One way to figure out whether earning a bachelor’s degree abroad is the right path for you is to talk with and learn from students who’ve already made the decision to attend a global university.
Learn about the [four types of students who should consider international universities.]
U.S. News asked five current undergraduate international students what advice they would offer prospective students who are considering universities abroad.
Emma Betz
— School and country: University of British Columbia, Canada
— Studying: Earth and ocean sciences; classical, Near Eastern and religious studies
— Home country: U.S.
Betz says she wishes she had known how much the education systems and teaching methods could differ between countries and the impact that could have on her.
“It varies from student to student, but I personally found difficulty adjusting to how the classes were taught,” she said via email. “I really struggled my first year and even the beginning of my second year before I started to figure out what information was important since I was used to basically being told what would be on tests.”
Though she did adapt, Betz says she wishes she’d known earlier about the academic — as well as social and emotional — supports available on campus . Prospective international students can research the types of support services offered at schools that interest them.
Omar Bishr
— School: Santa Monica College, U.S.
— Studying: business and economics
— Home country: Egypt
Bishr says that before students commit to studying overseas, they should “make sure it’s affordable.”
In addition to tuition and housing, he says it’s important for international students to look into other, less-obvious expenses associated with college life.
“It’s the living expenses mostly that people don’t pay attention to,” says Bishr, “and this is when they come here and they start, like panicking.”
Other expenses Bishr says students should take into account include food, a phone plan as well as a car and auto insurance, if necessary.
[Explore a sample international student college budget.]
Alessandra Pasquale
— School and country: University of Ottawa, Canada
— Studying: international management
— Home country: U.S., with dual Canadian citizenship
Pasquale says prospective international students should really consider whether they are ready for the challenges involved with adjusting to life in another country. The transition may be harder than expected, as it was for Pasquale.
“Even though Canada and the U.S. are very similar,” she says, “they’re also two completely different countries with different mindsets and different ways of life.”
Pasquale says she didn’t think adapting to her new environment in Canada would be a big deal, but she did experience some culture shock and homesickness initially.
Keeping in touch with her family back home helped with the transition. She and her mom would text and have one phone call per week, she says. Becoming friends with Canadian students also helped her adjust, since they explained to her some of the ins and outs of daily life in Ottawa.
Colin Cole
— School and country: RWTH Aachen University, Germany
— Studying: industrial mechanical engineering
— Home country: U.S.
Cole says students should research the academic calendars at the schools they’re considering because semester start dates are not the same in every country. For example, at most German universities, the winter semester begins in October and the summer semester begins in April, which differs from the typical U.S. academic year.
[Discover how to plan ahead to meet international undergraduate admissions deadlines.]
Breaks might be shorter too, which could affect students’ plans. “I didn’t really understand what the impact of that was with internships and that kind of thing” Cole says.
He is applying for internships now and would like one in the U.S. so that he could see his family. But the break between his semesters is shorter than the typical U.S. internship time frame, so Cole has to explain his scheduling situation to the organizations he’s applying to.
Ramzi Kaiss
— School: Connecticut College, U.S.
— Studying: philosophy, international relations
— Home country: Lebanon
“Regardless of what you think you’d like to study or what future career goals you have set for yourself, look for a college that enables you to pursue what you love, challenges you to question your preconceived notions, and enables you to put your learning into action,” Kaiss said via email.
He encourages prospective students to explore all the opportunities — including internships, undergraduate research projects and career services — that a global university offers and to “think about the ways in which you can make the most of them.”
But Kaiss says that it is the people and community that will define the college experience. “So go to institutions where curiosity is supported and inclusivity is practiced,” he said. “Be ready to throw yourself into a new environment and don’t be afraid of bringing in your own experiences in shaping this new community.”
See the complete rankings of the Best Global Universities.
More from U.S. News
Canada, Australia Woo International Students
3 Things to Know About Earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Canada
Consider U.S. Career Goals Before Earning a Bachelor’s Degree Overseas
Student Tips: Earning an Undergraduate Degree Abroad originally appeared on usnews.com
