Challenges Of Studying Abroad

By Jon Ginsburg

While many students pass by on dreams of travel in order to pursue their education, or others delay their education in order to travel, some have found ways to make both happen by studying abroad. There are a variety of ways in which you can study abroad. You can directly apply to foreign schools, though this option can be very expensive, unless you hold dual citizenship with that country. In most countries, foreign students are charged higher tuition fees, sometimes breathtakingly higher amounts.

This isn’t as much the case for post-graduate studies as it is for undergraduate degrees, but it should be one of the first things you investigate. For a more economical way to study abroad, consider applying for an exchange program at your home school.

If you are in a university hosted exchange program, you pay your tuition (at the same rate you’d pay if you were physically taking classes there) to your home school. Any credits you earn at your host school are transferrable back to your program of origin, though not always directly. Of course, as with researching any large endeavour, you must explore all the options and pay close attention to the potential pitfalls as well.

When it comes to credit transfers, be aware that often there may not be directly corresponding courses to the ones you are taking. If the classes do not fit properly, you may find that, while you have learned new things, and have the credit, they may not fit what you need to graduate from your program, particularly if your program is very specific about mandatory courses and pre-requisites. You may find that your year abroad equals another year of education on top of your 4 year degree program. Many students find this a worthwhile trade, however.

Another challenge is that you may find that when you return, if you are in a small program, your classmates and cohort have progressed without you, meaning you will need to join the following year’s classes. Because of this, you may choose to study abroad early in your program.

With preparation, studying abroad can be a remarkable, one-of-a-kind chance, so long as you are prepared and plan for any potential challenges at the outset.

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