Top 10 Common Challenges Students Face Studying Abroad

While studying abroad is an enriching experience, it also comes with its own set of challenges. This article aims to highlight all the study abroad challenges so that overseas applicants prepare themselves accordingly.

International students willing to pursue higher education abroad come across several study abroad challenges. From homesickness and language barriers to climate uncertainties and monetary issues, every aspirant might face a different challenge. However, we have listed all such challenges in this article and suggested ways to overcome them.

Table of Contents

List of Top 10 Study Abroad Challenges
How to Overcome the Challenges of Studying Abroad?
Benefits of Studying Abroad
Best Countries to Study Abroad

List of Top 10 Study Abroad Challenges

During the initial stage of their study abroad journey, students might get overwhelmed due to a number of factors. Take a look at the top study abroad challenges faced by international students:

Finding the Suitable Accommodation
Managing Finances
Homesickness
Experiencing Culture Shock
Understanding Currency Differences
Different Time Zone
Overcoming the Language Barriers
Managing Academic Standards
Facing Climate Uncertainties
Making New Friends

Finding the Suitable Accomodation

Very often on-campus accommodation gets filled up faster and students have to resort to other means of accommodation outside the university campus. This can often make you pay a huge amount to avail your preferred accommodation. This is one the main study abroad challenges faced by overseas students.

Often it has been seen that certain Facebook groups run online scams by showing fake photos of houses and end up asking for a lot of money as a security deposit in that process. Students fall victim to these kinds of scams and lose money in the process. They eventually figure out that this kind of property never even existed. So, to sum up it is very important to look for accommodation from reliable trustworthy sources.

Managing Finances

Irrespective of all your efforts to plan your finances, budget, and also track your expenses throughout your stay, sometimes it really gets tough to manage the expenses. Even if you’re managing your money perfectly well, you can still end up broke or having less than you need. Before you opt for a job, you need to double-check the rules around your student visa.

Based on the country you’re studying, you may be limited to the type and location of work that you can take. Always check your campus classifieds and different job boards for new opportunities. You can also go for different freelance gigs or part-time work opportunities to manage your finances a bit better.

Homesickness

Homesickness is one of the common study abroad challenges encountered by students. Homesickness is something very common when you are away from your loved ones. It’ll affect you immensely when you’re bored, so it is always advised to stay active. You need to connect with people, especially fellow students who are feeling the same and embrace as much of your new surroundings as possible. The more engaged you are in your day-to-day activities, the less time you’ll have to worry about what you have left behind.

Experiencing Cultural Shock

This is one of the major study abroad challenges that international students encounter. You may also find yourself very much affected by the sudden shift in culture. Starting from food and rituals to transport systems, and style of dress- all these may differ from those in your home country. Unfortunately, this culture shock can always lead to frustration, anxiety, and homesickness. If you are not prepared to cope with these differences, it can lead to considerable amounts of stress even in scenarios where you’re performing normal day-to-day tasks.

Understanding Currency Differences

Getting used to currency differences is also a challenging process. For example, in Costa Rica, 500 Costa Rican colones make one US dollar. And in continental Europe, when something costs €1 it is actually US$1.40. Make sure you work out a quick conversion system for yourself, so you can mentally figure out prices when buying things, and get to know the “normal” price for staple items. You can ask locals how much they would expect to pay for these items.

Different Time Zone

Trying to travel and stay between two time zones on opposite ends of the planet can be really frustrating. Especially, when you are in touch with your loved ones from India. You need to double-check which time is suitable for which time zone and also get a habit of making phone calls very early in the morning or maybe very late in the evenings. Add all the relevant time zones in your timekeeping applications. Try to remember the time difference by memory. The earlier you can do this, the better it is for you to cope with the time zone differences.

Overcoming the Language Barriers

Next on the list of study abroad challenges is the language barrier. If you are visiting countries like the UK, US, and Australia, where English is spoken as the first language, it may be difficult to overcome the language barrier. You may find it difficult to speak fluently in English. Also, often you may find it hard to clearly understand what the natives are saying. The use of certain English words and phrases may differ in different countries overseas.

There are standard exams like TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS, GRE, and GMAT that you have to clear before getting enrolled in a foreign university. Matching the pace, accent, and tone of the foreign countries may also be a bit more challenging.

Managing Academic Standards

New experiences will always be more interesting. Living away from home, there can be plenty of new things that you may want to try out. All you need to do is to buckle down and work smart. Make use of the calendar, to-do list, and planner apps to manage all your academic requirements.

Facing Climate Uncertainties

Irrespective of how much of online research you do before you study abroad, it is difficult to predict how the weather is like till you reach that particular place. Indoor climate control, the city infrastructure and even regional characteristics can affect what you might wear day today. Plan to bring only the bare minimum essentials and get the rest when you get there. If finances are your concern, look for secondhand clothing stores to get all the required stuff.

Making New Friends

Making friends is not that easy especially if you are with people from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds speaking different languages. Communication becomes a major challenge in certain cases. It is difficult to find out like-minded people as the mindset is more likely to vary for each individual who comes to study with you. So, be prepared to spend time all by yourself, and opt for good hobbies till you find people who can actually be your friends.

How to Overcome the Challenges of Studying Abroad?

To help students overcome study abroad challenges, we have come up with some useful tips. Students can consider these things to get the best possible experience of pursuing higher studies abroad.

Research the university well
Check the validity of college credits
Know the university rankings
Look out for student support services
Build networks with locals
Do not hesitate to ask for help
Obtain health insurance
Maintain a budget to cover costs
Learn the local language
Get an international student ID

Benefits of Studying Abroad

We are now aware of the challenges that international students face while studying abroad. However, pursuing higher education abroad is worthwhile considering the vast range of opportunities that it offers. Have a look at some of the benefits of studying abroad:

Boost your educational and professional aspects
Experience the world
Engage in a new culture
Hone your language skills
Feel confident
Gain independence
Attain a global perspective
Explore global job opportunities

Read More: Benefits of Studying Abroad

Best Countries to Study Abroad

As mentioned earlier, studying abroad is a great way to gain new academic, social and language skills and enrich your university experience. However, students must choose the right study country to pursue higher education. Here we have listed the top 10 countries to study abroad: