Each and every of us has dreamed of studying abroad. Whether to live new experiences, discover other countries, improve his/her skills, or even for many people to live alone for the first time. It is a feeling of freedom at its best.
Steps to study abroad: how to begin?
Many of us wonder how to begin this process and that is what we are going to analyse and whether it is worth from a financial point of view. First thing you need to know, everything is no pleasure cruise, but the experience is worthwhile. That is why numerous people recommend this experience and wistfully recall their stay abroad. You can look for scholarships for paying less, such as the Erasmus scholarship for Europe. There are also other scholarships that will help you fund your experience abroad.
Steps to study abroad: where to live?
The first thing to worry about is the accommodation. You have to wonder whether you want to share a flat, live alone in a flat or a student accommodation. It depends a lot on your personality and spending power. If you are loner and you need your personal space, your best option would be to live alone in a flat. However, if you need moments of intimacy, but you are sociable, you could choose a student accommodation with common areas to meet your neighbours. If you like being with people all the time, you can share a flat and you will save a little money because you will also share expenses.
I know little the language, will this be a problem to study abroad?
It is not necessary to be bilingual. If you are able to understand a conversation, your skills will improve. Little by little, you will learn and if you talk with native people, you will go home with a high level of language. Moreover, in almost every city, there are language academies for foreigners, and, pretty often, universities and academies offer language classes to help you.
Will this experience help me in the future?
Of course, this experience will help, not only professionally, but also personally. First, it can help you improve your language level and you can add your stay in your résumé because many companies appreciate when people are open to the world. Moreover, this experience will enrich you personally because you will find yourself in different situations that you will have to solve in another language.
In short, we encourage you to take the plunge and to live this invaluable experience. You will not regret it.
Still don’t know where to go? Take a look at our “Living abroad” section.