In the past, students tended to study in their own country. Nowadays, they have more opportunity to study abroad.

Question

In the past, when students did a university degree, they tended to study in their own country. Nowadays, they have more opportunity to study abroad. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this development?

Answer 1

The pursuit of knowledge is a concept that is valued by most cultures. In the 21st century, we now have many more options regarding how and where to find that knowledge. If you are a French national, you can apply to do an economics degree in the United States, and likewise an Amerian citizen can take a course in linguistics in France. Indeed, most universities across the world now have a good proportion of foreign students enrolled in their programmes.

Certainly, there are numerous advantages of studying in a different country. Many students choose to do this because they know that a particular university, for instance Stanford Business School, has an excellent reputation. Graduating from here, they believe, will increase their chances of securing a decent position in a company back home. Students studying abroad also have the opportunity to form friendships with people of various nationalities: in time, these may develop into useful professional networks. Futhermore, living far from family and friends can enable young people to become more independent and self-sufficient.

Unfortunately, the expericence of studying abroad is not always a positive one. Research suggests that a small percentage of young people struggle to adapt to their new environment and suffer from severe culture shock. The situation can become worse if the student is not mature enogh to cope by themselves. Different approaches to teaching and learning may also come as an unwelcome surprise to some students.

In essence, the key to a good experience at a foreign university is an open mind. If a student is presented with this opportunity, they should certainly seize it.

Answer 2

Back in the olden days, people did their higher education in their own country. But nowadays, everyone prefers to pursue their higher education in foreign countries because of globalisation and the availability of various opportunities. There are advantages and disadvantages of this development that will be discussed in the following essay.

Indeed, studying abroad can be a life-changing experience for students as there are a plethora of advantages to people pursuing their higher studies in different countries. It broadens an individual’s horizons, allows interacting with different kinds of people and helps to learn about their cultures and languages, which in time may develop into a valuable professional network. Moreover, people graduating from universities abroad are exposed to a wide range of career opportunities. Thus, better skills development and enlarged professional networks are some of the benefits of acquiring a degree in foreign countries.

On the other hand, studying abroad has its own drawbacks. For instance, students studying abroad may initially suffer from a severe cultural shock that can lead to homesickness, anxiety, or frustration adapting to the new environment. In that case, if students aren’t prepared to cope up with these differences, it may cause an undesirable amount of stress. Further, suppose students opt for study abroad education rather than pursuing their higher studies in their motherland. In that case, it will drastically affect the country’s economy, and this way, the country will lose helpful human resources.

To sum up, studying abroad has become a trend considering the increasing globalization. However, the scenario has both advantages and disadvantages. So it’s an individual’s responsibility to make decisions wisely when deciding whether to study abroad or not. I believe that the disadvantages of studying abroad tend to outweigh the advantages.