Advantages and disadvantages of Erasmus

Living abroad while you are at university is part of your life experience: going to the most impressive city, to learn more about different cultures and traditions. When it comes to the academic life, you will learn how to manage your time, how to deal with the work life and life, how to develop your university experience. The abroad experience acquire to learn information about your career, academic life and yourself. Nevertheless, it involves some risks. If you go through the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad, it may be helpful for you to decide to study abroad for some period of time before you go:

Advantages of studying abroad

Surely, it would be helpful but some advantages come forward much more than the others;

Make preparations for graduation

In order to go abroad, you should know at least one foreign language, so you can work and be able to step to the next level such as PHD, a Master's degree after your undergraduate. The time you will spend abroad requires you to speak another language at least. Taking a language course, communicating with the locals, doing some academic researches: those ones are some good ways to develop your language skills.

Preparation to work life

Communicating with people from different cultures, learning different politics and economic views, social and cultural norm, will be helpful to gain extensive perspective. The experiences you will gain abroad, your language skills and your communication skill, they are going to raise your rivalry in your work life and it will be an advantage for you.

Networking

The period you will spend abroad will help you to create new contacts. During your education period, you will have to communicate with newly met people that come from different cultures and backgrounds from yours, you will meet lots of new cultures.

Personal development and self-awareness

If you have never lived away from family before, studying abroad acquire to learn living-yourself, to stand on your own feet. The time that you will pass there will help you to discover new skills, to get to know yourself better, to recognize differences between your culture and the other ones. On the other hand, you will have to adapt to new situations and environments. This situation will enable you to be more prepared for your life after graduation and mature in this aspect.

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Disadvantages of studying in abroad

Studying abroad, besides having lots of advantages, it may also have some disadvantages that will make it difficult.

Extension of Training Period

During your Erasmus program, classes and exams can differ from those you take in Turkey. This may mean that sometimes you will have to repeat a semester or two and delay your graduation. It is because you will have to take again those courses that you didn't pass while abroad. However, it shouldn't be a problem. And if you really want to experience more, you should plan your time wisely so you pass your exams. During your year abroad, it seems that all the student feel really motivated. If you plan everything carefully and keep your motivation high, not only during your classes, you should be able to graduate soon.

High cost

If we take into account each country's economic situation and living cost, it is always different from our own one, so you may find it difficult to maintain your current lifestyle. Although you will receive monthly grant (when you join the Erasmus program), you may need an additional financial help.

Culture shock

Different country means different cultural and social norms, political and economic structures. Beside feelings such as curiosity, anxiety, fear that being in a new place creates, sometimes you may also fell confused. Adapting to a new culture may cause some physical symptoms like insomnia, headache and loss of appetite. All of these can make your experience disappointing. That is why, it is always better to learn about the country you are going to, economic and political situation, before you leave.

When you evaluate together all the advantages and disadvantages, it is clear that studying abroad includes some risk, even though it has many positive aspects. But it is an experience that you cannot live anywhere else.

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