There’s no denying the fact that studying abroad has many benefits. At the least, it looks great on your CV and can help you get a higher-paying job (The Guardian). However, research indicates that studying abroad is also extremely stressful which can result in a variety of mental and physical health issues. You need to be prepared to deal with them before the situation gets too bad in order to make this experience valuable instead of traumatic.
Top 3 Study Abroad Problems and Solutions for Them
1. Homesickness
Homesickness is a natural feeling that will occur no matter what. This experience isn’t a danger in itself. However, combined with the stress of adapting to a new environment it can lead to a breakdown. The loss of a support network, which is a major factor in homesickness, can also result in erratic and unhealthy behaviors.
As there is no avoiding feeling homesick at times, you simply need to be prepared. Getting involved in a variety of activities should help minimize this issue. But the activities in question must be enjoyable for you. You should also start building a new support network. This is essential to make the feeling go away in the long run.
It’s also important to stay in touch with your friends and family, but not let those contacts become your primary source of comfort.
2. Not understanding the education system
Every country has a unique education system, regardless of how alike they might seem. Not understanding exactly how the school operates is a major cause for stress as well as various academic issues. The student’s performance might be low because of this, which is a major cause for concern for international transfers.
To avoid this problem, you need to do a thorough research of the education system before you arrive. Note that you should not only look into the school rules, but the actual education laws as well as informal social norms. You can learn the latter by talking to your peers from the country you plan to study in. Forward Pathway suggests joining various specialized programs offered by schools to get a better understanding of how they work. This way, the student will know exactly what to expect, so their stress levels should go down.
3. Money problems
Financial issues are a common problem for international students as they often have to pay higher fees and cover other expenses (dorms, food, etc.). These students also have to become much more financially-savvy than their peers. This can be a problem as at this age, peer pressure is a big influence and one can often be swept away with their friends’ spending habits.
To avoid financial problems an international student must not only have enough funds to cover all the necessary expenses. They also need to have a detailed budget that shows exactly how much they can spend. And it’s essential that the student learns money discipline and management before they start living abroad on their own.
Being a foreign student is not easy, so you should start preparing early. To make this experience as low-stress as possible, try establish a support network, do research, and create a budget before you set off on your journey.