Why study abroad? Stories from international students

There are lots of reasons why studying abroad might be for you.

You might find a degree course that isn’t available in your home country; you might learn to live independently; or you might network with amazing people and learn about other cultures. Whatever your reason for considering the experience, there are so many more positives. And if you don’t believe us, just look at what real students had to say about studying abroad.

The American university experience is unlike any other in the world and certainly very distinct from my home country, India. I was particularly drawn to the academic possibilities. As an undergraduate, you can study a range of subjects, and most universities don’t require you to declare your major until your junior year, giving you time to explore a variety of academic paths and see what interests you.

Some universities, including my own, require undergraduates to take a core curriculum of classes, developing the basics. Your course can be customisable, allowing you to choose multiple majors and minors, change things as you go along, and take electives that are unrelated to your main areas of study.

I really benefited from this diverse way of learning. I entered university committed to studying politics, but my discovery of college-level English literature classes was transformative and reoriented my interests in a way that could never have happened without the freedom that the US system encourages and celebrates.
– Aditya Sharma, political science and English graduate, Columbia University.

Moving to Dublin for my university education in 2020 came with so much excitement and a little bit of nerves. Nevertheless, I stayed optimistic about starting something that was once a dream – studying medicine.

Studying abroad meant learning to live independently, which has allowed me to grow as an individual, overcome everyday challenges and build life skills such as managing my finances.

Studying abroad has also given me the opportunity to experience a style of education different from that in my home country, Nigeria. By exploring the environment around me, travelling, taking up volunteer work and through learning in the classroom, I am beginning to see the world and gain new perspectives.

During my time in Ireland so far, I have also been able to develop long-lasting friendships and create beautiful memories with people from diverse backgrounds and countries including Trinidad and Tobago, Malaysia, Canada, Iraq and many more.

Finally, I have discovered new interests and found new hobbies including kick-boxing, something I might not have discovered if I stayed back in my home country. Studying abroad has been a life-changing experience so far.
– Temitayo Olabamiji, medicine student, RCSI Ireland

One of the benefits of studying abroad is learning more about yourself outside your comfort zone. At first, you might struggle, feel homesick and even question whether you made the right choice. However, as time passes, you learn more about yourself and how to cope with problems on your own. The things that have made you feel anxious before, like having your final exam, later seem like minor problems that you can handle. Eventually, you feel less scared and will learn independence.

My experience when I first came to Canada from my home in Turkey was like being a swimmer without a lifeline in the ocean. Eventually, I learned how to surf the waves and enjoyed new ones as they came. In the end, studying abroad has benefited me beyond the academics; I also found myself.
– Gaye Padir, sociology with a double minor in art history and communication studies, McGill University.

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I moved from India to do my master’s in Australia. It’s been about four years since, and I have gained a lot from the experience. On the professional front, I received a lot of exposure from the number of great academics I met. I enjoyed my experience so much that I decided to stay in academia and pursue my PhD at the same university. I want to stay in research in the future, and I can say with some certainty that my degree, along with my supportive supervisors, will help me reach that goal.

I think the key to getting the most out of studying abroad is to put yourself out there. I have tried to get to know as many people as I can to learn about different cultures, their personal struggles and how they got to the position they are in now. I did my master’s during the pandemic, and not being able to go back home was scary. But in the whole situation, I realised that even though our cultures and backgrounds are different, I had found a family far away from home.
– Anneshwa Dey, PhD computer science student, Australian National University.

I was born and raised in a town in Hungary. I attended elementary and high school in one place, with mostly the same people. The places I went to every day, the friendships I had for over a decade, the environment I grew up in, though they all provided me with stability and comfort, held me back in many ways.

Moving abroad without my family or friends was the scariest experience of my entire life.

However, it was more than worth it. It allowed me to break out of a routine I had been following for most of my life. I found friends for life from all over the world who taught me so much about their cultures. It was a truly eye-opening experience.

Finally, living without my parents made me a lot more disciplined and reliable. Having to live on my own, though sometimes difficult, was character-building. It allowed me to have fun, but also taught me to get myself out of difficult decisions. These tough situations made me a lot more resilient, and getting through them made me believe in myself and my abilities.
– Dora Szeles, international business administration student, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University.