Study abroad

Six months have gone by and I am still surviving in a foreign country, trying to make family, fellow citizens and my sponsor back at home proud. The idea of studying overseas is extremely appealing to many, and the Netherlands is a student-friendly country with an environment that enables you to adapt quickly and remain on your feet, despite the many challenges you may come across. 

I had the idea to study in Japan during my second year of high school. Having been drawn to Japanese student life through movies and dramas, I especially liked the idea of school festivals and club activities – most Chinese schools don’t have similar events. So after the final examination in the second year of high school, I started to learn Japanese by myself and shared my idea of studying abroad with my parents.

This will probably sound like a cliché, but studying overseas can broaden your mind, your views on the world and make you feel as though you’ve grown as a person. This is especially so if you live in a country like Japan with its unique culture and society. I have experienced many “culture shock” moments, many of which gave me a sense of admiration for Japanese people.

Studying the media today means exploring global issues: the echo chambers of social media in the times of Trump and Brexit need analysis and understanding.

But too often, “global” implies a smooth, even connection of media around the world, like the “global internet”; whereas media are different in different places, affected by particular laws and cultures.

Nowadays, students seem to select their study programme, as well as their university, more carefully than in the past.

Big name universities or programs are certainly more aspired for, hoping that the big name will support shaping a future career.

That trend is still continuing, but surprisingly, a parallel trend has emerged over the last years.

Elise Thrale is a second year French and Italian student at the University of Bristol

I began my degree completely unacquainted with Italian. After arriving late to my first ever seminar, my tutor asked me in Italian what my name was. I just stared at her until she spoke to me again in English. 

When I was 17 and putting together my UCAS application, I only applied to London universities.  I could not be swayed by well-meaning teachers or sensible family members who encouraged me to keep an open mind and explore the whole of the UK. London was the only place I wanted to be a student. A few years on and now London has just been named one of the best cities in the world to be a student, I would say I made the right decision.

Applying to university can seem very daunting. There’s so much to do! But really, getting your application in is just a series of stages: do the research, narrow down your university choices, write the applications, and then play the waiting game. Then come the final decisions.

University applicants can now predict the cost of studying around the world with a new cost calculator for the top 200 universities covering 27 different countries.

The tool, created by currency experts at FairFX and released ahead of the Ucas deadline in January 2017, reveals that Germany is the most affordable study destination for UK students looking to go abroad.

New data from a student accommodation marketplace show that even more European students are interested in coming to the UK this year, despite concerns that the prospect of Brexit would put them off.

Enquiries from European students into UK accommodation on Student.com tripled during September to December 2016 compared with the same period the previous year.