Studying abroad is a one-of-a-kind experience. Gaining education not only about your chosen area of study, but also about another culture, their traditions, their food, and their social landscapes. Many people find studying abroad to be a unique, fascinating experience that not only enhances their academic pursuits but also their worldview and global understanding.
There are many ways that a person can pursue studies in another country. Courses like EdD curriculum and instruction online are available all over the internet, allowing people to gain the benefits of another country’s institution without travel expenses. Or, if you have money saved for the venture, it is possible to physically travel to another country for your education. Many students studying foreign languages choose this option, as living in the country of their chosen language provides numerous opportunities for practical learning and enrichment.
This is just a taste of the many benefits of studying abroad. If you’re considering it but aren’t quite sure, then read on for a list of some of our favourite things about studying in another country.
Grow Your Character
Studying abroad thrusts you into the deep end of life in one of the best ways. While you are predominantly in another country to study, no one spends all their time anywhere doing only one thing, and when studying abroad, you’re in an entirely different country. This is an opportunity to do things you will never have the opportunity to do back home, so take advantage of it.
Talk with classmates who are local to the area, or find guides to tell you where all the fun stuff is. Look up attractions online and go see them. Research cultural traditions and find out how visitors and tourists like yourself can safely and respectfully engage in these traditions.
Studying abroad is a chance to enhance your independence and self-reliance. You should have a reasonable safety net back home and with whatever organisation has organised your overseas study, but this is an opportunity to take some healthy risks. Take every opportunity to explore and to learn. Not just because you’re overseas, but because exploring and understanding the cultures of others is how we create unity globally. When you study abroad, you’re not just increasing your knowledge; you’re actively promoting a unified and more tolerant world.
Discover New Interests or Hobbies
While overseas, you will be exposed to other people’s way of life. Through this, it’s likely that you’ll come into contact with their arts. You may discover different ways of drawing, of making music, of composing poetry or literature. You might even discover new dishes or cooking methods, or even certain life philosophies that resonate with you and that you can adapt to your life back home.
When you discover a new culture, you will run into things you didn’t know were possible. Whether this be arts, aesthetics, objects, decorations, or even ways of living. Living in another country gives you the chance to grow your life through what you learn about others, and you can even take these things back home to continue in your own life.
Learn (Or Practice) a New Language
At the foundation of every country in the world is language. Languages are possibly the best way to examine another person’s identity, as they offer the most literal window into a nation’s overall mentality.
For example, in Croatian, the word for “Christmas” is “Božić” (BAW-zh-itch). Literally translated, Božić means “little God,” referring to the baby Jesus as a smaller version of God. Additionally, “ić” is used as a suffix to make a noun small or cute.
It’s linguistic quirks like these that daily practice allows people learning the language to learn faster, and faster input and practice enhances the overall speed of language learning. In other words, the best and fastest way to learn a language is to regularly speak it and interact with it with natives. And where will you find more natives and opportunities to practice than in that language’s home country? Some institutions even offer language lessons overseas for this very reason.
Expand Your Prospective Job Pool
Education overseas enhances your qualification with first-hand experience of another country’s culture and workplace expectations. This means, when you’re looking for work, you’re not limited to the opportunities available in just one country, but have opened yourself up to opportunities for work in another country as well.
Your experience in your study country can lead to a career that will last a lifetime, especially if you can make a home in that country. Regardless, by studying abroad, you’ve not only learned how to interact with other people, practised some language skills, and explored their arts, but you’ve also given yourself a foot in the door to their business sector too.
