Studying abroad is a whole new experience in a student’s life. Right from the very first day in college for the final days of completion, the journey is one of the new emotions, new learning, new worldview, and a new life. With it also comes problems and challenges, both anticipated and unforeseen, a student has to inevitably face during his or her period of study. The present article is about the ten most common and biggest problems Indian students face while studying abroad.
FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS
Managing funds overseas may be quite a challenging task. All of a sudden, terms like budget, monthly allowance, discount coupons, carpooling, dining in groups start to make sense. Inevitably, we are compelled to fall in line and mind our own business. In fact, it will be a huge respite if you are able to devise an automated system for paying bills, saving money, and monitoring expenses. Core fundamentals like having an auto-debit facility for paying bills, maintaining recurring deposits for savings, and segregating funds for various line items will help everyone create a frugal and a fulfilling lifestyle. In fact, we have found that not managing well enough ahead creates a compelling reason to seek part-time employment. Part-time employment is good, but it should not become a priority. Work can wait, learning can’t. If you learn well, you will earn well too.
INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Language will be a huge barrier in non-English speaking countries across Europe. We’ve shared in our previous article that communication is 90% non-verbal (body language and tonality) and 10% verbal. Don’t let your limited understanding of the local dialect come in the way of your interaction. Empathic communication is the key. Practice listening with your eyes and heart. You will see that your comprehension is much clearer. As far as the language is concerned to download the most common 50 sentences used in everyday conversation in the language of the country you’ll pursue your study abroad from. Use them whenever and wherever possible. Joining a crash course in the language of the country you will study it will be a very good thing. It will save in much time and effort in the future.
FINDING SUITABLE ACCOMMODATION
This may be quite a daunting task. You may find a distinct sense of isolation or different way of treatment in the hands of foreign homeowners. Indian students may not receive the same acceptance as others from European nations. As such finding a suitable accommodation that fits the budget may take time. Other factors like vicinity to the campus, healthy food and privacy issues should also be considered well in advance. All these things will most likely make it difficult. Making friends with other candidates, talking to local realtors, and networking with nearby stores shall make it more manageable.
HOMESICKNESS
Homesickness is a very natural thing to experience. Leaving a place you’ve been associated with for a considerable period is a painful experience. But if you may well anticipate and be mentally prepared for it, the situation will come much under control. Remember, it’s going to stay for the initial 2-3 weeks, and you will acclimatize in the new environment. Quite surprisingly, you will feel homesickness while returning home. Just keep a count of how many hours you used to stay at home, and just in case you are missing your friends, chances are they also are pursuing higher education from other destinations. This way by thinking along realistic lines you’ll be able to withstand the time.
FOOD
This sure is the one big thing that you will miss a lot. Indian cuisines are deeply satisfying, pleasure giving. McDonald’s and Pizza Huts don’t match the awesomeness of the delicacies of Punjabi dhabas and restaurants. The restaurant and PG food though will be good but won’t be nearly as satisfying as home cooked or the ones you used to have in your local restaurant. Moreover, the food won’t be economical either. The only respite will be in terms of hygiene which surely will be a lot better than in the home country.
RECREATION TIME
Hanging out with friends is one of the most joyful moments in a person’s life. You’ll be missing it all a great deal. If you think 2 years is a long time, we bet it will soon be over. So rather than missing out on recreation time, study hard and maintain professional networking with your peer group, teachers, and companies. Invest your time in researching potential targets for learning and employment. This way you will create moments that are satisfying and enjoyable too. Engage your free time in vocational courses like business communication, formal writing, advanced excel, making effective presentations, harnessing social media (harnessing not wasting time).
SOCIAL LIFE
Change is hard and painful. All the positive affirmations aren’t going to provide any respite until a person makes up his or her mind that all the sacrifices are going to pay off in the future. Yes, you will miss your social life a great deal. But you also have a chance to create one afresh. Campus life is very refreshing. You can be part of a study group or discussion group, wherein ideas are constantly exchanged pertaining to study, projects and assignments, industry updates. In fact, such social interactions are more rewarding than the ones you’ve spent time on without specific objectives. Don’t just spend time virtually on anything because you are finding it hard to escape the boredom. If you diligently assess, you’ll surely find lots and lots of productive activities to spend your time on.
ADAPTING TO A NEW TIME ZONE
Initially getting adjusted to the new time zone may be challenging. Your biological cycle may take a severe beating and it will take some time for your body to get used to the new lifestyle. Aligning your daily/weekly activities like visiting the bank or calling up your parents and friends may seem a bit inconvenient during the initial few weeks, but once you spend a good enough time, your biological clock will acclimatize to the new conditions.
MAY FEEL ISOLATED
Students from India and other Asian economies may feel isolated, prejudiced or at times discriminated against in social and academic environments. Despite universities having counselling departments and students interactive groups, still, chances are ice-breaking sessions may not produce its intended effect. Moreover, if you seriously are going in for professional learning, accept the fact that every interaction, small or big, should be catered to achieving targeted outcomes. If you can stir someone’s need by helping others solve their problems, chances are likely that mingling with other members will become much more easy and effective.
LEARNING METHODS
Unlike the Indian education system, which is primarily lecture-based, foreign colleges and universities rely more on case-based approach, industry workshops, role plays, seminars and the like. As such, chances are you may find few exercises irrelevant. It may be quite likely that you may falter in performance in such areas despite scoring well in tests and written examinations. Higher education is catered to industry expectations; as such it is imperative to absorb everything in positive stride. The schools and colleges are internationally ranked for very valid reasons. To think otherwise is to be naive.