In the past, when students did a university degree, they tended to study in their own country. Nowadays, they have more opportunity to study abroad. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this development?

Universities in developed countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia are gaining popularity to underdeveloped countries such as India and the Philippines. Since people from underdeveloped countries want to have better lives, they tend to study abroad, expecting that they can get a good career after. In this essay, I will be stating the positive and negative aspects of this new trend of studying internationally.

Going to an international university has several advantages. Firstly, students can learn a second language if the country they are moving into is different from their native tongue. Take Koreans for example. Since they have their own dialects, if they move to study in Australia, an opportunity to get used to British English can be to their advantage. Secondly, international enrolees may broaden their knowledge about other things such as culture and traditions of the host country. This is something that can help them to have personal growth. Thirdly, their competence to the field they have chosen will be maximized. As we all know, developed countries have very high quality and standard of education. Finally, there will be chances that these international students can work and live permanently in developed countries. After graduating in their chosen program, there may be companies that would like to hire them. Eventually when this happens, the host country will allow them to apply to for permanent residency since they are able to contribute to its economy.

However, the successes of studying in an international university can have drawbacks too. Moving to another country can be very expensive. University fees abroad are not affordable to everyone. Some people may need to loan money from banks just to pay for tuition. In addition to that, accommodation can be very pricey as well. It would be about $500 monthly in Canada and approximately $300 weekly in Australia. Moreover, expenses for food and transportation need to be put in mind too. Indeed, money matters when one would like to pursue a degree overseas.

Another drawback of getting a degree, diploma or certificate in another country means that the student will have less, or worse, no time with his family. International students would need to leave family members just to pursue his studies; unless he got more than enough funds to bring them. As a result of moving out of the country, there will be no physical bonding moments with loved ones. There could be Skype, Facetime or Facebook, but surely, being with family physically can not be replaced. This may even lead to depression sometimes, which is a serious issue. These are just some of the problems students may experience when they decide to take a risk studying abroad.

In summary, getting schooled to a university overseas can have both positive and negative impacts to a person. It could be an excellent choice to study abroad if one would like to have a better future, as long as he can handle the drawbacks of it.