I’m officially a freelance writer. Well, kind of anyway.
Article first published as The Top Three Reasons to Consider Getting Your Degree Abroad on Blogcritics.
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Walk into any high school counseling office and they will have numerous posters advertising colleges. Where I grew up, about half of those posters were from the local community college and the other half from various state schools located no more than a two-hour drive away. What you won’t find are posters or any information on schools outside of the country. People are curious as to why the rest of the world just isn’t on Americans radar, and I think that this has to do with it. So, since your high school guidance counselor won’t tell you about universities abroad or why to go abroad, here are my top three reasons.
1. The experience. Getting visas to live and work abroad can be difficult and complicated, with the exception of one group of people: students. The experience will change your life and if you want to try it out, doing it while you are a student is the easiest way as far as immigration goes. Whether you want to learn Chinese or gorge yourself on Yorkshire puddings, immersing yourself in a foreign education system will help you acclimate to your new country, and fast too.
2. Future opportunities. If you decide to stay, it is considerably easier to live abroad in a country if you have been through that country’s education system. Here in the UK graduates can stay for a year after they complete their degree without having to obtain a sponsor, in the form of a job, ahead of time. If you decide to move home, the skills needed to relate to people from other cultures and the ability to travel are becoming increasingly important in the workplace. (At least I hope they are…)
3. The cost. Most of the time, getting a degree abroad is cheaper for a plethora of reasons. Many countries offer degrees that are shorter in length and cheaper in cost both per year and overall. Essentially, you get more bang for your buck. If you go to school in Iowa can you visit 10 other countries on your Spring break? Well, maybe, but it wouldn’t be as convenient and cheap as if you were living abroad.
Especially if you know that you want to study abroad for a semester or a whole year, why not consider it for your whole degree?
Gloriously Dismal 