The Big Opportunity
One of the most attractive options offered by university is the possibility to spend an academic year abroad. In recent years, with the proliferation of agreements between different universities, this trend has boomed with tens of thousands of students having studied abroad for a few months or years.
Although this option is not liked by all students, the reality is that it is a fantastic opportunity ti enrich academically, culturally and personally.
Here we help you decide whether to begin this adventure and we give you some tips about studying abroad.
Join Now to Experience a New Way of StudyingReasons to Say YES to Studying Abroad
If you are still in doubt about whether or not you should do it, here we present some of the reasons that make studying abroad a good idea:
- Learn a new language
- Mature and grow as a person
- Value what you have at home
- Learn a new culture and make new friends
- Take part in new activities
- Change of routine, giving a twist to your life
Choosing a Destination
Once you’ve decided to take the big step, you will face one of the key decisions, where do I go? This decision is often marked by your academic record and the demand for various destinations in your university.
However, if you have a choice, here are some of the factors you should consider:
- Language of the destination country (is it a language you’re studying? Can you manage this?)
- Culture (is it similar to yours? Is this a problem?)
- Cost of living (can you afford it?)
- University (you might like the city but that doesn’t mean you will like the university…)
With that said, we recommend not obsessing too much about other factors such as weather, holidays or not having friends to go with you … All these factors are secondary and you will get over it once you arrive at your destination.
Study Abroad Tips
Many students going on exchange programs make the mistake of isolating themselves from the environment and interacting on with the people of their country or that speak the same language. This is might be the easy way but you will miss out on this unique experience.
To get the most of your stay abroad, we suggest the complete opposite. That is, taking advantage of the diversity and immersing in the culture and lifestyle of the new country. For this we give you some tips:
- Go to social events and activities organised by the University
- Do this alone/ not always in groups
- Make language exchanges with native students
- Make excursions and visit the city and the country in which you are.
Improve your Language
Having prior knowledge of the language of the country of destination is key (and, in many cases, a formal requirement) to fully enjoy your experience. Therefore, we recommend not leaving everything to the last minute and focusing on the study of the language of your destination country as soon as possible.
To do this, ExamTime we provide free study tools and resources that can help you study this task in a dynamic and active way.
Have a look at the resources listed on the right or start creating your own now.
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