Unlike brief vacations into the unknown or spending a few weeks in a new country as a tourist, studying abroad comes with a unique set of perks and advantages that deliver a profoundly rewarding experience. Students who choose to abandon their comfort zone, literally as well as metaphorically, and go to a new country to continue their education are in a position to get a better offer. To be more specific, a study showed that 41% of surveyed employers would be willing to offer a higher salary to those who have studied abroad – which makes it instantly more appealing to those having any doubts.
However, the possibility of earning more is not the only perk, appealing as it may be. Enriching your education abroad comes with a whole range of rewards that will completely reshape your life. Let’s take a closer look at how this unique adventure will make you a more fulfilled earthling!
Sure, most students that come to a new country often cannot afford the restaurants with the hefty price tags and the pricey coffee shops. Then again, as a student, you get to see the real soul of the city in which you reside! How else would you discover that incredible pastry shop hidden in the suburbs of Sydney, or the best hot-dog stand on the streets of New York?
In a sense, you will immerse yourself into a new society and discover all the intricate little nooks and spots that all the tourists miss. While the fuss may be around the famous Eiffel Tower, you will most likely be enjoying a croissant and a cup of fresh coffee in a little café a few blocks away, where no tourist ever ventures.
Your resume will not just be a colorful one in terms of places you’ve studied in, but also with work experience you’ve gained while traveling. That’s yet another great advantage of studying abroad. Most student visas allow a certain number of hours while classes are in session, and even more during summer and other breaks.
While you may not be able to get employed in your career of choice right away, even working as a barista or a tutor in a different country will expose you to a variety of people. Not to mention the invaluable work experience you’ll gather while mingling with the locals! Suddenly, your CV isn’t just a selection of the same old positions in your hometown, but brimming with variety that proves how well you can manage in different environments and how you’ve expanded your skillset with these new and different challenges.
This is another realm where leaving your comfort zone really kicks in. When you leave your friends and your family behind to continue studying in an entirely different educational system, where programs and classes are as different and varied as the people attending them, you inevitably expand your horizons. The sheer fact, for instance, that you share student accommodation in Melbourne with fellow students means that you will live as well as learn with a slew of new, different people.
Such metropolises make for especially fertile spots for making new friends, meeting people from all over the world, and thus spending more time attending events that take you beyond the borders of any country. Living in a dorm or a shared apartment with people from all walks of life is everything you need to quickly enrich your network of friends.
International dorms aside, your host country will in all likelihood be a melting pot of various nationalities, embracing diversity in every possible way. However, there will also be a distinct local feel that you’ll quickly be able to grasp. From how close people are, to how they spend their free time, and what makes them tick.
While sun-kissed Aussies might spend their free time basking on a beach, you’ll see a Dane hanging out in a cemetery – not in a disturbing, creepy way, but in a cultural way in which this particular nation uses such locations as parks and relaxation spots. Maybe some of the local customs may seem odd at first, but as soon as you get to know the ways of the local people, you’ll be more inclined to open your mind to other cultural ideas, events, and perhaps even teach others about your own.
It’s not just that you get to live in a bustling city such as London if you want to study somewhere prestigious, but you also get a chance to visit everything else in this new country whenever you have the time. Although it’s tempting to stay within the borders of the city, because, let’s face it, visiting all Harry Potter spots in London will take a while, you cannot possibly say no to a field trip to the nearby natural areas as well as neighboring cities that are equally worth a visit.
If you work part-time, you’ll be able to earn extra cash to use for your travels. Plus, using numerous student discounts will give you access to galleries, museums, and events that you’d otherwise most likely miss.
To sum up, studying is by far the best possible way to visit and stay in a new country. It will help you gain a new perspective of the world, master invaluable skills, and education abroad is more than just academic – it teaches you diversity, acceptance, and perseverance, so that you can greet your career path with more resolve than ever.