So you are thinking of going abroad? You came to the perfect place! As an international and exchange student, I have learned a lot about building the life you want to live “from scratch.” So, if you were looking for tips and tricks on making the most of studying aborad- this article is for you!
Depending on what you want to do abroad, I highly recommend putting some time into doing research regarding the university abroad, career opportunities, possible language barriers, the student life there, activities to do in or around the city, the climate, safety, and how high the living expenses are abroad. Depending on your priorities, career-building, or student life experiences, there are different aspects to consider/check before picking your destination.
What to consider about the university and career options?
- Reputation – check for the world rankings by subject (your subject!)
- Check the faculty your subject is offered in: in some countries, Psychology is only offered in the faculty of arts. Others see it exclusively as a soft science, while other universities only offer psychology as part of the science faculty. – This might be an important point to consider depending on the stress level you seek.
- Does the university offer the courses you want/need to take, and would you be allowed to take them? – This is a fairly annoying point, which is always hard to be sure of ahead of time!
- Is it a campus university? – While many universities only have one big campus where all the different faculties are located, some universities are spread over the whole city they are located in. Hence, there is not one campus, but each faculty building is located somewhere else within the city. Although this might sound nice, taking courses from different faculties is often very inconvenient. I would most of the time prefer a single-campus university over a more “scattered” university.
- What is the university currently researching in your field? Is it interesting and or state-of-the-art research?
What to consider about language barriers?
- Firstly, the most obvious question: What is the most commonly spoken language? – and can you speak it? – or do you want to learn it?
- Second, depending on your language, how well do the people abroad speak your language? For example, while one might expect French people to speak English quite well, you might still have a harder time getting around France than, for example, the Netherlands, where most people have a very high English proficiency! – No need to learn Dutch.
- Although I am a big fan of “if there´s a will there´s a way” a good language barrier can make you feel very lost and lonely, which I do not recommend, especially if it is your first time going abroad.
What to consider about student life?
- Student life abroad can be one of the most important aspects of going abroad since this can highly influence how well you can socialize abroad. However, a city with less lively student life can still be fun! – It might just be a bit harder to make friends.
- Will there be an intro/orientation week? The orientation week would be your first opportunity to socialize and build a social network abroad! Plus, it will help you find your way around the city or university. Which can be very stressful if one feels they have to figure it out all on their own.
- Depending on what you want your student life to be, check the opportunities for life the student life of your dreams offered abroad. Do you want to go out on weekends? Or maybe you would rather join a university sports team? Go to concerts? Study in cute cafes? Go to a lot of events regarding activist matters? Or to a research conference?
- !!Student Housing!! – I would always prefer student housing or on-campus housing to living alone. Even if you would prefer to live alone, having roommates in a city you don´t know anyone can be one of the best things ever! I have lived with one roommate, four roommates, and even 14 roommates once. Even though many roommates can be very noisy, I find it still very beneficial. There might be a number of people you don´t necessarily get along with, but the chance that you will find someone you do really vibe with is also higher! Moreover, there will always be someone who can help you figure out the internet, lend you some milk or laundry detergent, or just have some company while cooking or sharing a glass of wine at 2 am talking about everything. It is also a great way to socialize and meet other international or native students (depending on the housing complex).
What to consider regarding the climate and environment/culture?
- Climate: being able to pick a university from locations worldwide means you can pick whatever season you would like to experience. Do you want summer in January? – How about Australia, Argentina, or South Africa? Do you want to have a mystical foggy winter? – Scottland, England, or the Netherlands is the place to be!
- Environment: what would you like during or after your semester abroad? A lot of exchange students use one or two weeks (or the whole summer) after their semester abroad to travel. So what would you like to see? Of course, the time during the semester will also offer a number of weekends to take trips. So what would you like to explore/experience? Hiking? Beach days? Dessert? Culture? Historical monuments? Food?
- Safety: especially for women, this is an important point to take into account. Plus, I recommend googling about LGBTQ rights and some generally random laws (like are sex toys legal, if you were thinking of bringing one). Will you be able to walk home at night without being scared? – What can you do to ensure your safety if you pick a less saver destination?
- Living expenses (including the flight there and back): Although most places are cheaper than Canada, this is still important to check. Of course, I would also recommend making an estimated financial plan for your time abroad.
Lastly, don´t stress about it. There are a lot of things to consider, and a location that will be perfect in every way will be hard, one might say impossible, to find. Therefore, I want to end this article by saying that every location has pros and cons. In the end, an exchange itself is already pretty cool! – and being a student abroad is usually an amazing experience. So, if you pick a half-decent location, I am sure your time abroad will be sick!