Why you NEED to study abroad

With the university application window fast approaching, we tell you our reasons why you NEED to study abroad.

1. Experience a different education system

Studying abroad allows you to experience a different education system to the one we have in the UK. Depending on your chosen destinations system, your study programme could be totally different to your friends back home. For example, many schooling systems in the Middle East start school very early in the morning (around 6:30am), and finish in the early afternoon.

2. You will create some unforgettable memories

Studying abroad will allow you to experience things that you would never have even dreamed of back at home. In your free time (when you’re not studying, of course), do things that will create unforgettable memories. These don’t have to be big things such as doing a skydive, but the little experiences, such as going to the local market, taking a boat ride down the city's river, or teaching local school children English, can also create great memories that you can look back on with fondness.

In order to keep a hard copy of your experiences, you could keep a diary, or make a scrapbook, logging all of the amazing things you get up to while studying abroad.

3. Immerse yourself in the culture of a different country whilst doing something you love

Studying abroad will allow you to meet people from other countries. With them, they will bring new cultures, etiquettes, viewpoints, languages, and religions. Experiencing these will allow you to broaden the way you look at the world, and make you more accepting to the things that people do differently and why, all while you study something that you truly love.

4. Impress interviewers with your CV

Being able to write on your CV that you studied abroad can really make your application stand out to interviewers. It tells them that you are open minded, can communicate clearly, that you are enthusiastic, and that you like a challenge. It is also a great conversation point, allowing you to tell them about what you learnt and experienced while you were away. Although don’t go too off track, try to keep the conversation relating to the job as much as possible.

5. Step out of your comfort zone

Studying abroad is a good way of challenging yourself and facing your fears. Stepping outside of your comfort zone and taking more risks than you usually would allow you to grows as a human being. This once-in-a-lifetime experience enables you to expand on your previous knowledge and experiences, and become more impulsive and creative.

6. Become more independent

Travelling abroad to study can make you grow up very quickly in a short space of time. This is because you are pretty much thrown into the deep end of ‘adult life.’ You will be faced with challenges that you may not have been faced with before, such as getting through the airport by yourself, communicating with people who don’t speak the same language as you, and making sure that you can cook and turn the washing machine on! Experiencing these challenges more often, will make them no longer challenges, but tasks that don’t even phase you anymore and that you just get on with.

7. Make friends from all over the world

Making friends from around the world can also provide you with your very own mini Airbnb service. If you decide to take a trip to someone where your friend is from, you could use their home as a base, rather than splurging out on an expensive hotel. Anyway, with the selfish reasons aside, having a diverse group of friends can really open you up to different cultures and viewpoints, making you an all-round well balanced person.

Don’t forget, you can get your travel insurance from DirectTravel at either www.direct-travel.co.uk or ring our friendly team on 0330 880 3600.