10 Reasons to Study Abroad

Studying abroad is often considered a life-changing experience, and it truly is. Imagine: you spend a few weeks, months, or even years in a new country, being deeply immersed in its culture and lifestyle. Does it sound scary or exciting? Let’s look at 10 major reasons to go studying abroad and make our own decisions in these regards.

1. Boost Your Language Skills

Studying abroad often means mastering a new language. Whether you are thinking of a short language course in the country of your studied language, planning to become an exchange student for a year or even getting your degree abroad, being immersed in the language environment helps you to learn a new language quickly.

One of the main benefits of learning a language abroad is the opportunity to put it into practice straightaway. You learn courtesy words and use them in a supermarket or restaurant, you learn how to ask for directions and do it on the street next time you cannot find your way.

Furthermore, even if you’ve studied the language before, going abroad allows you to pick up real-life words and phrases. Language in textbooks is often very different from the language that is actually used by native speakers daily. For instance, they will never say ‘How do you do?”, it sounds formal and outdated. Instead, they will ask “How are you doing?” or “How is it going?”. The same is true for many outdated idioms you still learn in school and university. For example, it never “rains cats and dogs” nowadays. Native speakers will simply say that it’s pouring. Only trying to communicate with them and finding yourself in a language environment will help you once and for all to overcome the language barrier.

If you are considering a language course abroad but not sure where to start searching for schools and programs, try LinguaTrip.com. On this platform, you will find thousands of language courses all over the world, suitable for all levels. Plus, we assist with any necessary documents and visa applications. The best part? Many schools listed on our website provide special discounts for our students so it can be cheaper to book with us than directly with the school!

Select the language you want to learn (we have 12 languages to choose from, including Thai, Korean and Russian, and constantly widening our network), where you want to go (for instance, you can learn English in the USA, the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Malta and many other places), and how long to stay. Search for your dream language course abroad right now!

2. Choose the Best Higher Education in the World

It’s not a secret that some higher education institutions in the world are more prestigious than others. Going to study abroad, you get a chance to study in globally recognized universities or colleges.

You can choose institutions with centuries-old reputation, like Harvard in the USA or Cambridge in England, or go for the modern top-notch institutions that promise the best education for your chosen profession. E.g., if you are dreaming of becoming a web-developer or a UX designer, you can give preference to incubators and boot camps in Silicon Valley. This way, you will develop the essential skills and get first-hand experience of working for leading tech companies and promising startups.

There is a very low probability that the best institutions for your chosen industry are located in your city or even in your country. Studying abroad gives you a great opportunity to become a highly competent and demanded professional.

At LinguaTrip.com, we can help you with finding the most suitable higher education programs in the USA. Book a consultation with one of our experts to learn more about higher education abroad and see what suits you best.

3. Take Advantage of Lower Tuition Fees

The costs of higher education differ significantly from country to country. For example, getting an education in an average university in the UK or the USA can be 3–5 times more expensive than getting a degree in prestigious universities in Italy or Switzerland.

When looking for universities abroad, try thinking out of the box and check international ratings of higher education by speciality to find the best options in your case. Look at continental Europe, Asia and Latin America for reputable and cheaper alternatives.

Some countries even offer free education for international students. For instance, in Germany both local and international students can study in state universities for free. Other countries support students with a good GPA and original research projects with grants. For instance, in Canada you can find grants that cover up to 70% of your tuition fees for having excellent exam results.

4. Discover Different Educational Systems

Teaching methods and approaches vary significantly from country to country. If in post-Soviet universities there is a huge focus on classwork, written tests, and assignments, and formal exams, many Western countries, especially the USA and the UK, focus on practical skills and self-studies.

It’s typical for an American university to hire leading industry practitioners as their lecturers. They are up-to-date with the most recent industry trends and challenges and can provide you with relevant knowledge. During such classes, you will work on practical skills. However, if you are interested in fundamental theory, you’ll have to dig deeper yourself. Spending time in the library and working on your side projects is highly encouraged here as part of the self-studies approach.

Want to learn more about studying at an American university? Check out my book “The Step by Step Guide to Enter a University in the USA”. There, you will learn how to choose an American university, where to look for grants and scholarships, and how to nail your application to get accepted.

5. Open for Great Career Perspectives

Having international experience on your CV makes you stand out from the crowd and gives you more opportunities to be noticed by your dream companies. It’s not that important what kind of study abroad experience you have: even a couple of language courses or a short-term professional course abroad will give you the advantage at the CV screening stage and during the interview.

Living and studying abroad widens your horizons, opens your mind, and helps you see many things in a new light. You see how many common issues are dealt with in the country of your studies, can compare it with your home country’s approach, and offer a new, more optimal solution, combining benefits of both methods. Many employers highly value people with the ability to look at current challenges from another angle. These are the skills and mindset you develop while studying abroad.

6. Change Your Mindset

The ability to see things in a new light is applicable not only in a professional environment. Living abroad and immersing yourself in a new culture helps you to change the perception of many fundamental beliefs.

Through learning a new culture and its traditions, you discover new ways to manage your social and private life, deal with mental health and stress. From tiny discoveries, you will build a new, more inclusive and diverse picture of the world which will help you better cope with various life situations.

7. Gain Independence

Nowadays, many psychologists and sociologists talk about the prolonged period of childhood. They point out that many young people take more time to choose their career paths and get an education, start working and living independently, starting their family and having kids. People of this generation are often considered infantile. Studying abroad provides you with a great opportunity to gain independence.

Heading to a summer course abroad as a teenager or choosing to get a degree abroad at 18 or 20, you get a chance to live on your own. It means maintaining a house on your own, taking care of your health and diet, paying bills and working out a monthly budget, etc. It all helps you to become an independent adult while doing what you like and studying what you want.

8. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Moving to a new country and living there on your own is not all fun and games. There will be challenges to face and problems to resolve. However, it will help you to gain unique life experience. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is what makes it so valuable and worthwhile. After sorting out how to open a bank account, where to find a plumber, or how to get an appointment at the dentist in the other country, you will face many other challenges with confidence.

9. See New Places

Studying abroad means that you have a chance to explore new cities and even countries during weekends and holidays. It’s a great way to combine something useful with something fun to do. For instance, you can go for English summer courses in Malta and benefit both from studying English in a language environment and enjoying beaches and the seaside every day after classes.

Already dreaming of spending your next vacation at a language school in Malta? Check out our offers at LinguaTrip.com.

In Europe, you can get to another country within a few hours by train or bus. Have you ever dreamed of visiting a few key tourist places in Europe? Head there for studies and you’ll have all the weekends and holidays to visit the places you’ve dreamed of. The same is true for traveling across the states in the USA. Staying there for a term, you can see Broadway in New York, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and Miami beaches… There is no chance you would visit them all during a short vacation trip!

10. Make New Friends

When you go to study abroad, you become a member of an international community of other students from all over the world with similar interests and goals coming to their dream school or university. It’s a brilliant opportunity to make lifelong friends from another side of the globe. Even when you part at the end of your course, you can stay in touch using modern apps all the time. Furthermore, it will be great to visit each other in the future and discover more new places with local guides.