Studying away from home can be a life-challenging experience that opens up broader academic and social horizons. While it can be an exciting adventure, studying abroad also presents tons of challenges. Amidst educational pressures and the unfamiliar sphere, students commonly face confusion and loneliness.
Here, we’ll delve into the main obstacles of studying abroad and discuss practical strategies to overcome the matters!
Common Challenges for Students Studying Away from Home
Whether you’re planning to study abroad for a semester or longer, you may encounter or undergo some of the following hurdles. Let’s identify them one by one.
1. Culture Shock
Students who are studying abroad commonly experience culture shock as they are exposed to a new language, climate, customs, food, and systems.
Culture shock or adjustment is the transition’s natural response that causes a range of negative feelings, such as confusion, disorientation, homesickness, anxiety, and uncertainty. Additionally, it may result in both physical symptoms (headaches and nausea) and psychological symptoms (sadness and frustration).
2. Homesickness
Homesickness while studying abroad is the sad feeling of not belonging to their comfortable familiar surroundings for a prolonged period. Some students may feel homesickness within a few days, while others may experience it over several weeks.
Regardless of how far away from home a student may be, it's perfectly normal to experience homesickness about studying abroad. However, extreme homesickness can lead to social, physical, and behavioral symptoms.
If feeling homesickness gets worse, it can result in a lack of academic enthusiasm and other activities that lead to students’ poor performance in university.
3. Language Barriers
Many foreign students encounter language barriers and struggle to comprehend the nation's educational system as well as the medium of instruction.
In its implementation, students may have difficulty understanding the instructors’ accents and following the discussion pace, even if they have good proficiency in the language.
Plus, students may feel like outsiders as the locals often employ slang that they are unfamiliar with and multiple terms can be used to describe the same thing. Thus, it can result in miscommunication, misunderstanding, and misinterpretation in one go.
4. Academic Pressure
Academic pressure is one of the primary challenges of studying away from home. In this regard, international students are pressured to excel, deal with higher academic standards, and understand various educational practices.
As a result, academic pressure possibly causes anxiety, depression, burnout, and demotivation of academic performance. It can also impact students’ physical health, including headaches, stomachache, appetite loss, and tiredness.
5. Loneliness and Isolation
Feeling lonely and socially isolated is relatively ordinary, especially during the new environment and lifestyle transition.
Many students in a foreign place experience loneliness and isolation due to diverse kind of factors. It could be a rigorous academic schedule adjustment, social circle struggle, or even discrimination with limited access to support.
6. Financial Difficulties
When it comes to studying abroad, financial insecurities are still the most significant stressor of academic concerns.
While short-term and summer programs are usually cheaper than a semester program, studying abroad will always cost students money. Some of the biggest expenses international students will need to consider include high tuition fees, travel costs, exchange rates, insurance, and other day-to-day living expenses.
However, the price of studying abroad can vary depending on the country and the program chosen. That said, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Switzerland are the most costly nations for international students.
Strategies to Overcome Studying Away From Home Challenges
While the challenges are there, strategies to cope and overcome them are also in your way. Read through the following five and gear yourself up.
1. Being Open-Minded
Being an open-minded and proactive individual is generally a great skill investment. By immersing in a foreign environment, students have the opportunity to step outside their comfort zone and uncover everlasting memories.
It’s hard but when you try to open your mind, this process allows to gain independence, think of excellent personal growth, understand cultural awareness, and adapt to global perspectives.
2. Learning about the Local Culture
It is essential to learn about the target country's local culture and language to prevent excessive culture shock. In this way, you can learn about the culture immersion through books, movies, or social media.
Participating in local events and festivals is a great way to help students settle into a deeper cultural insight and appreciation for new surroundings. Remember that embracing and respecting cultural diversity will help build meaningful relationships with the locals tightly.
3. Joining Clubs and Organizations
Engaging in university clubs and organizations is another pathway to meet like-minded individuals who share the same vibrations. Involvement in campus activities not only elevates students’ resumes quality but also builds essential critical skills of teamwork and leadership.
4. Building Relationships with Locals
Interacting with locals and international students can significantly build a diverse social network broadly. By making friends with people worldwide, you can expand your professional network and build lasting friendships for future career prospects.
Furthermore, effective connections can also provide a balanced approach to the educational experience and support when feeling homesick. To overcome this kind of studying away from home challenge, try joining professional associations, or extracurricular activities, or be active on social media sites.
5. Seeking Professional Help
Lastly, talking to an academic counselor or professional advisor can help thrive academically. By offering tailored advice, academic counselors can streamline the students' intention to study abroad alone.
While giving students valuable insights into a potential institution’s academic reputation, professional advisors also play a critical role in helping students encounter academic trouble of studying abroad.
Is Studying Away From Home Worthwhile?
Certainly, there are parts of studying abroad that are daunting. In equal measures, there are numerous strategies to adapt to the challenging sides, resulting in a smooth educational journey. However, it’s worthwhile based on students’ academic interests, career objectives, and unavailable chances in their home country.
Fortunately, Sampoerna University offers academic flexibility to facilitate studying away from home in a practical way. Thanks to Sampoerna University’s two-degree program, students can earn both bachelor's degrees from SU and the University of Arizona in just 4 years.
The best part of a two-degree program allows students to pursue their degree without ever leaving Indonesia. It’s a win-win solution for those seeking a superior international education under a US curriculum with local tuition fees and a future-ready curated program.
