Acquiring higher education is inarguably a significant life decision to make. Yet, you might decide to challenge yourself further by studying abroad. Maybe you wish to broaden your choices and career opportunities. Perhaps, you're merely searching for a pinch of added stress to spice up your life. Regardless, moving from your country to study overseas can expose you to rewarding challenges you would otherwise never come across. Studying abroad has multiple benefits spanning educational, professional, social, and personal advantages. Read on to know 26 reasons why we think you should consider studying abroad.
Personal Growth
- Becoming independent is inevitable: One of the most fulfilling study abroad benefits is the one that happens within you. By moving overseas, you're leaving behind the carefree days living with your family, where many life responsibilities might have gone unnoticed. It might also be the first time you learn to manage your money.
Budgeting is a critical skill you should master if you want to study and live overseas. Paradoxically, something that sounds this scary is rewarding in the long run as you inevitably become a self-reliant and responsible adult. You grow personally by disciplining yourself to handle the university and other life matters. Ultimately, you become independent.
- You will learn to adapt and be flexible: Leaving behind your home means you have to get acquainted with the ins and outs of living in the yet unknown country. Through this, you learn vital skills for your career and personal life that you might not initially realise. You are learning to adapt to a new atmosphere and become flexible. The companies will surely see your study abroad experience as evidence that you would adapt and fit into their work culture.
- Challenges will lead to increased self-confidence: By overcoming the challenges of moving to an entirely new environment, you realise your mental capabilities and power. Thus, the challenges-turned-into-opportunities make you a confident individual. If you are brave enough to study overseas and embrace the newness of it all, you can deal with any life obstacles.
- You will become more open-minded by freeing yourself from normative thinking: As an international student, you become exposed to different standpoints and soon discover that your ways are not necessarily a default setting of the “how-to's” of life. This different outlook is an enriching reason to study abroad, as one of the vital parts of growing is letting go of dogmas and opening your mind more to the beauty of differences.
- Improved Understanding of Yourself and Your Own Culture: By opening your mind to all these differences, you will employ critical lenses for yourself and your cultural background. Observing others puts into perspective who you are - by listening to contrasting opinions, you strengthen, modify or change your own. Ultimately, it leads to crucial personal growth.
Educational Benefits
- Receive high-quality education: Moving abroad for your studies can be an invaluable opportunity for receiving the high-quality education you're looking for. It might be that your home country cannot provide you with the excellence you aspire to acquire. Additionally, you will broaden your choice of universities by researching your options overseas, regardless of your home country's quality of education.
- Access to expertise and resources: You might want to consider studying abroad due to the range of academic programs and courses you could enrol in, in various parts of the world. You will gain access to the resources and expertise required for your chosen field. Whether it is the tech, business, or art world, different countries provide considerable opportunities to expose yourself to the knowledge you seek.
- Different learning environments: In addition to significant knowledge, you will be exposed to contrasting educational systems and approaches to studying. Different cultures and institutions have ways of teaching and creating a conducive environment for learning. You might want to consider what type of atmosphere is optimal for you and choose to study abroad accordingly - you will find options from practical, hands-on, or research-based opportunities.
- Dabble in languages: Besides your career-oriented education, studying abroad is an incredible opportunity to polish your English language skills as you will learn and build relationships in an international environment. If learning languages is your passion, you can add a new language to the list. Specific courses and day-to-day interactions will help you learn in no time. Maybe you'll find that you have a knack for languages and start your journey toward being a polyglot!
- Higher chances for graduate admission: If you plan to apply for graduate programs, your study abroad experience will make you an attractive candidate for graduate admission boards. This background can show them several aspects of you. On the one hand, it shows your resilience to handle all the challenges while pursuing your studies. On the other hand, deciding to study overseas highlights the significance you put on acquiring higher education, making you a committed candidate. Overall, companies regard students who have studied abroad as diverse, unique, and, thus, a valuable addition to their community.
Career Advancement
- Your enhanced CV will lead to an increase in job prospects: Studying abroad encompasses career benefits as well. Whether you're just starting to enter the career world or applying for your dream job, your CV should help you stand out in a pool of job-seekers. Studying abroad is one of those details that can attract attention. For instance, applicants that have completed their Masters abroad become attractive candidates for culturally aware and diverse workplaces. What's more, in today's global world, employers will want to recruit talents with cross-cultural competence. Studying overseas is one way to acquire this skill.
- Gain international work experience: Working as a student can be advantageous. So when you study abroad, you gain exposure to more international work opportunities. There are a variety of part-time student jobs or volunteering opportunities for exciting projects, festivals, and any other fields you can engage in. While gaining some extra cash, these experiences will help you orient yourself better in career options and add to your CV. Also, you will grow and acquire abundant knowledge about the international world around you.
- Acquire a global network of contacts: To study overseas inevitably equals substantial growth of networks. There are many reasons networking is vital, and studying abroad can facilitate interactions with connections in your field. It can be intentional - you can actively seek to expand your professional network through attending networking events provided by your university or other opportunities. However, you also automatically acquire a global network of contacts by communicating with your peers as you all share similar interests and goals - you never know, maybe you end up working with your friend or a classmate you once had in that one class!
- Exposure to various industries and markets: Moving to a different country enhances your career prospects by exposing you to an industry you want to explore. When you move to your destination, you start orienting yourself in the fields of interest through the professors, various events, projects that let you pitch your ideas, and plenty more opportunities. You will learn the overall climate in the market, how experts in the field deal with the issues at hand, and the practices they employ. This orientation lets you grow within your domain and acquire immense knowledge.
Mental Health and Well-Being
- Learn to manage stress and anxiety in a new environment: A significant aspect you cannot overlook when considering studying abroad is the influence on your mental health and well-being. All the newness and uncertainty come with a lot of anxiety that one has to deal with. Yet, studying abroad is a perfect way to learn to manage stress since it also comes with exciting once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that make it worth it. You will soon find that you're better at managing stress as you curiously discover the new stimulating environment.
- You will be encouraged to care for your physical health: One of the ways students learn to manage stress is by engaging in sports. When studying abroad, physical activity and sports become crucial aspects of your life to care for your mental health. Different universities offer affordable facilities for fitness and other sports. You will find yourself encouraged to de-stress by exploring these options. Physical activity leads to improved concentration and mood. A huge bonus is that it can become a social activity! As you and your peers encourage each other, you will have lots of fun while contributing positively to your overall health.
- Broaden your spectrum of interests: Who said studying abroad means exploring only your career prospects?! Starting this new chapter in your life will become a motivation for discovering new hobbies and interests. Moreover, the people you observe and meet will inspire you as you get acquainted with their cultures and everyday lives that may be distinct from yours. All these new passions or habits positively influence your well-being as your day-to-day life becomes more fulfilling.
- You will gain a sense of gratitude by appreciating home: After moving out, you start to appreciate aspects of your life that you might have taken for granted. Your hometown, family, and friends are integral parts of your life. When you leave, you become grateful for what you've always had. A sense of gratitude towards your home teaches you to enjoy simple things in all aspects of life, which is the key to happiness and well-being.
Social Experience
- Build lifelong relationships: Study abroad benefits include creating lasting friendships regardless of where you end up. It is a chance to build diverse and fulfilling relationships where you get to learn more about their countries and cultures while you, in turn, share yours. Having friends from all over the world also means adding destinations to your bucket list and getting more excuses to travel to get to know a country from a local perspective.
- Become adventurous and more daring to explore: Moving abroad is already an adventure, which further boosts your curious spirit to discover even more. It can be an outing with your new friends or a solo adventure where you come across more distinct and inspiring people ready to share their stories. Studying abroad gives you many incentives to explore and travel as a student, which can be an unforgettable experience you can later tell countless stories about.
- Brush up on interpersonal skills: when studying abroad, you are bound to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds with different personalities and beliefs. You learn different ways of communicating to deliver your point from your professors, peers, or society. Communication can vary for each country. For instance, some opt for bluntness, while others decide to sugarcoat. The more you get to communicate with diverse people, the more you get to perfect your interpersonal skills.
Cultural Experience
- Have a chance to try new cuisine: One way to learn about a culture is through your taste buds. Trying locally prepared cuisine is an authentic experience you will get when you study abroad. From street food to fancy meals, you will immerse yourself in the new culture by hearing the stories or legends connected to it and, of course, by tasting it. And maybe you'll learn a recipe or two to impress your friends and family afterward.
- Be exposed to traditions and customs: Alongside the cuisine, you will receive first-hand experience of other traditions the country has been preserving for centuries. From learning how many times to kiss someone's cheek when greeting to holiday celebrations, it's never a dull moment. Even with holidays that seem universal, you might find many contrasts with your own or similarities that make you feel at home.
- Learn about the art and entertainment that exceeds the tourist experience: It's one thing to see a city through the eyes of a tourist guide and another to start living there. You will get to know the city and its landmarks and attractions in more fulfilling ways than going there for a holiday. It is an incredibly priceless opportunity as you immerse in their history, different art styles, cinema, or music scene.
- Gain an understanding of the various political systems and ideologies: Moving from a collectivist country to an individualistic one, or vice versa, can be eye-opening. Or perhaps, you grew up in a republic country but moved to a monarchy. It's one of the ways you experience culture shock and, as a result, makes you more knowledgeable in aspects that might have gone unnoticed. Understanding the distinct ideologies and systems can challenge or strengthen your beliefs.
- Develop a global perspective through embracing diversity: Putting yourself in the international environment provides you with in-depth knowledge and understanding of the globalised world we live in today. The decision to study abroad gives you an enriching opportunity to become a part of the diverse world, learning to embrace and celebrate it. All these experiences substantially change and strengthen your outlook on life as you start looking beyond your bubble. Hence, developing a global perspective will benefit you and your surroundings professionally and personally.
Conclusion
Study abroad benefits are countless. It spreads across all aspects of life and positively alters your path in ways you would never have imagined. The decision to study overseas undoubtedly has a vital role in personal and professional growth. Need a bonus? It is also loads of fun and gratifying! Once you find the beauty in challenges that come your way, you will start to truly appreciate, enjoy and reap all the advantages that come with it. With all these experiences awaiting you, it is simply impossible not to get excited.
Did we miss any reasons to study abroad? Comment below!
