Overseas study is something I always thought I’d do. I blame the unrealistic high school / college dream fed to me through the likes of One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl and The O.C. Once I saw what my education experience could be like, compared to what I was actually living, it was hard to feel satisfied.
Yet here I am in my late twenties, with high school and uni well and truly behind me, living in a puddle of what *could* have been. Sure, I can take a holiday if I really want, or even work abroad should I need to fill that void. But it’s not the same. I’ll never go to a frat party. I’ll never die in Ryan Atwood‘s arms while ‘Hallelujah’ plays softly in the background.
When dat regret hits you like a bus
However, there are so many more reasons to live in another country that have squat to do with pop culture. Anyone who’s done it will tell ya: it’s life changing. In case you need me to break that down for you, see below some very legit reasons why you should look at studying overseas before, like me, it becomes too late.
YOU’LL BE WORLDLY
People who have travelled tend to be more well-rounded people because they’ve been exposed to different cultures, languages, values and lifestyles that broadens their perspective. By default, travelling makes you more open-minded than someone who’s been kicking up a stink about smashed avo in their local bubble. Someone who goes to a destination for even longer than just a quick vaycay, and actually makes a life there?
Even better.
They return with a better appreciation of home and the people who come along with it. When I came home from six months in Europe I was far more tolerant of my parents, for example, and welcomed a new-found love for Vegemite.
IT’LL SET YOU APART IN THE WERKPLACE
Employers froth on candidates who are well-travelled. Why? Because it takes flexibility + maturity to step out of your comfort zone and dive headfirst into an entirely new culture. It also demonstrates resourcefulness and adaptability, which are looked upon favourably in today’s workforce.
According to the biggest ever survey on the matter, the QS Global Employer Survey Report, 6 out of 10 employers around the world give extra credit for an international student experience, and more than 80% said they actively sought graduates who had studied abroad. That’s a pretty decent one-up on other uni grads who are also applying for the same job as your fine self.
QUT offers a Bachelor of Business – International, which requires students to actually live + study overseas while completing their degree. You’ll have the option to study a whole extra degree too, meaning you’ll graduate with 2x degrees in just four years. Plus, you get a year of travel under your belt.
If the two degrees thing ain’t your vibe, you can also choose to spend your year abroad in countries like China, Japan, Korea and Chile and learn a new language, and cultural and business skills relevant to your country of choice. Even if you wanna spend your year abroad studying something that isn’t offered at QUT, you can choose a personal interest / passion while contributing to your degree.
YOU’LL BECOME INDEPENDENT
Not having your parents, siblings or old friends around makes you one heck of a strong, independent individual. It can be challenging, sure, but it forces you to take control of yourself and become more comfortable spending time with the best travel buddy out there. You, mate.
FRIENDS FOR LIFE WILL BE MADE
No friends quite compare to the ones you make overseas. They’ll share something with you that no one back home ever will. And hey, if that means having accommodation any time you hit up Europe for the rest of your life, so be it. If anything, it gives you more reason to be a half-decent human being towards them and as such, a beautiful friendship ensues.
But on the serious side, the people you meet overseas will be in exactly the same position as you – venturing out into the big, bad world solo – and that’s a go-get-em attitude that’s hard to come by. Bonding will result.
YOU’LL FEEL READY FOR COMMITMENT
Not that kind of commitment. Ain’t nobody got time for that. We’re saying you’ll feel more ready to settle down career wise, like someone who has come back to work after a year of travel. Same vibe. In the same way that you return home with an appreciation for the people and home you left behind, you’ll also have a new-found respect for routine and the daily grind.
YOU’LL LEARN A THING OR 25 ABOUT YOURSELF
Plenty of us will go through life with the same friends, same circles, same dramz for years. It’s not until you meet new people, with no pre-conceived perceptions about you, that you really learn about who you are and what you can offer to the world.
Because that friend you’ve had since you were five? She’s great and all but can’t look at your qualities and traits with new eyes because they’re so ingrained into your existence now. Strangers, though? They can give you that.
The time’s now, pals. Head HERE for more information on QUT’s Bachelor of Business–International. It’s definitely the push and shove I could’ve used.
You, however, might still have the opportunity. Use it.
