Benefits of Abroad study

30 Benefits of Abroad study and Abroad study Guide:Earning a graduate management education abroad affords students numerous personal and professional benefits.Earning your degree overseas can have huge benefits for your career and personal development.

1. Start your career off on the right foot

Graduates who’ve chosen to study internationally are highly sought after by employers. Pursuing a degree overseas signals to employers that you have courage, flexibility, cultural awareness and an understanding of how other people work and think. This will really put you ahead of the pack when it comes to internships and job applications.

2. From learning a language to living a language

Studies have shown that immersion is the best way to become fluent in another language and understand another culture. Since you'll be interacting with English language speakers every day, it would be easier to grasp the language in relevant cultural context.

Living, studying and working in English can be challenging at first, but you’ll be surprised at how quickly it becomes your second nature. Communicating confidently in English will help you to excel in your studies and make new friends from other parts of the world who may even become professional connections down the road.

3. Find the perfect course for you

Overseas study offers a wider variety of courses, some also including research options and skill-based training for students. This helps expand your horizons and opens up a world of new educational opportunities. IDP partners with more than 600 top universities and schools across the world; whatever you are looking for – from a course that is highly ranked for research to a unique study environment – we can help find the best fit for you.

4. Grow and develop personally

Students who study overseas develop a well-informed mindset and wider perspective towards other cultures and people. Whether you’re studying science, politics or finance, being able to think from a multinational perspective will help you face modern challenges and come up with innovative solutions. You will graduate with a richer set of experiences that will allow you to think more openly and creatively. As you learn to view the world through different lenses, you’ll also learn new things about your own country and culture.

5. Stories to last a lifetime

Your study abroad experience doesn’t end at the campus gates. During weekends and holidays, you’ll have the chance to travel to tourist hotspots or get off the beaten track in your chosen country. Make sure to save some mementos, such as train tickets and photographs, and keep a record of your adventures, because you might not realise how incredible your time was until you’re home.

6.     It’ll look good on your CV

If you can explore a new country at the same time as picking up the international skills to gain a decent graduate job, then that’s pretty good going.

7.     Brush up on your language skills

Remember the foreign language skills you picked up in school? No, me neither. Refresh them by studying abroad; you might be surprised at how much you remember.

8.     Living in a foreign country is completely different to a holiday

You’ll actually get to experience your place of study in the long term, picking up local knowledge such as where sells the best coffee, what tourist traps to avoid and how to get the most out of your new city.

9.     Meet a diverse range of people

Your exposure to many different types of people will not only help you to develop your people skills, but it will also give you a firmer knowledge of others, both friend and foe.

10.     Make lifelong friends

You may not love every single person you meet, but chances are that you’ll meet at least one lifelong friend (if you’re good at keeping in touch, that is).

11.     Discover new and exciting foods

Get more paella /poutine /pierogi /schnitzel /shawarma /chimichanga /katsudon /bobotie /baklava (delete as appropriate) in your life.

12.     Study and learn differently

Often those studying abroad will experience a completely new way of teaching. This can be daunting, but it will also open your mind to new ways of learning.

13.     Gain independence

It’s not easy being independent – to paraphrase Destiny's Child – but it’s also a heck of a lot better than living with your parents as a 20-something.

14.     Learn self-reliance

Moving abroad is the ultimate test in self-reliance. When (or if) you move back, you’ll likely rely on others less and you’ll take more responsibility for yourself.

15.    You’ll gain a greater knowledge of different cultures

Cultural sensitivity isn’t just a quality which politicians may be accused of lacking; it’s also something you can develop while studying abroad!

16.    See your own culture through a new lens

It’s easy to accept your own culture as absolute, but living in another country can help inform your point of view on your home culture, allowing you to develop your own views rather than simply accepting those defined by where happen to come from.

17.    Learn more about yourself

Throwing yourself into a completely new environment will help you to figure out what you’re good at, as well as what you’re not so good at. These are things that can then be built on during your study abroad experience.

18.    Become an adult

Speed up the transition from teenager to adult by leaping into the unknown.  You’ll have to fend for yourself, buy your own meals and wash your own clothes, but it’ll all be worth it.

19.    Gain life experience

One of the ultimate reasons to study abroad is to gain life experience. You’ll learn how to organize your life and condense it into one suitcase, handle unforeseen situations, be independent and self-sufficient.

20.    Be spontaneous and adventurous

When you’re hundreds of thousands of miles away from home, spontaneity and adventurousness are your best friends. Open your mind up to new experiences and sights and the fun will come your way.

21.    You learn to appreciate the smaller things more 

Studying abroad usually means you have even fewer possessions than the average student, and being that much further from home can really make you miss those familiar comforts you’d taken for granted. Welcome to a new-found appreciation of everything from your parents’ cooking to having more than two pairs of shoes to choose from.

22.    Gain a global mind-set

Whether it’s in work, study or play, you’ll be able to use your new global mind-set to back up arguments, inform your beliefs and steer your future.

23.    Get the perks of international student discounts

Student discounts are always fun but 100 times more so when you’re shopping in a new store with funny-looking money! (Disclaimer: don’t spend it all at once.)

24.    It’s an unforgettable experience

Even if your friends back home get bored of hearing about it (warning: they will), your study abroad experience will stay with you long after it’s over.

25.    You’ll appreciate your home and family more

Any memories of parental arguments or sibling rivalry will pale in comparison to your memories of how amazing they are. (Likewise, they’ll have time to forget about all your less attractive attributes too…) When you get back these relationships will look so much stronger!

26.    International student funding is becoming more common

Studying abroad doesn’t have to leave you penniless, as more and more institutions and governmental bodies are offering dedicated scholarships for international students. To discover international scholarships from around the world, see this page.

27.    Take advantage of lower tuition fees

This of course depends on where you study abroad, but if you choose a location in many parts of continental Europe, Asia and Latin America, you’ll find it’s possible to study at a highly reputed university without getting into five-figured debt.

28.    Use your spare time to explore

In between lectures and lab sessions, studying abroad should leave you with plenty of time to explore. Whether you’re one for visiting iconic landmarks, trying new foods or bartering at local markets, there’s always bound to be a better way of spending your time than scrolling through Facebook!

29.    Increase your international job prospects

While you can always go home at the end of your time as an international student, many choose to stay put and apply for a working visa. Even if you return home or decide to seek work elsewhere, the international experience provided by studying abroad is likely to be looked on favorably by employers.

30.    Because “variety is the spice of life”

It might be something your dad says when opting for a different flavor of crisps at the supermarket, but it’s true; change, variety and new experiences are what make life worth living. Mix it up a bit: study abroad!