You just obtained a bachelor’s degree, and you have been thinking about studying abroad on a very tight budget. You are not alone, you are not the first, and you won’t be the last to nurture the thought. Firstly, you have to be prepared to “spread your net”—Google and outline different schools from Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, etc. Pick out about four from each continent whose requirements suit your academic and financial capabilities. I must add the fact that some countries in Europe are tuition-free for both their citizens and international students, like Germany and Norway.
These countries only require that the aspiring student presents proof of funds that can cover living expenses and minor fees. Many non-English speaking countries have a lot of educational institutions that teach graduate students in English. For a few, you might have to consider learning the basics of the language from accredited and certified language schools. Some essay writing services also help students with below-required language skills to write admission essays online.
After outlining the schools, make a list of the requirements you have met and those you are yet to meet. You probably haven’t written GRE or TOEFL or IELTS, etc. Google these abbreviations, find out their testing centers and prices. Mostly, you will have to write only one, two, or sometimes none. Always take note of the application deadlines.
After writing all the required tests and essays, preparing your transcript, and meeting the various schools’ requirements, then you start applying for admission. Be sure to set aside some funds (an average of $50 – $100 each) for application fees, which most schools require. After some weeks, decisions will start rolling in, and if you’re lucky, you’ll be offered scholarships and tuition cuts by some schools. As soon as you receive the various admission decisions, start contacting the professors in the department where you will be studying the course you chose.
From the school’s website, you will have access to most of the necessary academic information of the professors. Study this information and reach out to them to work with them as a teaching assistant or research assistant. Being accepted as a teaching or research assistant will further lighten the financial burden of studying abroad. Most times, it covers everything. You can also contact the administrative section of the department to work as an office assistant, which also comes with financial benefits.
Next, you need to get a visa. At this point, you must have made a single choice for where you want to study abroad. You must have also sent your transcript and financial documents to the school for review, and they must have confirmed their acceptance of the papers. Apply for a student visa and attach all necessary documents from the school for verification.
Different countries have different methods of applying for student visas, but they are properly organized and easy to follow through. Before your interview at the embassy, you will have to become a good orator in explaining what your course of study is all about and how you will use it to add value to your own country when you return. The embassy never wants to hear that you do not have plans to return. A wind of the idea that you do not plan to return after your education will disqualify you, and the visa application will be denied. Your country needs you and the knowledge you will acquire abroad. You will be valued more in your country when you return after obtaining the degree and help build a better future so that young people won’t consider leaving your country for greener pastures.
Now that you have been granted a student visa start preparing for your trip. Buy the necessary wardrobe sufficient for about one year. What you will wear to school, casual stay at home wears, what you will wear to social gatherings, and company interviews. Make sure that the funds set aside for your stay abroad are in a bank account that has a debit card accepted in the country you are traveling to. You may require instant transactions to pay for groceries, buy essays online, and the likes.
You can also make plans for the funds to be completely transferred to you as soon as you set up a bank account abroad. Make a list of all the other items you need to pack in your traveling bag or bags as the case may be. It helps when you imagine yourself living abroad, from when you wake up from sleep till you sleep at night, try to simulate activities in your head. This simulation will help you recall and note your needs so that you won’t forget anything. If you can buy some of the required books, please do. Try as much as possible to be prepared in such a way that when you arrive at your destination, you will only focus on the curriculum and achieving academic success. You want to “hit the ground running.”
Some embassies require that you make provision for a return ticket after you have been granted the student visa, to reiterate your resolve to return after obtaining the degree. Some do not really care, but be sure to be interviewed again by the country’s immigration officers as you arrive at the airport. These interviews are usually snappy, resembling those at the embassy with a little touch of inquisition about what’s in your bag. “Welcome to..” are the kind words that will usher you into your new educational experience abroad. Congratulations, you have just traveled to your education.
Be sure to understand that informal education to be gained from your travel alongside the formal one should not be overlooked. If you’re not a native speaker of the official language, you may get from an online essay writing service or better still, and you could get an essay writer. Learn the new culture, become an expert in the original language, make valuable human connections and long-lasting friendships, and be a law-abiding citizen. Any living difficulty you might face in the form of initial loneliness or weather difficulties or food preferences will quickly pass, reminding
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