How you should prepare for studying abroad

The difficulties of moving

When going to study abroad and preparing to live in another country, students face several problems that they need to prepare for. These include, for example, issues related to money: as a rule, before going abroad, young people do not keep a budget on their own and do not know how to properly allocate finances during the month. In addition, because of the different currencies can be difficult to understand what is expensive and what is not. So it is better to see in advance how much the everything cost in the country/city where you aare going to live, what the prices for transportation and entertainment are.

It is important to consider and research in advance the cultural and social peculiarities of the new country. For example, in some countries retail outlets are open 24 hours a day. And in France, for example, local stores do not work on Sunday and after 5 pm on weekdays. Or, say, heating: if there is no central heating in the house, the house can be very cold. And if you turn on the heater every day - there will be a large electricity bill. This is also important to consider when planning your budget.

Keep the “communication barrier” in mind

One of the main issues for international students - is language. Requirements varies depending on the country, university, specialty and program. Minimum level for living and orientation is B2. Comfortable level at which a student does not have to sit and transcribe lectures recorded on a recorder for hours - C1+.

Before we move on, I have to say that I only have some experience in passing exams to prove my knowledge of English, so this is the only language I will be talking here. But I’m pretty sure that if you want to pass tests to prove your proficiency level in other language, it’s going to look almost the same.

The vast majority of those who want to study abroad choose the Cambridge IELTS test. It consists of four parts: listening, reading, writing and speaking, with the latter going one-on-one with an examiner. On each section you can get up to 9 points. The test is conducted in two stages, over two days. The average time for the entire exam is 225 minutes.

TOEFL is little less popular and is an American version of IELTS. It consists of four parts, but is entirely online. TOEFL lasts on average 270 minutes and is taken "in one sitting". Tasks are more monotonous, and also you will have to record your Speaking and then sent the tape to the assessment center. The maximum score is 120.

The CPE certificate, which as of 2018 is called C2 Proficiency, is an international exam that proves English language proficiency approaching the level of a native speaker. The duration of this exam is about four hours. It can be taken either online or offline at one of the accredited centers. C2 Proficiency also has the same four parts asIELTS. The maximum score is 230. It is important to mention that this certificate is open-ended, unlike the two above-mentioned that are valid only for two years.

It is okay to ask for help.

In order to pass any of the tests with the desired result, it is better to hire a professional instructor who is familiar with the system of the test. He or she must have taken them several times or be an examiner. Only such a teacher can tell you about the peculiarities of the exam, choose the best materials, identify weaknesses of the student and work them up to a state of complete confidence.

Such professionals can be found in specialized language centers and online schools. The methods they use depend on the skills and cognitive peculiarities of the student and are chosen individually. The work of each teacher is supervised by methodologists who have even more experience in teaching and give recommendations on the program.