The decision to pursue higher education abroad has grown in popularity in recent years, with an estimated 6.4 million students opting to leave their home countries in 2020 alone, according to the Migration Data Portal.
This trend, fuelled by ever-increasing globalisation and a world that’s becoming more and more interconnected, has opened up a wealth of opportunities for young minds to broaden their academic and cultural horizons. Yet, making the leap to become an international student is a complex and nuanced choice, filled with both unique challenges and rewards.
Today, we’re exploring both, with this guide to the pros and cons of being an international student. Let’s dive in.
Defining An International Student
An international student refers to a person who studies in a country other than their own and stays there using a student visa over a particular period, either taking international programs with assistance or self-funding.
Being an international student can be an opportunity to experience different cultures and backgrounds. However, there still are a few obstacles – financial, academic, emotional and cultural – that you may have to overcome.
The Pros Of Being An International Student
Being an international student presents opportunities to help you grow as an individual. Besides, it’s a viable chance to take your career to greater heights.
Here are the advantages of being an international student:
- Networking: Networking is an important part of a student’s career development, and being an international student can provide you with unique opportunities to network with people from different cultures and backgrounds. Interacting and meeting new people creates a circle you can rely on in the future after completing your studies, and you may quickly get referrals that could make your job search easier.
- Exposure to Different Cultures: There’s power in diversity and learning about the various world cultures can help broaden your perspective. The world is a rich web of diverse cultures that are nicely knit to make the world a fun place to live. Schools that accept international students usually have a rich mix of people from multiple backgrounds and ethnicities. You can learn more about them and potentially become more open-minded, flexible and dexterous in the process.
- Personal Growth: Independence and adaptability build self-confidence and assurance. And knowing that you can survive in a faraway place without the physical presence of your people back from home can be a recipe for personal growth. Thus, being an international student offers you a greater sense of identity and self-awareness.
- Enhanced Career Opportunities: International students can have a better competitive edge in the job market. Employers may prefer working with individuals with international experience because it serves as proof of their adaptability, independence, and cultural awareness. Besides, most international students possess a planning mind, primarily if they work and study simultaneously, which can be what employers want.
In short, being an international student can offer you numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth.
The Cons Of Being An International Student
While being an international student can benefit you and your career, it still has a few drawbacks that you should be aware of.
Below are some of the disadvantages of being an international student:
- Financial Constraints: Studying abroad isn’t cheap, and most students may find it more challenging to sustain themselves without monetary assistance from scholarship programs. The tuition is usually high, and students may have to take on part-time jobs to support themselves.
- Strict Visa and Immigration Requirements: Acquiring a student visa isn’t easy. For one, the process can be time-consuming. In addition, the requirements can also be challenging to meet. Additionally, obtaining work permits, visa renewals, and residency requirements can be even more challenging. These challenges can make it easy to want to give up, but it’s important to remember that the rewards of studying abroad can be great.
- Language and Cultural Barriers: International students may have trouble communicating with their peers if they do not speak the same language. While you may learn in the long run, that won’t come easily, and you may struggle to catch up initially. You might even feel isolated and excluded, drastically impacting your academic progress.
- Limited Support System: Peace of mind may also be hard to obtain due to the lack of support in another country other than your home. That includes healthcare and mental health resources. The comfort you get from staying closer to your family won’t be available, too. Some students can also get stranded and caught between compromising situations for lack of comprehensive support if global emergencies like pandemics and localised crises like political strife occur.
- Going Back Home & Forth: While you may quickly get home and return to school on the weekends in your home country, it’s hardly the case for international students. It’s expensive, time-consuming, and draining to jet back home from abroad now and then. Going back and forth also means booking expensive flights and taking time off your studying schedule.
Studying abroad has its challenges, but its opportunities are arguably worth the hassle. Adapting to a different environment away from home can be difficult at first, but you’ll get used to it with determination and resilience.
The Bottom Line
There are advantages and disadvantages to being an international student. However, your experience can be more enjoyable and manageable if you know what to expect before going abroad to further your studies.
It’s always best to consult those who have lived experience, including those who were international students themselves before, for insight into how you should prepare, and how you might transition from study into the ‘real’ world once your university days are done.