Studying abroad is a huge investment towards your educational career, not to mention a big responsibility. But there is more to studying abroad than just studying. Don’t you feel it too?
So today we raise the stakes even higher to make the best of studying abroad!
- Live like a local and make connections
By socializing, shopping and eating with the local students you can control costs and might get to know things you might not know from a guidebook. The most rewarding aspect of studying abroad is connecting with the locals and people from other nationalities. You get to learn firsthand the socializing patterns across different cultures.
- Write
Keep a personal journal to record your experiences. It will do two things; firstly, it leads to a deeper reflection and understanding of your international experience, and you will be able to document how you’ve changed and grown to be the person you are today. Secondly, you will be able to read and re-read it in the days to come of the wonderful experiences you had abroad, something like taking a snap of the moment but in writing.
- Travel
You know that travel is more than just fun, it’s a learning experience. Getting to know about new places and their history while you are abroad, it will give you context to process what you’ve learn in the classroom. However, do not overdo it, you are still a student on a budget.
- Involve your family (but do not depend on them)
You must have gone through a lot of processes to get to study abroad and your family also must’ve help you through the process. But we advise you to view your family as advisers, mentors, or consultant. Empower yourself to address the challenges and opportunities of your daily life abroad. By doing so you are gaining crucial skills to communicate, problem solve, navigate and much more.
Embrace the challenges you face and grow the person inside you
- Develop a new perspective
Finally after all these, your perspective will have definitely change. Your perspective is affected by your values, attitudes and assumptions but through time, experience and keen observation you will begin to discover the different cultural knowledge people are using to organize their behavior.
Put aside your predetermined notions of the way world is or should be and challenge your discrimination and prejudices.
Make the most of your experience abroad with the tips given above. Share us your experiences or if you know more secret ways do tell us!