Things to do before choosing university overseas

Choosing a university in a country you aren't familiar with is not easy and it can be a difficult process. There are many factors you have to consider and you need to be careful when choosing the university. Here are some study abroad tips that you can follow before choosing your future university: Adequately research the location of your university

• You must think about where you would like to study in terms of geographic locations. Factors include size of the city, type of area (suburban, urban, rural), culture (lax or fast-paced) cost of living, and availability of internship and work opportunities.
• It's all about preference and what you would like to gain from your study abroad experience.

  Learn about the experiences of other international student studying abroad

• Compare the differences in each country like the curriculum, academic rigour, and many more.
• Use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram to get a small taste of what it would be like studying at particular global universities (there are a lot of YouTube vlogs that show you around the campus and the city of certain universities).
• Learn about international student experiences can help prepare prospective students in adapting to a completely different culture and educational structure.

  Research universities you wish to go to

• Go beyond face value or “name”. Ensure that the school is good for what you want to study, that the environment is one that you can see yourself striving in, etc.
• Most obvious method is having prospective students visit university campuses abroad.
• Research using the school's official website and use social media to engage with them.
• Knowing about how to apply, the general requirements for the school, application deadlines, scholarships, and more about the admissions.
• Chat with school staff and current students in real time or with alumni because many universities uses various means to communicate with prospective students
• Hire an independent educational consultant to help prospective students determine what they consider important factors in a good university experience and find institutions that fit into what is wanted.

  Account for all costs

• Students should remember to account for costs beyond tuition which include daily living expenses.
• Pay attention to the currency rates because the exchange rates can fluctuate day to day creating an inaccurate illusion of how much one is spending.
• Plan to have additional funds as a reserve.

  Having strong English-language skills (if the school offers an international or English curriculum)

• Prospective students should be prepared for lectures and assignments as well as conversations between classmates and professors that are entirely in English
• Depending on the requirement for the individual university, you would have to take an approved English exam and meet certain grade cut-offs to qualify. Some schools provide foundation programs for students who don't meet their language requirement and that process could be different from their usual application process. Take the Test of English as a Foreign Language or the International English Language Testing System exam to meet the school's English language requirements
• To practice, read and write in English daily. A helpful tip is to read novels, create summaries of what you read, and watch movies without subtitles to familiarize yourself with the language and how it is spoken by its native speakers.

We hope these tips can be very useful and helpful for you. If you feel difficult about which university that will fits you, how to improve your chances of getting to the university that you want, and need some help about that, please do not hesitate to contact us. It would be a pleasure for us to help you!