College abroad

[audiophile5]

Hey guys
I was just wondering what you think about going to study abroad. Is there anyone who started college in a different country/far from home? Would you like to do it? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages?

For me, I want to go to study in Germany. The things that I look forward to are: better education, better country, being close to my aunt (she lives there), and of course after college living there. But there are things that scare me too, like for instance I don't know anything in German (I still have to years to learn it and there are colleges in English), being far from my family and friends (It'll be hard, leaving them, and I'll probably lose connections with most of them). And just having to start all over again (I like it and I am afraid of it).

What do you guys think? Would you go study abroad? Would you be able the leave everything behind and start all over?

[JamesSuperBoy]

It would be a good idea - at least to explore all the options.

All the universities in Germany have direct applications so you just apply to the ones nearest your aunt. I am sure they would all have websites with info about the courses in English so best to start now and get all the info you need.

I guess most going off to college or uni lose connections to some friends but you will make new ones.

[audiophile5]

It would be a good idea - at least to explore all the options.

All the universities in Germany have direct applications so you just apply to the ones nearest your aunt. I am sure they would all have websites with info about the courses in English so best to start now and get all the info you need.

I guess most going off to college or uni lose connections to some friends but you will make new ones.

Yes, there is a great college, right in her town! And there are some courses in English, but mostly are 1-2 years one. Most of the universities require a German knowledge test for bachelor/master. But that's not the problem, I still have two years to study German :)

[Luminous]

Not really. I'd prefer to go to a school in the US. But this sounds like something you could really enjoy, so I say go for it. In the next two years besides just studying the language, learn about the culture. It will be hard to be away from your family and friends but you can always Skype and go back on some vacations.

[vLiinx]

I want to study abroad, preferably in America, because the UK isn't really what I want. The only problem with studying abroad are costs, and they can be a real killer. But if you have the opportunity. Go for it!

[GuardianofReason]

I've spent many months overseas and I fucking loved the experience, and would love to spend longer.

Of course it is very hard saying goodbye to family and friends, but as we grow older we all get more distant from our loved ones. If you were to start a new life abroad, but it is a wonderful experience. As people have said there is social media, and vacations back home. But if you have the opportunity, take it, you may never have it agian.

Germany is an amazing place for schooling, esp. since a lot of Germans speak good English, although I would recommend learning German for jobs, ect.

[audiophile5]

Not really. I'd prefer to go to a school in the US. But this sounds like something you could really enjoy, so I say go for it. In the next two years besides just studying the language, learn about the culture. It will be hard to be away from your family and friends but you can always Skype and go back on some vacations.

I'd love to study and live in the USA as well, but for someone from Europe, especially from Romania, it is really hard to do it. Plus, it's very expensive. In Germany you don't have to pay anything for your studies, only for your dorm room if you want one.

But yeah, my biggest dream would be to live in the USA.

[Syvelocin]

*raises hand*

I was reckless as fuck, but it all turned out fine. Basically, I moved to the US for a guy. Then surprise! I'm gay!

But I started university here, and although I've had a lot of downs, I'd say it was and still is a wonderful experience. You get to completely submerge yourself in another culture, even if you sometimes don't understand them or hate certain bits of it. Of course, English is my first language so no issue there, but I've always loved going to Francophone countries for the same reason: completely submerging yourself into another culture. Although, I was ready for about French 301-level classes by the end of primary, so can't really tell you about submerging into a culture when you're unfamiliar with the language.

It takes a lot of strength. It's a tough thing, depending on your home life. Like, if you had a terrible and distant upbringing of course it isn't a big deal, but if you're really close to your family and have been with them all your life, you will have issues. Other kids your age can come home every month or even every week, and you get to hear their voices maybe once a week depending on your available funds for long-distance calls. I see my family once a year, and I probably would never see them if it wasn't for their willingness to pay for the tickets. I suggest making a Skype account. I get to see and talk to my family all the time that way.

I had a rough life in mid adolescence, but near the end of it I got exceedingly close to my parents. I had been rebelling against them for so long and I finally got out of that phase, so I began making up for my lost childhood and clung to them. This made leaving them even harder. They are my best friends. When something interesting happens to me, they are always the first I think to tell other than my girlfriend. When I realized that they could never be there for me physically the same way they used to be, I was hit with a ton of bricks. I broke down the second it was time to say goodbye, and continued crying driving to the airport. And continued crying through the flight. And continued crying for a week. Then it got better, but every now and then my bipolar would ensure tough nights sprung up a couple times a month.

Then the thing people like me don't get is that cushion other kids get going to school close to home. University makes the transition from secondary to adulthood much smoother. You get to live by yourself, fend for yourself, but your expenses are paid for by your parents, the bank, the government, etc. You don't have rent and taxes and you don't necessarily need a job yet. I don't even live in a dorm because I HAD to bring my cat, so I had even less cushioning. With that, I jumped straight from adolescence into adulthood, and that can be a shock to some people.

And branching off the fending for yourself, you are alone. I think that's the scariest part. You don't have that cushioning and you have no one to bail you out. One reason I chose to move even further west was because my step-dad has family about three hours from me in this town, so if something dire happens, at least my only lifeline isn't an ocean away. This isn't so major, but today I took my car in for a 60k service. I got dropped off at my flat by the shuttle, they pulled away, and I realized I gave the people my flat key along with my car key, I didn't want to bother my girlfriend at work, and I only had the chance to charge my phone for about 20 minutes before I had to leave for the Subaru dealership. I texted the last of my friends here to go back to college and they were too occupied to pick me up. You can't call daddy. You can text him for advice, but he's not your superhero anymore and that's still hard for me.

So in summation, It's really an amazing experience. I recommend it fully. But by amazing, know that I mean more enriching than 24-7 partying. It builds a ton of character, and it will not be easy. But I wouldn't have changed it. Except maybe for the reason I went lol.

[audiophile5]

*raises hand*

I was reckless as fuck, but it all turned out fine. Basically, I moved to the US for a guy. Then surprise! I'm gay!

But I started university here, and although I've had a lot of downs, I'd say it was and still is a wonderful experience. You get to completely submerge yourself in another culture, even if you sometimes don't understand them or hate certain bits of it. Of course, English is my first language so no issue there, but I've always loved going to Francophone countries for the same reason: completely submerging yourself into another culture. Although, I was ready for about French 301-level classes by the end of primary, so can't really tell you about submerging into a culture when you're unfamiliar with the language.

It takes a lot of strength. It's a tough thing, depending on your home life. Like, if you had a terrible and distant upbringing of course it isn't a big deal, but if you're really close to your family and have been with them all your life, you will have issues. Other kids your age can come home every month or even every week, and you get to hear their voices maybe once a week depending on your available funds for long-distance calls. I see my family once a year, and I probably would never see them if it wasn't for their willingness to pay for the tickets. I suggest making a Skype account. I get to see and talk to my family all the time that way.

I had a rough life in mid adolescence, but near the end of it I got exceedingly close to my parents. I had been rebelling against them for so long and I finally got out of that phase, so I began making up for my lost childhood and clung to them. This made leaving them even harder. They are my best friends. When something interesting happens to me, they are always the first I think to tell other than my girlfriend. When I realized that they could never be there for me physically the same way they used to be, I was hit with a ton of bricks. I broke down the second it was time to say goodbye, and continued crying driving to the airport. And continued crying through the flight. And continued crying for a week. Then it got better, but every now and then my bipolar would ensure tough nights sprung up a couple times a month.

Then the thing people like me don't get is that cushion other kids get going to school close to home. University makes the transition from secondary to adulthood much smoother. You get to live by yourself, fend for yourself, but your expenses are paid for by your parents, the bank, the government, etc. You don't have rent and taxes and you don't necessarily need a job yet. I don't even live in a dorm because I HAD to bring my cat, so I had even less cushioning. With that, I jumped straight from adolescence into adulthood, and that can be a shock to some people.

And branching off the fending for yourself, you are alone. I think that's the scariest part. You don't have that cushioning and you have no one to bail you out. One reason I chose to move even further west was because my step-dad has family about three hours from me in this town, so if something dire happens, at least my only lifeline isn't an ocean away. This isn't so major, but today I took my car in for a 60k service. I got dropped off at my flat by the shuttle, they pulled away, and I realized I gave the people my flat key along with my car key, I didn't want to bother my girlfriend at work, and I only had the chance to charge my phone for about 20 minutes before I had to leave for the Subaru dealership. I texted the last of my friends here to go back to college and they were too occupied to pick me up. You can't call daddy. You can text him for advice, but he's not your superhero anymore and that's still hard for me.

So in summation, It's really an amazing experience. I recommend it fully. But by amazing, know that I mean more enriching than 24-7 partying. It builds a ton of character, and it will not be easy. But I wouldn't have changed it. Except maybe for the reason I went lol.

First, thanks for sharing all that information. I imagine it's not going to be easy, but as you said, I don't have that many strong relationships here. I'm certainly going to miss my parents, but I'll only be at two hours by plane, plus Skype. I don't have so many good friends, so.. But the possibility of starting everything over from scratch sounds amazing!

[Chris Daniels]

Hey guys
I was just wondering what you think about going to study abroad. Is there anyone who started college in a different country/far from home? Would you like to do it? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages?

For me, I want to go to study in Germany. The things that I look forward to are: better education, better country, being close to my aunt (she lives there), and of course after college living there. But there are things that scare me too, like for instance I don't know anything in German (I still have to years to learn it and there are colleges in English), being far from my family and friends (It'll be hard, leaving them, and I'll probably lose connections with most of them). And just having to start all over again (I like it and I am afraid of it).

What do you guys think? Would you go study abroad? Would you be able the leave everything behind and start all over?I'm originally from San Diego, California, USA and I am in Japan studying Japanese Literature.

It is not that bad. It is actually fun. Go for it. :D

[Cygnus]

Since I am studying either in Colombia or in Chile (most likely) I might look for going a year abroad to most likely Spain although it is all depending on what I study. But I wouldn't pass an opportunity of going abroad.

[Steven1]

I have been considering it recently. I'm off (hopefully) to university in two years. I've been considering moving to America when I'm older quite a lot in the past year, so I had a look at colleges (since they're the equivalent) over there, but I think I'll probably just leave it and go there for a few long holidays when I'm older and then decide on the move. It seems like it would be a fun and interesting thing to do though (college abroad, not moving to America (although that would be interesting and fun as well)).