Studying abroad at a foreign university (Studying Abroad)

Member Name: Pandora321

Product:	Studying Abroad
Date:	07/07/09 (92 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excitement, adventure, challenges, new experiences, new friends, improved language skills

Disadvantages: Loneliness, culture-shock, homesickness - severity depends on your personality

I'm going to give a slightly different perspective to the other two reviews so far on this subject, as I'm going to discuss studying at University abroad - because that's what I did.

So, a bit of background on how I ended up studying at a foreign University... I was in my final year of my biology undergraduate degree at Birmingham when I started looking into what I wanted to do next. I had specialised in zoology (animals) and to get further in this field you need a postgraduate degree, so I decided I wanted to continue my education and do a Masters' degree (MSc). I looked at MSc courses at all the decent Universities in the UK but I couldn't find anything that really jumped out and gripped me - my interest was carnivore conservation and all the courses had modules on various aspects that just didn't interest me, such as grass or insects, and they were all, obviously, based in the UK with 1-2 months' of practical, hands-on fieldwork abroad to give you experience. It was at this point that I had a bit of a 'hang on a minute' moment, with my logic running that surely it would be better to base yourself in a foreign country and get 12 months' worth of experience instead?

So I looked at courses round the world - the USA was immediately ruled out as ridiculously expensive, but my eyes were certainly caught by Pretoria University in South Africa. They ran an MSc that concentrated entirely on mammals and covered subjects that grabbed my imagination, and it was run by excellent scientists with solid academic and scientific credentials. I'd lived in South Africa before so knew I liked the country and culture, and the courses were all run in English so there was no language barrier. Needless to say, I applied and was awarded a place on their MSc course and after finishing my undergrad degree I set off for fun and adventure in Africa - and I have to say that I loved every single minute of my year there.

So, with this background to the subject, I have to say that I think studying at a foreign University is a great experience, if you go about making sure it's the correct choice for you. These are a few points I would really bear in mind when you're considering studying abroad:

(1) You have to check that the University is on a world-class level, otherwise your degree will be completely worthless when you return to the UK.

(2) Work out your budget and make sure you can afford it - as an undergraduate at a UK University you will get a student loan but you will not do so outside the UK, for example. In my case, I was never going to get funding to study an MSc (it's practically impossible in the field of conservation as a UK citizen) and studying in South Africa actually worked out cheaper than studying in the UK due to the good exchange rate and cheaper living costs out there. *Don't forget you will probably not be allowed to work on the side as a foreign student.*

(3) Language and culture are going to be two of the main challenges you face. If you've never been to the country you're thinking of, make sure you read about it in great depth and that you will be able to cope with the culture.
Similarly, if the courses are all run in French and you don't speak a word of the language this is going to be a major stumbling block. Even if your language skills are quite good be realistic about whether they are up to the jargon of your speciality - science terms, for example, can be tricky enough in English! Also think about the fact that you will probably have to speak in this language 24/7, which can be extremely tiring and frustrating, and may create difficulties with making friends and fitting in. I was extremely lucky that nearly all South Africans speak English, and I learned enough Afrikaans to get by in social situations (South Africans usually understand both English and Afrikaans so each will speak in their first language, resulting in dual-language conversations - fine for the locals but a little tricky for newcomers!).

(4) You are going to be away from your family, friends and everything that is familiar to you - be sure that you can cope with this. My upbringing involved moving lots so I love change and meeting new people, exploring new places and making new friends, and I don't get homesick. Not everyone is like this though, and you will need to have an open-mind and be up to braving the unknown many times a day just to buy your food, find accommodation or go out and meet people. It can be really lonely and daunting initially when you start in a new city with no friends (or even contacts) and no knowledge of the city itself, and you need to be strong enough to get through this awkward period. If you can find a local contact through your friends and family before you leave this can make life a lot easier as you'll have someone to show you around and show you the ropes and you can tap into their friend network (I knew no-one, though, and I survived fine so don't worry too much!).

(5) Don't forget to get your visa and book your flights in plenty of time as study permits take a lot more paperwork and time to organise than a normal tourist visa. Your arrival and first few days are the most disorientating, so I would recommend booking a hostel for your first few nights (ask the course organiser for recommendations) so that you don't have to worry about it on arrival, and preferably stay at one that offers an airport pick-up too so that this worry is also taken care of in advance.

These challenges mean that studying abroad is not for everyone, but I had one of the best years of my life. My course was fascinating and I made a lot of friends through my course and others that we teamed up with for lectures. I had 4 months of lectures on all aspects of mammal conservation and then did a 10 day 'compulsory' field trip to 4 different South African game reserves, going on safari and meeting all the reserve staff to learn about their conservation policies - it was a hard life! I then did a 6-month project on African wild dogs, carrying out research at 6 different zoos and small reserves. I would never have had this breadth and depth of real-world experience on a course in the UK, and I made numerous worldwide, excellent contacts through lecturers, fieldwork staff and colleagues on the course. I got to take long weekends visiting nearby game reserves in my free time, and to explore a fascinating foreign country. I learned to adapt to a new culture, learned a new language and increased my flexibility and communication skills through necessity. My year abroad gave me great fodder for job interview questions on my return to the UK, and also really made for a stand-out CV. Finally, I actually met my husband on my year studying abroad - I have to confess to joking that I had brought the South African wildlife back with me (needless to say it does not amuse my other half quite so much).

All in all, studying abroad was one of the best decisions of my life and changed it irrevocably (positively) in so many ways. People were constantly telling me I was so brave to go, but I wasn't - I just knew it was the right decision for me, so I went for it. If you've done your research and think you can do it, I would recommend it 100%. Take the plunge; it's an awesome adventure.

Summary: If you've got the right outlook on life then studying abroad is a fantastic opportunity