6 Challenges You May Face While Studying Abroad
Are you planning to study abroad? We know that studying abroad is a dream for a lot of people and we cannot deny that there is a ton of privilege in being able to do that. When students go abroad for the first time they face a host of different challenges. And today we are going to talk about the five most common problems that students might face.
When you read them in this blog, you can be extra cautious about those pitfalls and try avoiding them to the best of your abilities.
Finding right accommodation
Many colleges offer on-campus accommodation facilities but the places get filled pretty quick. Then you have to resort to other means of accommodation which can be a tough job. You have to find a trustworthy source first so that you are not scammed (which is getting common nowadays). You have to consider and compare all the facilities they will provide and whether it suits your pocket.
The financial cost
When you decide to study abroad you have to consider the financial cost. A lot of colleges provide financial aid, scholarships, zero tuition fees but there are other costs to consider. You have to pay attention to the additional costs while you apply. 
It’s a culture in most of the western countries for students to take up a part-time job. Some students try to juggle two jobs along with their studies. But you have to keep in mind that if you don’t have a well chalk-out plan then you might end up compromising your studies.
Feeling homesick
Studying abroad has many perks, you get world-class facilities, networks, and experiences but it comes with a cost. Feeling homesick is very common because you are far away from your family.
When you are with your family you know that they will support you in difficult situations. But when you are far away, you have to make a way out on your own till the time you make new friends.
Initially, you may also struggle with the time zone factor. You may have to double-check to find a suitable time to make phone calls and sometimes this can be frustrating.
Fear of missing out
The fear of missing out affects us when we feel that our family and friends are enjoying and are happy even when we are far away from them. You may have thoughts like – “maybe I don’t matter to them anymore”, “they don’t love me as much as I thought”, “it won’t matter to them if I live or die”!
The constant exposure to social media aggravates the situation. The posts of events, birthdays, and gatherings make you feel that you are missing out on every important event back home.
Extremely competitive environment
In the top universities, there is an extremely competitive environment. You have to keep up with your studies, extracurricular activities while juggling them with your job. Many of the extracurricular clubs can also be tough to get into.
You might feel that even though you are giving your best it’s still not enough. You might fear that there is always someone better than you (performing things you thought you were good at, with more perfection) out there.
This extreme competition can become a reason for depression and anxiety in students.
Creating a bubble
The biggest mistake you can make while you are studying abroad is creating a bubble around you. This bubble that you have created prevents you from meeting with new people and expanding your network. If you talk only with a limited number of people from your community and never explore, you are missing out on a major experience.
The group dynamics form very fast so once you enter the college start talking with people, make connections or you might end up feeling left out.
The challenges that we have talked about and not insurmountable. You can take preventive measures, solve some of them and a few problems will automatically get solved when you stay there and learn from experiences.
The government has set guidelines and also provides support to the students studying abroad during emergencies especially- emergencies related to Covid Pandemic.