A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about tips on moving your family abroad and today we’ll look at something similar but for students. Where I live, there are thousands of students that visit from South America, Europe, Asia and MENA (Middle East & North Africa) for the purpose of going to college/university to study. There are also plenty that just come here for the purpose of learning the English language at smaller English schools.
I have a sister-in-law that is going to medical school in Cuba and another friend who has spent the last two years in London studying law. There are programs all over the world that want North American students and one place that’s starting to become popular are the various colleges in Dubai.
Now Dubai is one of those places you must visit at least once, but how awesome would it be if you could complete your studies there?
Today we’ll look at a few tips on ways to survive studying abroad. Some of you reading this may already be overseas, or perhaps even already in the process of going that route. Hopefully some of the tips here are able to help you out.
Research the country you are visiting
Before filing any paperwork, get to know the country you are visiting. Know about the region, the culture, religion, language, and a general understanding of the type of people that live there. Is the country often in the news? If so, what are the reasons? Last thing you want is to walk into some war zone or a place where kidnappings are a popular thing.
Learning a few basic phrases in the local language will really give you a upper hand and it will show initiative with your fellow classmates and professors. And it’s also very important to know where the embassy and consulate offices are just in case of an emergency.
Smart with your money
Studying abroad can be on the expensive side but if you’re resourceful, there are ways around it. When you consider a destination, see if the program you want to attend has any available scholarships. That family member I mentioned attending medical school in Cuba is actually there on a scholarship which means she paid $0 from her own pocket. Her apartment is paid for and all she has to pay for is the food.
See about renting an apartment with a classmate or other foreign students who are also visiting to study. Splitting costs for living expenses and local transportation should help you significantly when it comes to being money smart. You can also stay with a host family which would make for an awesome experience. You’ll have fantastic food and save a lot on living costs. And make sure you shop around when it comes to currency exchange and avoid the places at the airports at all costs as their fees are ridiculous.
And when it comes to food, avoid going out every night. And don’t bother buying food in tourist traps where everything is marked up significantly. If you really happen to be in a tough spot, you can always count on mom and dad back home to wire some funds to you.
Make local friends
In the beginning, you may be on the lookout for other students who are from your country or at least someone who speaks your language. This is fine but I would also highly recommend making local friends who know the area, language, and their way around everything. It is a great way start networking and being one of the locals. It will also help you from being homesick.
Getting a job
If you want to be like any other student, then you should consider getting a job locally. It doesn’t really matter what the job is but it should help you with the bank account as well as bringing some sort of normality to your life. If English is not the local language, here is a great opportunity to tutor and make money teaching English while also being exposed to the local language which you can pick up on.
Stay connected
Being homesick is quite normal but remember that it won’t last forever. The sooner you start doing the things mentioned so far, the sooner that feeling of wanting to go back home will disappear. And thanks to technology, your family and friends are only an internet connection away. You can always Whatsapp, Viber, Facebook, and Skype/Tango with the people you care most about. Staying connected once a week will help you get through the entire process a lot easier.
Get your bucket list out
You’re in a brand new country and you want to explore. Once you have settled in and know your own town pretty well, you can now start exploring any bucket list items you may have. Studying abroad is not just about college but experiencing travel and enjoying everything the host nation has to offer. It’s usually a good idea to start exploring the country only after you have settled in (after 2-4 weeks) because by then, you should have hopefully made a few local friends who can explore with you. You can always explore on your own but I think the experience would be more rich if you had local friends with you.
Unfortunately I have never studied abroad and there is no way my family would have ever allowed it back then but I do know a handful of people that have experienced it and they wouldn’t change it for the world. If there is anything you want to add, feel free to comment below.
