Studying Abroad: What You Need To Know
Studying abroad can be a great opportunity to travel and gain an education. That said, it can be a little more complicated than studying in one’s home country. Here are just several tips for helping to make studying abroad easier.
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Funding your studies
You’ll need to able to fund your studies abroad as well as living expenses and the cost of travel. Altogether, this may not be as expensive as you assume. In fact, studying abroad could be a lot cheaper than taking a domestic course – in some countries like Germany, college is free, so you only have to worry about other living expenses and getting there.
There are plenty of student loan companies that cover international courses if you haven’t got savings to fund your course. There are also grants that can cover living expenses in some cases. Getting a job to fund your studies could be another option, but this may involve applying for a working visa.
Getting the right visa
It’s important that you apply for the right visa. There are usually specific visas available to students. A free consultation immigration attorney could be worth hiring if you are confused about what you need or having trouble applying for a visa. Be wary that if you plan also to work, you may have to apply for a working visa.
Making your application
Each country has its own college application process for international students. You may need proof of a visa application, proof of funding, and a passport for this application process. This is on top of getting the necessary grades to be accepted for the course. Colleges tend to have international student support teams that you can talk to to help you through this process.
Finding accommodation
The university that you are applying to may be able to offer accommodation if you are accepted. Alternatively, you may have to find your own accommodation. House-sharing and flat-sharing is a popular form of student accommodation. You may be able to find fellow international students to find a home with. The college that you’re applying to is likely to be able to assist with this.
Understanding the cultural differences
Living in another country involves having to adjust to a new culture. You may have to abide by new laws, get to know new customs and possibly even learn a new language (most courses around the world are taught in English, but even so you may want to learn a few basic terms regarding the local language). It’s worth researching the culture beforehand to know exactly what to expect. There are plenty of free language learning sources and sites to learn about local laws.
