TOP 7 TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD

TOP 7 TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD – Leaving home and moving to a new country to pursue academic excellence can sometimes be overwhelming. But no to worry; you’re not alone. Most international students struggle with finding their feet in their study country. This article will cover seven useful tips to help you adapt and succeed abroad as an international student.

1. Plan a Budget 

Planning a budget for your study abroad early can help you save tons of money. Because most countries have higher living costs than others, you can plan early to find discounts and places with cheaper living costs. Also, planning early will inform you of the best locations to find affordable accommodation.

To begin planning your budget, research housing cost, travel cost, and the cost of local items such as food, books, and services in your choice of country. If done right, you’ll find avenues to save money while studying abroad.

2. Build Relationships

Relationships, they say, are the currency of life. During your study abroad days, you’ll feel lonely and, sometimes, sad. Aside from that, you’ll often need the help of your network from school to achieve some feats, which is where building relationships suffices.

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Don’t live in isolation. Instead, reach out to your study advisors and classmates, and try to get to know people. Most schools have counselors and experts willing to assist and help you navigate your new environment. Find these experts and let them help you build your network.

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Additionally, you can join student clubs and organizations to meet new friends with whom you can share your problems and discuss solutions.

3. Join a Community

Often you’ll feel homesick when studying abroad and may crave connecting with people from your home country. Joining an online community of people from the same home country may help you in this instance. Take, for example, the Pay4Mers Facebook community — this community focuses on connecting international students from the same home country in different parts of the world. Here, students share their university locations and ways they’re surviving abroad.

When you join this community, you can easily meet and connect with people in the same study country as you. That said, you can leverage other online student communities to help you familiarize yourself with people from your home country. Use Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter to find them.

4. Always Ask For Help

You’ll struggle with many things in your new country for the first few months. However, you can ease your struggles by asking for help. When you’re unsure of certain things, ask questions. This will help you find solutions quickly. On the other hand, learn to ask questions to understand your new environment and how things work.

Wondering who you could ask for help in school? Contact the international student office in your university or ask friends and people around you. You’d be surprised at the number of people willing to help.

5. Explore the Culture

Part of your learning experience while studying abroad involves exploring cultures. Agreed, you want to acquire education, but you also need to try new things, foods, and places. This is why you must immerse yourself in your new country’s culture.

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But how do you explore your new country’s culture? First, create time to visit local restaurants. Then, try new foods, visit a park, or travel by public transport. These activities will help you adapt to your new environment quickly.

6. Build Your Language Skills

Language skills are essential for communication. You’ll need them to interact with others, study your courses and accelerate your learning. Most universities have English-language programs that are readily available for new students to use. Research your university to find these available and suitable programs. Additionally, download a language app or use online tutorials to improve your speaking skills.

7. Pay Attention to Local Laws

One excellent way to avoid violating laws in a new country is to listen to local laws. Local laws include ordinances, rules, and regulations guiding a particular city or territory. You want to ensure you identify and observe these rules. If not, you might jeopardize your legal status.

Simple ways to keep to local laws include complying with set rules, following visa instructions, and learning about your constitutional rights.

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Hopefully, when you begin using these tips, your study abroad experience will improve, and you’ll be able to fit into your new environment easily.