There are many reasons why studying abroad can be beneficial for students. The most obvious reason is you want to go to a new place to explore and experience new things in life.
There are over 7100 official languages still in use on Earth, spoken by over 7 billion people across 190 different countries. there are more wonders than the recognised 7 wonders in the world that will amaze you.
Most people only experience a fraction of this in their entire lifetimes. Studying abroad can give you an invaluable chance to grow your cultural horizons and become a better global citizen.
Numerous studies have shown that students who expose themselves to new cultures and languages can help them to become more open-minded and tolerant of others. This is because, unlike their peers who remain at home, students who study abroad can understand people of different backgrounds, castes, creeds and ethnicities.
5 Benefits of Studying Abroad
1. Access to better academic and research opportunities
Other than exploration, one other common reason for students moving abroad to study is the access to better academic resources and experiences.
After being a student in your home country for 12-15 years, the practices and ways of teaching and learning in a foreign country might seem more interesting.
Not all countries are specialised in every field of education. So, you might find a particular university that is the best for a particular course. For example, Harvard Business School for Business Management.
Learning from the world’s best professors and at the best universities is one of the major advantages of studying abroad.
2. Higher Job opportunities
As an international student with good grades, your employability is comparatively higher since big companies value candidates with global experiences.
Students who study abroad are twice as likely to learn a new language. This is especially true for students studying in countries where English is not the most commonly spoken language.
This is a significant benefit of studying abroad because multiple studies have been conducted on the linkage between language ability and earning potential, and the results are amazing.
Students who speak more than 2 languages have a 30% probability of better upward mobility in the workforce, as they can easily navigate different environments and are commonly seen as better assets to their teams.
This is significantly more true today, in a global workforce that operates remotely and communicates via digital mediums such as Zoom. As an easy example, the SecureMyScholarship team spans 5 countries and 7 nationalities, illustrating how crucial multilingual ability is in today’s workforce.
3. Personal growth
By choosing to study abroad, you are opening up to new experiences culturally, emotionally and socially that don’t remain just experiences but may also be opportunities for your personal growth and development.
Moving to a new place, living all by yourself, doing your chores, managing finances, and keeping up with academics is uncomfortable, but overcoming that discomfort is what aids personal growth
Studying abroad helps you develop new skills like learning a new language or picking up research or critical thinking skills that will be useful in your future careers.
Since you are living and studying in a different country, you will also have the opportunity to build independence and resilience – qualities that are attractive to future employers and are extremely valuable life skills.
This is a benefit of studying abroad that sets in slowly over the period without even you realising it!
4. Diversified Experiences and Global Outlook
While personal growth is internal, there are many other external experiences you can indulge in, like travelling, trying different cuisines, and finding new interests and hobbies.
Oftentimes, when you travel to other countries as a tourist, you don’t get to experience the culture and native lifestyle of that place, but when you live in that country, you get to visit many more places and indulge in cultural exploration!
Many students who study abroad take advantage of their weekends and holidays while studying abroad to travel to new and exciting places.
The way of doing things, like managing a household, finding a job, meeting and greeting people, working culture, and everything else, is different in different countries. As an international student, you get to witness and experience the ways of both countries.
With more such diversified experiences, your outlook grows to global perspectives.
5. Building a vast network of connections
Networking is an underestimated advantage of studying abroad. Your Connections influence your intellect. Most students who go to top universities like IIM and Harvard prioritise networking.
If it was just for academics, many lesser-known universities provide a great curriculum, but the need for universities is beyond just academics.
How possible is it for you to build your connections across countries while staying within the home country? Opening up global markets and a growing culture of remote working has brought in cross-national teams in businesses.
Studying abroad and making new friends abroad increases your chance of gaining access to greater opportunities from the host country, home country or even the home country of your friends and counterparts.
Studying abroad gives you access to people from various countries and not just the host country’s citizens. Now, isn’t that an amazing benefit of studying abroad?
So, if you’re thinking about studying abroad, don’t hesitate – there are many good reasons to do it! Be it learning new skills, picking up new languages, travelling to new destinations or building lifelong friendships, studying abroad could be one of the best decisions you ever make for your future.
If you have decided to move abroad to study, what’s holding you back from applying to colleges? Financial constraints? Confused about the course and university? Or anything else? Talk to our expert student counsellors to get all your doubts cleared, and get guaranteed fee waivers to get into your dream university abroad!
