Going Abroad to Study or Not

張貼日期：Dec 30, 2010 12:30:25 PM

Going Abroad to Study or Not

Sylvia Yamada

      I am deliberating on if I should go abroad to study after I graduate from university. It’s really important to English major students. It is said that studying in the foreign country we can get the latest information because of better facilities and instructions there. Also, we have more choices in courses. Some people think going abroad to study is better than studying in Taiwan. But I think before going abroad to pursue advanced studies, we should carefully consider the problems about cost, the feeling of loneliness, and adjusting to a new lifestyle.

      When we go to the foreign country to study, we may spend lots of money. First of all, we have to face up to the facts about the high charges for tuition. Take my cousin who had studied abroad for example. The schooling cost one million dollars per year when he studied in Australia. He lived in a tenement near the school. In other words, he paid out a lot on living expenses. By the way, he also spent a huge sum of money on buying textbooks and other learning materials.

      Second, it’s likely that we will get homesick and feel lonely when we go to a new environment. After all, we are not native speakers. We can’t speak the local language as fluently as the local people. It will make us feel dread to make friends. Under the circumstances, we may miss friends and family in Taiwan. In a sense, we can’t get good care just like in our hometown. We have to take care of everything in life all by ourselves, which is rather challenging to someone who is new to a place.

      There is no denying that every country has its specific culture. It will bring culture shock to the new comers. Take food as an instance. Western people are used to eating fast food such as hot dog, hamburger, French fries, and so on. As far as I am concerned, I will feel excited and curious at the beginning. But as time goes by, I might start to miss the home-made Chinese food. Then the etiquette in a foreign country is also different from that of our country. What would I react when people want to hug me to show their friendliness?

      Although studying in a foreign country has many advantages, it also has some drawbacks. Based on the above three reasons--cost, feeling of loneliness, and adapting to a new lifestyle, we should think over if we should go abroad to study or not.