10 Reasons to Study Abroad for Higher Education

“Do not follow the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail – Ralph Waldo Emerson”

The adage is true when it comes to choosing your academic options to reach your dream careers. 

Once you finish your 10+2 curriculum, the next step you will take regarding your academia has a profound impact on the rest of your life. So while considering many options it is imperative that you should seriously consider the option of going abroad for higher education.

Leaving the home country and going abroad can involve many challenges and risks nevertheless yield substantial benefits to aspiring students. International experience contributes to increasing employment opportunities if you can include international internships in your program of study.
Coming to the table with hands-on work experience in different parts of the world as well as a history of navigating different cultures, opens doors to many international jobs in various industries. The international experience you accrue during the course of your studies abroad will position yourself to potential employers as an adaptable global contender who embraces new challenges and seeks out opportunities for growth.
Today’s world is a turbulent system of interconnected economies and supply chain lines between countries. For the very fact, employers are looking to hire people who are knowledgeable about international trends and are comfortable in dealing with people from diverse cultures.
Abroad education sharpens your personality traits for having a better predisposition for employability in an international arena. Foreign education improves their soft skills, knowledge of other countries, their ability to interact and work with individuals from different cultures, adaptability, foreign language proficiency, and communication skills. While studying abroad, you will experience new perspectives, learn how to navigate different cultures, and work with different peers.

Have you ever imagined what would be the attributes that make you stand alone among your peers while you start exploring your dream job?

Transversal skills or 21st-century skills are a broad set of knowledge, skills, work habits, and character traits that are believed by employers which are critically imperative for success in today’s world. Transversal competencies are considered more and more important in today’s organizations because they need to become more agile to address business needs and to remain competitive. Employers worldwide seek a global perspective on their applicants.

These soft skills include communication skills, teamwork skills, client handling skills, analysis and problem-solving skills, planning and organizational skills, learning, and development, prioritizing and organizing, resilience, adaptability, leadership, etc.  Education in a foreign land will necessarily mold you to acquire these soft skills to steadfast in your career.

“Meridean Overseas Education Consultants (MOEC) – We hold up you to live your dreams”

• Have a mastery of foreign languages:

Studying in a foreign land helps you acquire mastery over multiple languages and native verbal skills which are often helpful when you work with a multinational corporate of global presence. Besides professional and economic returns, knowing foreign languages brings a lot of personal satisfaction and broadens your source of information and cultural experience.

• Get acquainted with a new style of teaching/pattern of the education system:

Studying abroad also means expanding your horizon in terms of knowledge and developing adaptability skills to various educational systems. It is an invaluable opportunity as you will get trained in different teaching styles such as:

Authority Style Teaching – Teacher centered teaching mode with the presentation, notes, and lectures

Facilitator Style Teaching – Self-centered learning or problem-based learning (PBL)

Delegator Style Teaching – The teacher plays the role of a guide to promote self-paced learning by extensive study of topics in-depth and guided research.

This kind of adaptation in your formative years of higher education helps you to adjust to different management styles, making you versatile in the marketplace.

• Enhance Employability Potential:

The soft skills that you acquire at your international stint will certainly help you in creating your niche at the workplace and more recognition as compared to other peers. Studying in a foreign land promotes transversal skills including critical thinking ability, problem-solving skills, resourcefulness, drive to adapt to new situations, etc. 

Studies related to this aspect show that in developed European Countries (Erasmus Impact Study on Higher Education), 64% of the employers consider study abroad experience, and 92% of employers look for transferable skills (transversal competency) as key attributes while inducting new manpower to the workforce.   

• Promotes self-sufficiency:

Studying in a foreign destination helps you improve the personality traits which will give you the necessary edge in your future career. The self-sufficiency you develop will prepare you to solve all challenges coming your way and compete in the 21st-century workforce.

• Enhance your global network:

It is all about developing eternal connections when you become part of a larger community of students from different corners of the world, diverse backgrounds, and cultures.

• Understanding other cultures and looking at the world from a new perspective:

Your unique experience of interacting with your peers from diverse cultures will allow you to develop a new perspective to understand the world. Understanding other cultures remind you to become cognizant of another person’s perspective.

• Boost your confidence level:

The self-sustenance and adaptability will give you an added boost of confidence in your personal and professional life. It improves leadership skills, communication skills, and cross-cultural awareness.

• Visit new places in life:

Great opportunity to visit various countries and places you never dreamt of in life.

• Discover a new career abroad:

Migrate/obtain residency and get settled in a country of your choice. Most of the organizations hiring an international workforce are keen to know whether the prospective candidates can thrive in a global environment. Your international exposure will work wonders in such kind of circumstances.

“Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think – Albert Einstein”