Nowadays many students have the opportunity to study for part or all of their courses in foreign countries. While studying abroad brings many benefits to individual students, it also has a number of disadvantages. Do you agree or disagree?

In recent years there has been a vast increase in the number of students choosing to study abroad. This is partly because people are more affluent¹ and party due to the variety of grants and scholarships which are available for overseas students nowadays. Although foreign study is not something which every student would choose, it is an attractive option for many people.

Studying overseas has a number of advantages. Firstly, it may give students access to knowledge and facilities such as laboratories and libraries which are not available in their home country. Furthermore, by looking abroad students may find a wider range of courses than those offered in their country’s universities, and therefore one which fits more closely to their particular requirements.

On the other hand, studying abroad has a number of drawbacks. These may be divided into personal and professional. Firstly, students have to leave their family and friends for a long period. Furthermore, studying abroad is almost always more expensive than studying at one’s local university. Finally, students often have to study in a foreign language, which may limit their performance and mean they do not attain² their true level.

In my opinion, however, the disadvantages of studying abroad are usually temporary in nature. Students who study abroad generally become proficient³ in the language quite soon and they are only away from their family and friends for a year or two. Furthermore, many of the benefits last students all their lives and make them highly desirable to prospective⁴ employers.