As a young adult, the most adrenaline rushing thought is to try something out of the box and not do things to merely fit in. To unravel knowledge and to seek new learnings in the best manner possible. Our world is growing impressively and is making the impossible, possible. Making it easier for people to fulfill their dreams and not only daydream about them. One of the things coming in trend nowadays is going abroad to study about the best in the best universities possible. And that is becoming easier than before. Ivy league colleges and all the other international colleges don’t look like a mirage anymore for the millennials. However, the life of students away from their home is more than we can estimate it to be. Of course, the whole of the thing is exciting but there is more to know about what are the essentials of the lives students are spending in foreign countries. Let’s try to have an insight into it.
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE
The basic need of human life is communication and to know the local language of a place makes it easier. International students have to learn at least one local language. When it comes to the USA or UK, language is not a barrier but for people coming from Middle Eastern countries, it’s a humungous task. So is this going to be a hurdle for them? Of course not. We have seen people becoming bilingual and even consider it as a hobby to be able to speak many languages eloquently. Students make it a point to cater to the needs of the languages of the place they are going to reside for the
forthcoming years.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURAL INTEGRATION
Students not only leave their homes to study and acquire degrees in their chosen fields but to develop a new perspective towards life and society. Living in a different country is the best way to do so. It’s like taking a deep leap of faith. As Zainab Mudallal, a graduate from the University of
Maryland, said, “it’s a scary decision to leave our families behind and live in a foreign land where everything seems bigger.” The real fun is to know the cultural legacy of the place and to develop your selves for the dynamic opportunities ahead. Students are keen to attend the local festivals of place and to visit the museums and libraries for better familiarity with the place. It’s all about creating lifelong memories after all.
To develop one’s self three things have to be kept in mind
1. Be wise enough to pick up three events of improvement. It can be a language class or communication session, any aspect you feel needs to be improved.
2. Always and always embrace new experiences, no matter how challenging it may seem.
3. Never follow the tribe. Find your passion and let it sink in you.
JOBS
Studying abroad can be expensive but that doesn’t mean the student is ready to compromise on their social needs. The students are quick enough to look for jobs and are not hesitant to do small jobs too. You can work at a cafeteria or you can be a research associate too. But finding even the most inconspicuous jobs can be tiresome too. However, a lot of help is being offered to the students.
- Career fairs at colleges are a good guide.
- Networking events and meet-ups work like wish-granting fairies.
- The biggest asset of student life is teachers and professors. The university profs can go out of their ways to help you by referring you to the right person thus saving a lot of effort.
- Even the alumni of your college can create more familiar opportunities for you.
LIVING INDEPENDENTLY
And when I say living, it doesn’t only include food and shelter, there’s more to it. Developed countries are more systematic than we think and with that comes complexities too. People who are new to the system of a nation can get terrified so it is necessary to take one thing at one time. The paperwork, well it is too much sometimes but it is necessary to get it done as early as possible.
Paperworks include different types of visas, certificates, and forms and internationals tend to keep the work for the last time which can be too stressful so it’s advised to keep it done at the earliest.
Some things to help to not cause an existential crisis are:
- Prepare weekly and monthly checklists to be updated with your chores like to keep a check on credit cards and bank statements, any charges because charges are quite common in countries like the US and you don’t want to be a bad citizen right from the start, right?
- Take up a local mobile plan and also an insurance health plan. Remember you are not living with your family here, you are your lifeguard.
- Make it a habit to keep your important things in a locker that also includes your documents.
- Keep a scanned copy of all on your phone. Do it the smart way.
- Pack light as you may have to shift often. Change apartments and all those things.
- Ensure that the visa is stamped on the correct side.
- Last but not the least, find your jobs as early as possible.
MAKING FRIENDS
The juices to our lifestyle, friends add to the charm of life. Making friends in a foreign country is more crucial. Students can have trouble fitting in. Ways to solve this are simple yet not often used. Many universities conduct international students’ orientation where you can meet like-minded
people. Team projects are yet another great way to indulge-in creatively. Though one should avoid any familiar groups and clubs where they are more likely to meet people of their own country.
The focus here is to move out of your comfort zone.
- Recreational activities like hiking are the best way to meet new and turbulent people.
So we can see how the life of the internationals seems like a mission itself. Such broad development can be achieved only through something like this. The universities here are not only focused on the developed countries but worldwide thus creating such a wholesome platform for the young minds to create a world better to live in. Making studying abroad a total win-win situation.
I hope you found this blog helpful. Do share your experiences about international travels or studies in the comments below.
Written By – Madhumita Kolay
Content Writer and Blogger
Connect with her at madhumita0798@gmail.com
