I come from a small village in Uttar Pradesh surrounded by lush green crops and mango orchards.

My father works as a farmer and my mother is a homemaker. Like my family, the major occupation of people in my village is farming, and had VidyaGyan School not selected me in 2012, I would not be sharing my study-abroad experience here.

I grew up wanting to explore the world. I knew that if I travelled, I would meet people with different cultures and languages. I would see what connects us all as human beings. 

As an anthropology student, I believe our values and beliefs are best developed by seeing the world and experiencing new things. This attitude led me to travel out of China and into Europe.

International education focuses on the application and practice of knowledge, the development of critical thinking and the enhancement of soft skills, which is what I wanted. 

Why Europe? Why the University of Amsterdam? 

I always knew I wanted to live abroad. During my junior year, I studied in Sydney, Australia and completely fell in love with it. My time studying abroad had such a significant impact on my love for travelling and learning about other cultures that I knew I wanted to experience that again. As I approached the end of my senior year of college (fourth year), I started researching how I could find my way back overseas. 

I first thought about studying abroad during the second year of my bachelor’s degree.

I was studying international relations and modern languages, specialising in Spanish and Chinese. Since my Spanish was getting pretty good and I wanted to pursue my studies at the postgraduate level, I started researching for master’s degrees in political science or international relations that would take me to Spain or Mexico.

When preparing to study abroad, one of the most important things to consider is how you will fund your studies.

Studying abroad is a rewarding experience for multiple reasons ranging from intercultural experiences to developing self-reliance.

However, sometimes language barriers may create hurdles for students that could prevent them from exploring their full potential. Getting acquainted with a new language, and sometimes culture, can be stressful and daunting.

Moving to the UK can be exciting and challenging in equal measures. There is so much to figure out and understand, and sometimes it can feel quite overwhelming, so if you’re thinking of moving to the UK, these are some tips to help you. 

1. Create a budget 

Student finances can be difficult to manage but budgeting can help you stay on top of your spending.