The family has made a decision – the future student is going to get an education abroad. The following substantial question is the choice of the country to study in. Where to go? What are the criteria for choosing a country? Together with the write my papers service WritingAPaper, let’s answer these questions.
Here are the 10 primary factors you should pay attention to when choosing a country to study:
- Personal preferences
No matter how clichéd it sounds, first of all, you should determine your own preferences, interests, and tastes. And decide in what country you would like not only to study but also to live. If you are interested in learning new things, self-fulfillment, or traveling, choosing a country opposite home makes sense. Or, perhaps, you prefer a country similar in mentality and traditions to your home country. So, to begin with, it is worth selecting the countries that attract, and vice versa – which do not want to visit.
- Determine the purpose of going abroad
The choice of a country is influenced by the students’ purpose:
- Emigration abroad. If you are not only planning to study but also to stay overseas, it makes sense to go to Canada, for example. In this country, a student who studies in an educational institution for two years has the right to obtain a visa for three years to find a job. And after working for a year or two, depending on the specialty, a foreigner receives a permanent residence permit for five years. For someone who dreams of emigrating abroad, a study trip to Canada is a great chance to stay there. It is much harder to stay permanently for foreigners in the US and the UK, but it is also possible;
- Building a successful career. If your goal is a lightning career upon graduation, we advise choosing the United States of America among all the countries in the world. This country has developed business, IT systems, management, journalism, and marketing. If your goal is – to become an excellent doctor, then it is worth choosing the UK, one of the few countries that produce professionals in this field.
- What do you plan to study
Depending on the country’s history, culture, and economy, each is known for significant learning accomplishments in certain areas. For example:
- The English justice system is world-famous. Therefore, international students go to England to study law because many countries have taken the famous British judicial system as an example. Also, it is worth going to Great Britain to get knowledge in the fields of architecture and construction;
- Italy is known for its famous fashion houses, models, and designers. Therefore it is better to study design and art in Italy.
- Those students who plan in the future to become business people, managers, or marketers need to go to the United States for these skills;
- In Austria, popular fields of study include medicine, economics, finance, hotel management, and journalism.
- You should pay attention to university rankings
Depending on the student’s chosen major, you need to study university rankings. This also matters if the goal is to select the best educational institution. However, this does not mean that you have to go to the USA or Canada if you are planning to get an education in Poland. This is just one criterion for choosing a country to study in.
- Cost of tuition and living expenses
The financial side is one of the most critical issues in choosing a country. In most cases, this criterion determines which country the student decides to study in. It is worth learning how much it costs to study and live in the chosen country. Not very expensive are:
- Education in this country will cost students from €800 per year, accommodation from €500 per month;
- The Czech Republic. To live in the country, it is possible for the student on €300 a month;
- To study in France, one can learn for free, but to live in the country, one has to pay €700 per month;
- To get an education is possible for €500 a year, and living expenses can be from €700.
Expensive countries are:
- The USA. Education in America costs from $15 000 a year. And a similar amount will be spent on other human needs;
- Tuition costs will be from 14,000 Canadian dollars, and food, housing, and transportation from 13,000. In terms of costs, Canada’s plus is that students only need to study for two years, unlike in other countries;
- The United Kingdom. Education costs range from €12,000 to €40,000, depending on the chosen specialty. All in all, a student can spend about $30,000 on education and accommodation.
An interesting nuance is that there can be high prices for housing, food, and other necessities in countries where university tuition is free. This is the case in Finland or Norway. International students choose these countries to study because there are still savings on tuition fees. The countries actively compete with ranked expensive countries.
If there is an opportunity to get a scholarship or grant at the university, you should use this opportunity because these funds can cover the cost of training or living. For example, the master can get a special British program grant in the UK, covering the cost of about two years of training. And at the undergraduate level, students in England receive scholarships that cover up to 50% of the costs.
In Canada and the United States, it is also possible to receive scholarships at some ranked institutions.
- University entrance requirements and admission requirements
Note the admission requirements for higher education. They are usually not complicated. But, each university has its nuances, so you need to take it seriously and go into all the details. The main conditions for entry:
- High grades on your high school diploma. Many colleges do not have additional examinations, so your grade point average or diploma plays a prominent role in your university or college admission;
- IELTS or TOEFL certifications. They confirm an excellent level of English;
- A well-written motivation letter (essay). An applicant’s opinion of an applicant begins by reviewing their application documents. The motivation letter is of great importance because it is what advertises the applicant. Therefore, the essay should be written accurately, without unnecessary information or grammatical and punctuation errors. Luckily, nowadays, there are a lot of essay writing service reddit reviews that will help you to choose a professional writer to edit your motivation letter.
- IELTS and TOEFL certificates are one of the most critical factors in admissions
There are two types of English certificates, IELTS and TOEFL.
What is the difference between these two tests? TOEFL is an American test, while IELTS is an English test. TOEFL certificate is not accepted at all high schools in England. The IELTS certificate is accepted:
- European countries;
- Canada;
- Australia;
- United States of America;
- New Zealand.
First, you need to register and determine the date of the exam.
For example, you need to score at least 6.5 points in IELTS to enter a Canadian college or an American institution.
- Will it be possible to combine study and work
It is worth paying attention to this point when applying to universities abroad. After all, you can cover your educational and living expenses costs by working during your studies and receiving funds.
In Poland, only postgraduate students are allowed to work legally. In the Czech Republic, a student can work for 30 days a year. In the United States, an international student with a student visa is not allowed to combine study and work. Countries that would enable students to work while studying:
- Spain
- United Kingdom
- France
- Canada
- Visa for study abroad
The websites of the embassies have information about opening a student visa to different countries around the world. Each country has different requirements, so the data should be carefully studied. What to pay attention to:
- Deadlines for applying for a student visa are different in each country;
- The collected documents should be without errors;
- Whether the chosen specialty corresponds to the one you studied in your home country (for students with a diploma).
- Financial matters. Whether the foreigner has enough money to live abroad and return to their home country after studying.
- Where to stay while studying at the university?
This is a question that you should pay attention to in advance. In the first year, living in a university or college dormitory will be very convenient. This is an ideal option for someone new to a new place of residence, nearby an educational institution, with no need to spend money on transportation. Being surrounded by classmates who can help in confusing situations is easier. When adaptation is complete, you can look for a rental apartment. This usually happens in the second year of study. The apartment can be rented inexpensively, so the cost of moving out of the dormitory does not significantly increase.
When choosing a country to study, you should consider many factors. Each country has nuances, and you should be prepared for different situations. Life in each country is different, so you must define your goals and preferences before you go. It is worth reading reviews of people who have a diploma obtained abroad, have experience, and are willing to share it with others. But, every person is different. Not every student’s best option will be to study at the most prestigious educational institutions in the world. Therefore, you should not always consider other people’s opinions but listen to yourself.
