International Student and their Struggle of Finding THE University

For any teenager graduating high school, choosing the right university is a big decision. This decision has to do with a student’s next chapter of life, their next adventure, and potentially how their career is going to pan out in the near future. Long story short, the process of choosing the right university can easily become overwhelming and students often have a lot to consider. However, for international students who wish to study abroad, there is more at stake. There are a lot more factors and variables that need to be considered when making that decision. Price, location, safety, religious affiliation, career goals, the availability of services for international students are only some factors (Hegarty 225). When foreign students come to study in the U.S., they are further from home, meaning that the risks involved are higher. Though attending college overseas can be an amazing experience, navigating daily life at a new school in a new country you aren't familiar with requires careful planning to ensure a happy international college journey. 

There is one main reason why international students are prepared to face the challenges of studying in a different country. The reason is that students feel like they can get a better education abroad. For one, this education will help them further their career upon returning home (Hegarty 228). But if you choose to study abroad, it means that you have, quite literally, a whole world of choices, with thousands of universities around the world to choose from. Each of these schools will offer dozens of majors and hundreds of different courses. As a result, it can be hard to even begin figuring out what or where you want to study. Personally speaking, I was at a loss trying to decide which university to apply to and eventually attend. Most of us are also first-generation college students whose parents have never attended college, not to mention a college outside of our home country. Moreover, most of us do not have the privilege to fly to another country to visit the schools we hope to attend or attend orientation. In a sense, it felt like I was going into college more blindly than other students. 

Like me, various international students also struggle and go through different challenges while choosing a college to ensure a happy study abroad experience. For example, price is a big struggle. The cost of tuition and additional cost of living often becomes a big deciding factor for many international students and their families. Some schools, because of their systems like the University of California, are not able to provide international students any type of merit-based scholarships, which can become a struggle for international students who have to pay more, to begin with. Furthermore, some international students have to think about currency conversion. Currency conversation might make education even more expensive for certain international students who come from a country with a weaker currency than the door (Ross). 

Another struggle for deciding on universities is location. Most often than not, the logistics of travel to and from college campuses is a concern of many students. For international students, it is one of the most significant concerns as we are thousands of miles away from home. Most of the time, international students are more comfortable knowing that the campus location is in a city so there is a direct flight available for the student to fly to and from. This can be because of emergencies or if the student wants to come home during breaks (Ross). In addition, for parents that are also thousands of miles away from their children, the safety of the campus is an important aspect to consider as well. 

Prices and location are only two of many factors that international students need to consider more thoroughly while deciding where to go for college in the U.S. as it can determine not only their safety, experience abroad, and possible future career as well. International students have an increasing presence in large universities in the United States and with them, they bring important benefits such as diversity of thought and economy to the country (Hegarty 223). However, we should shed more light on the extent of struggles international students go through while deciding on which university is their best fit as it is a very big decision for most as they embark on their study abroad journey. 

Works cited

Ross, Kelly Mae. “How to Make a Final U.S. College Decision.” U.S.News, 28 Jan. 2018, https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2018-01-29/decide-which-college-to-enroll-in-as-an-international-student. 

Hegarty, Niall. “Where We Are Now –the Presence and Importance of International Students to Universities in the United States.” Journal of International Students, vol. 4, no. 3, 2014, pp. 223–235., https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v4i3.462.