Why go abroad?

Below we are going to give you five of our top reasons why you should study abroad. However, it is important that we don't overlook two major reasons why you might have to go abroad even if it isn't your first choice.

A. British universities don't have enough places for all the students who want to go to university. In 2010, an estimated 140,000 students did not get the place they were looking for.

B. The cost of higher education is increasing dramatically. From 2011, studying in the UK is likely to be a lot more expensive and this will result in many people looking to go abroad. The average student debt is about £25,000 on graduating. This will only increase in the future. Studying abroad could help you graduate owing significantly less money. In some cases you might even be debt-free.

Living in another country can be one of the best experiences of your life. It gives you the opportunity to experience so much more than you can during a holiday and by studying or working there, you get the chance to experience the real way of life.

Although the United Kingdom is increasingly multicultural and most British universities offer an increasingly international environment, the only way to experience life in another country is to live there. So, if you think that you might like to live abroad, now is probably the best time in your life to go!

There are many ways to answer the question of “Why Go Abroad”? The main reasons remain roughly the same and these are the top 5 ways in which studying or working abroad can help you:

Getting a Good Job – In a crowded job market in a global economy, having first hand experience of another culture is a valuable commodity that you cannot learn from a book. Many professions prefer to recruit graduates who have work experience and many international universities can offer you this as part of your studies.
Learning a language – Living in the country where a language is spoken is by far the best way to learn. Even if you aren’t studying languages at the moment, don’t despair. There are plenty of universities around the world that teach in English so that you can learn while you are in the country.
Growing Up – Not perhaps the most exciting reason to study abroad perhaps, but by living in another country you will develop your interpersonal and communication skills. If you don’t know what you want do with your life, then experiencing something new and meeting new people could be just the thing to help you find focus in your career.
Saving the planet – Well, maybe not literally but you will be aware that long distance travel is not the best thing for the environment. However, it is important to have knowledge of other countries and cultures so if you are going to go half way round the world it makes sense to stay there a little bit longer than a summer holiday. We recommend doing something useful while you are abroad as this can justify your desire to stay a while longer and has almost the same environmental impact as staying at home.
HAVING FUN!!! – Let’s be honest, this is one of the most important things you are looking for in higher education and at the start of your career. Studying abroad can be a great way to get the experiences you are looking for from a gap year, for example, but at the same time you can gain academic credits and qualifications which will help you get on in life at the same time. Studying abroad is also a great way to make friends from all around the world.