Studying Abroad: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

India Education

You might have seen a couple of your friends and cousins going abroad to study. If you’ve been in touch with them, you might have heard from them how studying abroad can be a wonderful experience. Now that, it’s your turn to study abroad, you are excited and happy as well, but you’re also a little scared about the new experiences that’ll come in your way once you go to another country. As wonderful as it may seem, studying abroad has its own good, bad and ugly side. But, no matter how good or bad they might be, you shouldn’t miss an opportunity to study abroad.

Here are the good, the bad and the ugly side of studying abroad, see if you can relate to them!

The Good

New City, New Life

The biggest excitement to study abroad comes from the fact that you’ll spend the next few months or years of your life in a new country, away from family and friends. If you’ve never been away from home, then this is going to get much more exciting for you. You’ll get complete freedom, but you’ll also have to learn to manage things on your own and be responsible for everything you do.

Making New Friends

You’ll make new friends at the University with whom you’ll study, travel and have fun for the next couple of months or years. By the end of your course, you’ll literally have friends from all over the world.

Exploring the City

You’ll get to explore the city, visit all the tourist places, click pictures and upload them on social media. Moreover, you can always make plans with your friends to go on a trip nearby, try some adventure sports, enjoy local festivals and much more.

Food

You’ll definitely miss “Ghar ka Khana” but eating something different for a change is not a bad idea. Every cuisine has their own distinct way of cooking which gives their food a distinct flavor and taste. You can ask your local friends to recommend good places to eat or you can do some research on the internet and find out good restaurants.

The Bad

Language Barriers

One of the biggest challenges of moving to a new city is to deal with language barriers. Although, your University folks may speak with you in English, the real problem may arise when you go to a supermarket or book a cab. if the person on the other end cannot speak English, you’ll have a hard time trying to decipher what they’re trying to say.

Missing Items in your Luggage

Nothing hurts more than finding out that you’ve left behind your favorite book or the only pair of socks at home and there’s no way to go back now. So either you buy a new pair of socks or walk barefoot, up to you!

Checking Expenses

It is really tough to check expenses while you’re living abroad. There is so much to do on the weekends and even on weekdays that you end spending up all your pocket money by the middle of the month, and every time you call your parents to send you some extra cash, you end up getting lectured on how to save money.

Doing Everything Yourself

Staying away from family while studying abroad means your mommy won’t be around to take care of your needs. The sad part is, if you ever feel unwell, you’ll have to get the medicines yourself or ask someone to help you out. Also, if you don’t like the food served in your hostel, you’ll have to stay hungry until you get something to eat from outside.

The Ugly

Safety

No matter whether you’re a girl or a guy, your safety must be your priority. When you go to a different country, safety becomes an issue of serious concern. If you stay in the University hostel, you’re still in a safer place compared to staying as a paying guest somewhere else. make sure you have some trustworthy friend’s number whom you can call anytime you’re in need and don’t hesitate to call the cops if you sense any danger lurking around you.

Missing Everyone at Home

You’ll have to get used to missing family and all the celebrations at home for few years now. Don’t be surprised when you go back home after a year or two and see some of your friends already married.

Culture Shock

The culture shock can become too much to handle initially. Experiencing everything new around you like new place,new people and environment can be very overwhelming. But, give some time to yourself to settle down and life will get back to normal. You’ll also start enjoying your stay in the new country.

So, get ready for the bitter-sweet experiences that’ll come in your way when you’ll go abroad to study.