Studying abroad is something most aspirational students dream about. It’s an enriching experience. You get top-quality education while you get to travel, immerse yourself in a different culture, make friends from all over the world, learn a language or two, and gain a better understanding of yourself.
There are plenty of reasons to get excited, but there are also plenty of reasons to worry. It’s a challenge. You’ll be in an unfamiliar environment, away from your social support system, and you’ll have to learn to become independent. But it’s all worth it! And if you prepare, everything will be much easier. Let’s look at some of the things every student should do before taking this big step.
Chapter Overview
Evaluate Your Options
The first logical step is to decide what you want to study, but maybe you’ve known from your first year of high school. Then you need to look at the best available programs in your chosen field. You’ll have different options in different locations.
You’ll need to think about where you’d like to study and evaluate the cost. Take into account, not just the tuition, but also housing, food, transportation, and insurance. You can get a clearer understanding of these details by consulting with someone from a specialized agency such as 美国留学中介. You can also look into financing options. Maybe you can get a scholarship or other forms of financial aid to help you cover at least part of your expenses.
We recommend that you look for and connect with graduates of the programs you prefer. This will give you a chance to ask specific questions and get first-hand knowledge into what you can expect.
Find out More about Your Destination
Once you’ve chosen the program you want to study, you know how much it will cost and you’ve started preparing the required documents, it’s time to start studying your destination. Since you’ll be living there for a while, you want to first look into where you’ll be staying and familiarize yourself with what life is like there, check the rental market trends in Austin, Texas.
Next, you want to look into local customs and cultural differences so you can make friends more easily. Search for what people there like to eat, what they like to do in their free time, what sports are popular, what kind of music etc. You’ll also want to avoid social blunders, so look into things that are considered impolite. Even more importantly, see if there are any differences regarding local laws, so you don’t get yourself in trouble unknowingly.
Language
This depends on your destination. Maybe you’re planning to go to a country where the local language is one you’re already fluent in. Then you only have to look into regional differences that might pose a problem in communication. If you’re moving to a country where you don’t speak the language, you might have a hard time getting things done without at least some basic skills. You’ll need to get groceries, ask for directions, make an appointment to see a doctor, and so on. You can look at this as another great opportunity because you’ll probably learn much faster than if you had studied at home, without being able to talk to native speakers so often.