Nowadays, more and more university students choose to study abroad. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Going on to higher education in another country, which can be a

life

-changing experience, is gaining in popularity.

Although

this

may have some drawbacks, on balance, it seems to be to the benefit of

university

students. From a personal point of view, being a

student

at a foreign

university

can be conducive to gaining valuable

life

experience. Exposure to different situations, which pose challenges not faced or anticipated before, helps developing competence. Having to deal with

such

matters as a foreign

student

without the assistance of family, in a new system with its own characteristics could effectively result in honing problem-solving skills and building self-reliance, which are fundamental to a person’s skill set and instrumental in

life

. Professionally speaking, pursuing higher education overseas can play a prominent role in improving job prospects after graduation. Studying at a foreign

university

leads to obtaining internationally recognized qualifications, holders of which typically meet higher professional standards.

This

, along with the global outlook formed in the other country, paves the way for working for more reputable companies as it is looked upon favourably by their recruiters. Being away from family as a

student

, might at

first

give rise to homesickness. It is only natural to miss familiar people and places when navigating

student

life

as a young adult far from home.

This

may lead to feeling insecure and helpless for some time, which could potentially affect academic performance in the early stages of higher education. In terms of

culture

, students are likely to experience

culture

shock when studying abroad. Faced with a new and possibly dissimilar

culture

, a young

university

student

may find it somewhat difficult to get to grips with the new way of

life

and social behaviour.

Although

it could be unsettling at

first

, it is quite likely to dwindle after the period of adaptation to the host

culture

. Since it takes time to adjust, forming social relationships may

initially

be hindered which can probably cause feelings of isolation. To conclude, while feeling homesick and facing cultural differences might negatively affect foreign

university

students for some time, studying abroad has

such

profound and long-term effects on both personal and professional lives which tip the balance in its favour.