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Misinformation prevents many American students from studying abroad as they think that universities in the USA are automatically better or they mistakenly believe they can`t afford such ‘luxury’. Study abroad provides the opportunities to travel, to learn new languages, to make friends around the world, to expand your worldview and enhance your employment chances. Let`s consider the common myths about studying abroad and truthful facts that prove their falseness.
International graduate programs are too expensive
A lot of people think that education abroad is a huge financial burden. It is a real myth, as there are a lot of universities all around the world which provide its foreign students with quite accessible or even free education. You shouldn`t just be lazy to look for the perfect place for you to study. In fact, the degree may be cheaper than the cost of living in the foreign country. You can easily work part time while getting your master`s degree in order to pay off your loans and have some money to travel. You can also win some grants or scholarships to finance your studies and living costs. Some international graduate programs cover training, travel, accommodation, and even training materials. Moreover, you can save a lot of time earning your degree abroad as some programs are only one to two years long.
International students should speak a second language fluently
There are a lot of universities which offer foreign students degrees taught in English even if it is not the official language of the country. Education abroad gives you the opportunity to continue studying your second language on a daily basis while being surrounded by the native speakers. It is a wonderful learning opportunity as language acquisition happens more quickly in the real language environment. Of course, you should have some basic knowledge of the language and then take some language classes to enhance your studying opportunities.
The classes are the same
Foreign students should realize that the education system as well as academic expectations abroad can be completely different. Of course, the material taught can be the same, but the way of teaching itself can be new to you. A new way of thinking and learning can be really impressive for a foreigner. Just enhance your studying experience discovering new teaching styles and varied class structures.
US degrees are more valuable
Evaluating a degree from abroad can be really tricky. A lot of students assume that US degree is automatically better. That`s not true! You should always remember that education standards can vary greatly within the same country. Many American institutions don`t have such global reputation as some other institutions abroad can have. There are a lot of international universities that are ranked higher than American ones. So, don`t be afraid to earn your degree outside the USA if you can`t find a graduate course that satisfies your academic interests.
You can
`t work and study at the same time
`t work and study at the same timeYou can feel completely free to look for a job to cover some expenses while studying in a foreign country if your student visa allows you to do that legally. In most countries you can easily work a few hours a week to make some money. You can even try to find some job at the university you study at. So, it is quite possible to combine your studying and work.
Only language majors can study abroad
International graduate programs allow students of all majors get their degree. You can study not only the language majors, but also business, art majors, humanities or social sciences. You can easily choose what to study abroad to fulfill your career prospects.
