under one roof, amongst similar people, you become a stranger in a strange land. You experience culture shock; you are overwhelmed by the peculiarity of newfound independence. Even after all this, thousands of students leave their homes to pursue their desired degrees all around the world. The reasons for this are simple, and complicated, as most things are.
A majority of the students pursuing their education abroad feel like they could not unlock their current quality of education here. Be it their chances of getting into research, accessing better technology, or just being challenged intellectually, students generally agree that schools elsewhere have a better reach into what they seek.
Usually, schools abroad, especially those that are better-ranked, are better at helping students gain mobility in their professional careers. The idea of job security right after college is comforting and a huge driver towards their decision of studying abroad.
From a more personal angle, students want to move to achieve comfort in self-expression and independence. In many cases, they feel like the only way they can truly be themselves is by moving away and being on their own for a while.
Tahsin Ferdous, 20, is an undergraduate student residing in Japan. He says "I started worrying less about what others say pretty early on. It was difficult to have to do everything on my own but the benefits outweighed that by a lot. I don't regret it."
However, let's not forget that a rosy picture of college abroad is painted amongst people who have not yet walked over to the other side.
Sumaiya Rahman*, 21 and an undergraduate student in the UK, comments, "You always see people having the time of their lives on social media and start to feel like student life's a breeze. They think that you will get a job and be able to settle down in a foreign country no matter what. This is not true. Real life is much more difficult. You just don't see people post about it all that often."
Does she ever regret choosing to study abroad? "Absolutely not. I have learned so much academically and about myself. I got these amazing opportunities that are helping me get a job that is perfect for me. I wouldn't take this over anything else," comes the reply.
Whether the move is justified is only something one could answer if they chose to study abroad themselves. But it does very well seem like if you chose to take a chance, you would be likely to gain much more than just an education.
*Name has been changed upon request.
The writer got bitten trying to fist-bump a duck. Send her more dumb ideas at n.nusaibaah@gmail.com