The Top Reasons Why You Should Study Abroad At University

Moving abroad, meeting new people, embracing new cultures, and learning a new language are all great things that broaden your horizons and build your character.

There are some good reasons why you should study abroad.  

Some of our student apartments cater for students arriving from abroad, and we would highly recommend studying abroad as an option for everyone, whether for one year as part of your studies or for your entire university life.  

So, what are the biggest reasons why you should study abroad as a student?

Carry on reading to find out.  

1. Embrace A Different Culture

Probably the most appealing thing about studying abroad is that you get to immerse yourself in a brand-new culture.  

Moving to any different country to your own is bound to be strange in many ways.

However, it gives you the opportunity to take a step back and look at things in a different way.  

Get out there and try new food that you otherwise would never try, listen to local traditional music, speak to the locals, and learn more about their way of life, see new places.  

 Looking at the world through the eyes of a different culture is a fantastic way to experience life and to learn something about you! 

2. Scratch That Travel Itch

Especially since the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns in the last few years, it has become more desirable than ever before to get out in the world and travel.  

For many students this takes the shape of a gap year between school and university, and for others there is the chance to move abroad for one year as part of a course or an internship.  

After a couple of years of periods where we were locked in our houses or not allowed to leave the country, there is an itch that we all want to scratch.  

After all, there’s so much to do and see and travelling to different countries is something on everyone’s bucket list.  

This is one of the best reasons why you should study abroad – we’re sure you’d agree! 

3. Develop Your Character

By embracing new culture you’ll aid your own personal development.  

These are the most exciting and most important years of your life in how you are shaped as an adult.  

Moving abroad to study, learning in different circumstances, being completely independent and learning new personal skills, will all help to build your character and help you grow as a person.  

Your intellectual growth can only speed up when you’re living in unfamiliar surroundings whilst studying abroad.  

Whatever you choose to do post-university you’ll have a far better grounding and foundation to build from because of your time studying abroad, than you might have necessarily had if you’d stayed at home or studied in the UK. 

4. Learn The Lingo

Do you love to learn how to say “the elephant loves the pink vase” in loads of different languages on Duolingo?  

Moving abroad might allow you to sharpen these ‘skills’ and learn how to speak a whole new language. 

Even if you’re only living abroad for one semester, you’ll surprise yourself with how much of a new language you can actually learn in that time.  

It might only be pleasantries or the simple phrases you need to buy groceries and be polite to people, but it really helps a person to settle.  

Locals also appreciate it when you try, even if you might have the pronunciation slightly wrong, or one word out here or there.  

Learning another language is often the most difficult part of studying abroad, but if you crack it, it can be really satisfying and gives you a whole new way to engage with your place of study abroad. 

 If you end up moving abroad in the future (as we all wish) you’ll have already made a head start on learning a language too.  

 Plus, learning a new language can be a great skill to have and look great on your CV for when you graduate from university!  

5. Make New Friends

We’re social animals, we need a support network to help us out from time to time.  

So many of us make friends for life at university.  

Now, imagine that you make friends with people you meet when studying abroad?  

Moving abroad you’ll meet people from all over the world, broadening your mind and your knowledge of different places.  

This is a fantastic way to learn about places you’ve never heard of, to learn more about people’s culture, traditions, languages, music, food, and customs.  

If you are lucky enough to live and study abroad with a wide range of nationalities, you’ll come back a much more well-rounded person than when you left.  

One of the best things about this is that you could take it in turns to cook your national meal at your apartment for your new friends.  

Just make sure those fish & chips are spot on though, you don’t want to let the side down! 

6. Travel & Go To New Places

Travelling is glorious, we’ve already covered some of the main reasons why above, but it is amazing to see new places.  

When you are studying abroad, wherever you are, it is a new launchpad for you.  

Suddenly, there are new places for you to explore that might have been more difficult from the UK.  

This could be within the country you are studying, with different regions and domestic cultures to explore and enjoy.

Or it might be easier to travel to other countries from your new location – places you’ve always wanted to try. 

7. Challenge Yourself

It takes courage to make that giant step of leaving home and going to study abroad.  

It has many benefits and appeals, but that’s not to say there won’t be any challenges that you’ll need to overcome.  

This is all part of the process though, and if you embrace the challenges of living and studying abroad, it can be fun.  

Move outside your comfort zone, try things you wouldn’t normally try out and face those challenges head on.  

It will stand you in good stead for any challenges you might face as you move through your life and career in years to come.  

8. Broaden Your Career Opportunities

One massive reason why you should study abroad is that it looks great on your CV.  

You know how important it is to have steady experience and a variety of different experiences on your CV when it comes to applying for any short-term job.  

However, when it comes to looking for internships, industry work experience, and full-time jobs as part of your career path post university it can be important too.  

Living and studying abroad demonstrates to a potential employer that you’re willing to face great obstacles and can overcome them.  

It shows self-belief and confidence, independence of thought, and empathy.  

All of these things will fit nicely onto your CV or LinkedIn when you are next updating it. 

9. Excellent Education Standards

Whether you are an international student moving to the UK, or you are going outside of the UK to study, there are some incredible opportunities from some of the finest universities and colleges across the world.  

Why should you limit yourself to only the universities in your country if moving abroad is a possibility?  

We have a great tradition of offering university places ton international students in the UK.  

If you are a UK resident check out your university and course options to see if there is a study year abroad, or if there are universities you could potentially move to for a full-time course. 

You can study abroad for a full year or a semester, it’s worth looking and seeing what’s available and where!   

10. Possible Financial Benefits

This isn’t always the case, but there are sometimes some financial benefits to moving and studying abroad.  

This type of support is available for some international students moving to the UK to study.

Most undergraduate university courses here only take 3 years to complete.

Whereas in most countries, courses last for 4 years, lowering costs significantly.  

There are different grants, bursaries, and scholarships that can be used by international students to make their way in higher education in all counties.  

 It is all about finding out the right financial help that is out there to suit your personal circumstances.

Always look around at the different options open to you when choosing where to study abroad.  

You also need to think about how likely it is you’ll need to get a part-time job to support your needs (and how easy that will be). 

As well as how much rent, energy, food, and other costs will be in that country, and weight everything up accordingly. 

With the current cost of living crisis in the UK, it may be cheaper to study abroad rather than here.

At least it will be warmer and sunnier in other countries!   

Final Things To Takeaway

Whether you are an international student moving to the UK or you are from the UK and want to explore the reasons why you should study abroad, it is definitely something worth considering!  

You’ll embrace new cultures, meet loads of great people, try new food, learn new languages, and just become a better person. 

There is nothing better than travelling and getting outside of your comfort zone.

Studying abroad is ace and you should give it a go!