Studying abroad can be a daunting and even intimidating task, especially for students who have never been abroad or have never studied far away from family and friends.
This leads to plenty of questions being asked every day by such students.
We are going to cover the Top 20 How To Study Abroad Frequently Asked Questions by such students.
Just in case you are interested in studying abroad, this would help you too.
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What Questions Should You Ask On How To Study Abroad ?
1. Can I Study Abroad?
Of course, this would be the first on the list. Many students are often genuinely confused if they can study abroad or not, which in response to the question, they can.
If you meet the eligibility and you are supposed by your parents or sponsors and you want to study abroad, then yes, you can study abroad.
2.How Many Years Does It Take To Study Abroad?
Sometimes, compare to your home country, it may take more or take less.
Most international students who study in the UK often remark that some courses have a shorter year of study compared to their home country.
In general, it depends on the course of study, type of program and other university specific-factors. However, it is public news that most undergraduate study takes 3 to 5 years while post-graduate studies take 1 to 2 years.
3.Can I Work During My Studies Abroad ?
This is usually a major concern and therefore one of the most asked questions by study abroad aspirants.
Studying abroad is not cheap, most students are interested in knowing if there is a means to make money on the side with their studies.
Before I answer this question, you should know that most universities require you to be funded either by your parent, a sponsor or yourself and this is not inclusive of whatever job you may get on reaching the country.
The universities would demand that you have sufficient means to find yourself completely even without a job, so if you plan to go on a student visa and work to pay your way through higher education, you should know that most often than not, this is not accepted.
But yes, it is possible to work while you study abroad. However, this will depend on whether or not your student visa allows you to work.
In some countries, there are restrictions on the amount of paid work you can undertake during your studies.
Often there’s a limit of 20 hours’ paid work per week during term time, with full-time work permitted during holidays.
If you don’t need a student visa, it is more likely you’ll be able to work as many hours as you like, as long as this doesn’t affect your studies – but check with the university and/or official government site.
If you do work during your studies, it’s not a good idea to rely on your wages to fund living costs, and in many cases, you’ll need to prove you already have enough money to support yourself when you apply for your visa, even as you apply for the school admission, as I already said.
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4. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO STUDY ABROAD?
Requirements and eligibility criteria may differ from university to university and from country to country. However, we have managed to piece together a list of the general and commonly asked requirements by universities abroad and they are;
- Be enrolled at a designated learning institution
- Show proof of funds to cover your tuition fees, living costs, return travel
- Have no criminal record
- Be in good health (you might need to complete a medical exam)
- Prove that you will be leaving the country after your studies (for some countries)
- What are the documents needed to study abroad?
- Birth Certificates
- SSCE Results (Certificate and Statement of Results)
- BSc Certificate or Statement of Results (For Post Graduates)
- Academic Transcripts
- Valid Means of Identification
- Reference Letter (Personal and Academic)
- Recommendation Letter
- Essay Write-ups
- Personal Copy of your Essays (Differs from Schools)
- GRE/GMAT or TOEFL/IELTS (Differs based on the school’s demands)
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5. IS IT EXPENSIVE TO STUDY ABROAD?
It can be really expensive, this is a fact that prevents many students from studying abroad, because of the cost. This can be especially worse if you are coming from a country with a currency lower than the country you are applying to study abroad.
But if you can capitalise on scholarships and other funds which are often in abundance for international students, you could reduce the costs drastically or even in some rare cases, completely eliminate them.
If you are without scholarships, a sponsor or a guardian, then the cost of studying abroad is indeed heavy.
6. HOW DO I APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP ABROAD?
Most of the time, the university you hope to apply to often has detailed and easy guides with some stipulated steps that give you all the details on how to apply to study while in some universities, you may be required to contact a representative.
7. IS IT A MUST I NEED TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF THE COUNTRY?
Language proficiency, if the country you are going to does not speak your first language, is usually a must. Most universities and most countries would demand a test proving that you are capable of holding proper and basic conversations in that language and for universities, evidence from a test score is required.
8. WHERE WILL I LIVE DURING MY STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM?
This mainly depends on you. If you are financially flexible, then you can decide where you want to live from the listings in the market. But, if your chosen university has readily available campus accommodation, you will likely be able to apply for a place in these student halls. If this is not the case, you will need to find your accommodation.
9. CAN I GET FINANCIAL AID TO STUDY ABROAD?
Yes, there are thousands of scholarship opportunities for international students leaving their country to study elsewhere. Some of these scholarships may offer full coverage while some cover only a part of your expenditure.
So yes, it is very possible to study abroad with financial aid.
10. CAN I STUDY ABROAD DURING COVID?
Due to the Covid19 pandemic that struck the world, a lot of countries had to totally shut down and reject entrance to foreigners for fear of the virus spreading.
This affected a lot of things including international studies.
The availability of study abroad programs during the pandemic will vary based on the specific country you want to study abroad.
For example, some countries like Australia and New Zealand are still significantly more restrictive to international travel, while some, like the UK, currently have no COVID restrictions to receive a student visa.
Although you might be required to provide or undergo a COVID test.
11. DO I NEED AN EDUCATION AGENCY TO STUDY ABROAD?
Sometimes. Although the agency reduces stress significantly, if you are tight on budget, then an agency may not be the wisest option because you can apply to study directly at an institution.
But if money is not a constraint, then you may choose to use the expertise of an agent to guide you through the process of choosing a university or school and enrolling.
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12. WILL STUDYING ABROAD DELAY MY GRADUATION?
If you enter according to the proper academic year and do not defer any year, then it shouldn’t affect your graduation date.
13. HOW HARD ARE STUDY ABROAD COURSES?
No harder than the ones in your home country, although, if you are studying in places like the UK, China and other highly advanced countries in a standard university, you might find yourself struggling due to a more developed framework.
If you are focused, it won’t be long before you catch up.
14. Why Should I Even Study Abroad?
Are you really asking this? There are a thousand and one benefits to studying abroad, one of the major reasons being that it would help you immensely when applying for jobs in the future.
15. At What Point Can I Start Applying To The Universities?
You need to keep a tab on the University of your choice, and keep track of them through their email subscription list and push notifications.
This helps you get a usual update of all information that pertains to students looking at studying there.
If you want to do an undergraduate study, you can start applying immediately after SSCE. If it’s a post-graduate course, you need to start applying immediately after you get your statement of results.
16. Will i Need To Attend An Admissions Interview?
Most universities may require this, and those who don’t often demand an essay in a written format where you state why you choose to study in that particular university and in that particular country.
17. After Gaining A Letter Of Accetance, What Do I Do Next?
You have to accept your offer within 48 hours of receiving it.
This is a very important process because you need to prove to the university that you are interested my accepting the offer. Once you do, the university would reply, via email with the processes after.
18. Is It Difficult To Study Abroad?
It can be difficult depending on your country, to get an opportunity to study abroad.
You would need to have really impressive scoresheets and meet the university’s entry requirements.
19. Do I Need A Visa To Study Abroad?
In most cases you do, while very few times, you don’t.
An instance, if you are a UK citizen that wants to study in a country under the European union like Finland, Denmark, Scotland, or Ireland, you would not be required to hold a visa, you would just need a valid passport.
This is how it works; most of the time, if you are leaving to study in another country that is still on the same continent as your home country, most of the time, a visa is not required just a passport.
However, if you are leaving for a wholly different continent, then you would be required to present a visa and a host of other requirements.
Sometimes, if your country has a positive and even friendly relationship with the country you hope to study in, occasionally, there may be exemptions and the citizens of your country would be allowed to enter the other with just a passport.
This question is subjective; it depends on the country you are coming from and the one you are hoping to enter.
20. Can I Defer My Admission Abroad?
Yes, you can! Although you must be careful, some universities would not allow you to defer the entrance, you would need to have studied for over a year to be eligible for deferment.
Conclusion:
I hope this help!
