The main decision to make while thinking to study abroad is choosing the right program to study and the perfect place to live. The options are endless and its overwhelming.
The following factors can help you to figure out what is best for you.
Pick the right location
Remember, the best place for other students might not be right for you.
You may prefer to study in a smaller town or city close to the countryside. As an international student, you'll be trying to learn about a new culture, so think about whether you’d want to do that in a built up city or would be happier somewhere a bit quieter. Capital or larger cities are a popular and appealing place to study with good universities, but for some students they might be overwhelming.
Consider what you’d want from a city, and whether that’s nightlife, green spaces, or art. You may have particular interests that lend themselves to a certain country, state or city. Your preference for warmer or colder weather may also help you narrow down your search.
Be a part of larger community
Cities that are particularly popular with other international students with different background & culture that would be a good place to start:
- The UK
- Canada
- Australia
- New Zealand
Other students from your home country may study abroad in the same countries and cities because it’s easy to travel back home from time to time. Others may choose a particular country because of its international reputation for a high standard of education.
Budgeting
It’s important to think about your expenses for studying abroad and factor in the cost of living in certain countries or cities. In many cases you’ll have to prove your ability to finance all of your studies when applying for a visa, so you’ll have to look within your budget.
With such a large number of universities offering international study there will be something for everyone, so deciding on what you can afford to spend on tuition and living expenses will help determine a country or city to study in.
University selection
A good place to start finding a suitable university is by deciding on a subject. There’s a lot of choice when it comes to degrees and studying can be challenging, so focus on picking something you’re passionate about, or want to pursue as a career.
Once you know what you want to do, you’ll narrow down your options to universities that offer that subject.
Program details
Universities’ degree programs vary in terms of content. There may be a specific area of research you are interested in that is only covered at a few universities.
Read through program outlines and see if the particular areas you’re wanting to learn about are covered, or if you can major in them. You may also find that certain universities offer dual degrees that appeal to your interests.
Ranking of universities
Rankings can give you a good overall idea of how good universities are in comparison to each other, and how an institution is viewed externally.
It’s worth seeing which universities are particularly renowned for the subject you’ve chosen as they may be ranked better for particular subjects rather than overall.
