Types of people who should not study abroad

 Types of people who should not study abroad

Phan Quoc Dung, who studied masters in Germany and Denmark under an Erasmus Mundus scholarship, pointed out the types of people who are not suitable for studying abroad.

Studying abroad is an option, so whether to go or not depends largely on your decision. Financial issues aside, are you really suitable for studying abroad? For me, the following three types of people should not study abroad:

1. Refuse to change

Are you someone who is changeable and adaptable to a new life? If not, definitely studying abroad is not for you.

Studying abroad is going to a new country. Whether near or far, the environment, people and life there are very different from Vietnam. Studying abroad can be 6 months, a year or longer and have you ever imagined how you will be and how ready to face that life? Not only life, but the learning environment as well as teaching methods in each country will have certain differences. Are you confident enough to hit the road and experience those changes?

I consider myself to have a relatively good ability to adapt to change. However, when I went to Germany to study under the Erasmus Mundus scholarship program of the European Union, it took me nearly two months to temporarily get used to the new life and environment.

Studying a program taught in English and unable to communicate in German, I was stunned when I first entered the supermarket because I was surrounded by only German. Fortunately, the ability to adapt helps me quickly "bouncing numbers" to use software that support image translation and temporarily "fireproof" during "wet feet and dry feet". That is just a small example of the countless other changes that a "true international student" must face.

Phan Quoc Dung in a supermarket while studying abroad. Photo: Character provided

Phan Quoc Dung in a supermarket while studying abroad. Photo: Character provided

2. Can't stand pressure

Do you easily succumb to pressure? If yes, consider studying abroad because it is a very stressful path. Many international students have to study and work to make ends meet. Whether you win a scholarship or receive financial support from your parents, you will still have to go through certain psychological burdens, at least not being able to return home with a bad result when you are fortunate enough to study. , experience in another country.

You will have to work hard to settle down, study, pass exams, improve yourself every day. Don't forget, you'll have to get through it all on your own. Family or friends at that time could not be near and could not give you advice or encouragement every morning due to time zone difference. I'm sure many of you will sometimes fall into a situation where you don't dare to call home to hear your parents' encouragement when you're sick because you're afraid your parents will worry. I've been in that situation as well.

If you can't stand the pressure, the path to study abroad is very easy to be undone and you may have to face more serious consequences such as low self-esteem, depression, or even not wanting to exist anymore. Surely, you still see the news from time to time about such cases.

Covid-19 and other factors made me spend two turbulent years studying abroad for a master's degree. I even broke my thesis research topic in Laos. Although it took a lot of contact, I couldn't go to Laos at the last minute because the country closed its border. At that time, I was under a lot of pressure. If I can't turn it around, I probably haven't received my master's degrees in "Tropical Forests" and "Forests and Livelihoods" from two universities in Germany and Denmark by now.

3. Live dependent, not self-advocacy

Ignoring the pressure of studying, you still have to eat, maintain a stable lifestyle and activities. Maybe at home you are pampered by your parents, someone wakes you up in the morning, prepares breakfast, drives you to school; In the afternoon, someone cleans the room, collects clothes to wash and smells good; At night, someone will urge you to study.

When studying abroad, you have to do everything yourself, from shopping, cooking, washing to cleaning, not to mention having to schedule your own study and activities. It sounds easy, but in reality, you may not be able to adapt to this "you can eat it if you work".

You may not know, in other countries, it's not easy for you to hire someone to "do" everything in your life. All service related activities are extremely expensive. For example, when packing and moving house, in Vietnam you can easily contact transport companies, or at least have dozens of brothers and sisters to help. But once studying abroad, the story is very different. I used to have to paint and clean my room myself just because I knew it was too expensive to hire staff.

That is also the reason, when determining to study abroad or later, when knowing the results of admission to a certain school abroad, many families send their children to cooking lessons, or start instructing their children to clean the house and do laundry. clothes - things that are very small but many of you have never had to do it.

Studying abroad is difficult, arduous and also has many problems. But if you are determined to change yourself, adapt flexibly, you will definitely return to the best version of yourself. Siblings