I Made These 4 Crazy Mistakes Before Moving Abroad for University

Save yourself some hassle

I was 22, one year out of under-graduation, feeling lost about what I wanted to do with my life.

Given the circumstances, I thought I only had 2 options:

• Get a well-paying job in the field of my choice
• Or, pursue higher education

As a fresher, I was unable to find a job that ticked all my boxes.

Hence, I decided to apply to universities in India and abroad for higher education.

Keeping various factors in mind such as university rankings, cost, job market, language barrier and exposure I finally chose Ireland and moved there in 2018.

While I am glad I made that decision, looking back I realize that my journey could have been much smoother had I not made certain mistakes.

Here are some that you can avoid if you are moving abroad as a student:

1/ Unplanned move

What I did:

I was very indecisive in my early twenties.

I think I still am.

Hence, I kept the decision to accept the university offer till the very end, until I had no choice left.

This happened because I did not have the confidence to accept that I will be able to take care of myself alone in a different country at the age of 22.

As a result, my visa process got delayed.

Hence:

• I had no time to find decent accommodation choices under my budget.
• I missed some fun networking events at the university.
• I was lagging behind many students who had started attending lectures.

I could have easily saved myself a lot of money and anxiety had I planned everything well in advance.

My suggestion:

1. Research and compare the cost of student accommodations, family homes and other rental homes. Choose whichever suits you best.
2. Have faith that the decision you are taking is in your best interest and you will adapt to the new culture. Don’t let underconfidence take over you.

2/ Saving money by settling for less:

What I did:

It is fairly common in Indian households for siblings to share a room even as adults which I know is an alien concept in many countries.

And mine was no different.

I had shared my room with my younger sister all my life. So I thought that it was no big deal to share a room with a friend or an acquaintance as that would allow me to save some money.

How I wish someone told me:

Sharing space with a friend is not the same as sharing space with your own sibling you grew up living with.

My parents were sponsoring my education and my daily expenses in a country 10x more expensive.

So I was always conscious of spending money.

They never restricted me.

It just felt weird to splurge an insane amount of money on rent and healthier food options as I had never managed money before.

Which then led to emotional turmoil.

My suggestions:

1. Create a budget for your weekly/monthly expenses on food, accommodations, takeaways and leisure. This will allow you to keep a check and not feel guilty when spending.
2. Whether you are taking a loan, working part-time or being sponsored by someone to study abroad, never compromise your mental peace. If you are getting a better positive living environment, pay a little extra if you have to. You can make up for it later when doing a job.

3/ Packing way too heavy:

What I did:

I carried 4 suitcases and a bag pack on my first flight from India to Ireland.

This is the story of every Indian staying abroad. Your family wants to send everything in the form of love — Indian spices, lentils, utensils, bed linen, and whatnot.

But that’s the most impractical way of moving abroad.

I ended up feeling exhausted and also found it extremely hard to accommodate everything in the limited space I had.

There was so much clutter.

But after having taken multiple flights, I now know how to differentiate between necessities and wants.

My suggestion:

1. I would recommend only packing stuff that is either not available in the country you are moving to or is extremely expensive.
2. Minimize carrying food items as most of them are available everywhere you go. Since I am Indian, I go to the Asian stores in Ireland which have every Indian food item available.

4/ Not networking enough pre-departure:

What I did:

I was moving to a country where I did not know a single soul.

So, it’s always best to connect with people who are either living there or are planning to move there.

I tried to network as much as I could through LinkedIn to get my questions answered about:

• the university I was going to
• the job scenario in Ireland
• whether my course was “in demand”

But I didn’t focus on having one-on-one interactions with people that would have allowed me to make deeper connections.

I knew one friend who was going there.

So as an introvert, I thought that was sufficient.

But with time I understood the importance of being friends with different kinds of people. When you move abroad, you will change and grow very quickly and so will your peer group sometimes.

Putting yourself out there will only help you in the long run.

My suggestion:

1. If you are moving abroad as a student, exploit all the resources that your college/university provides to get in touch with different people and attend in person when possible.
2. Leverage social media and connections with your friends and family to get to know people from your own country moving to the same country. It’s best to have a strong base of friends before you move.
3. Join virtual community groups of activities you might be interested in.

Summary:

Moving abroad is going to be one of the most enlightening experiences of your life.

You are going to have a blast.

At the same time, there will be tons of challenges.

Here is a list of points to avoid in order to make the process of moving out much smoother:

1. Not planning your move well in advance in terms of accommodation, budgeting etc.
2. Sacrificing mental peace to save money.
3. Packing items that are easily available in the country you are moving to.
4. Not making the most of social media and other resources to network pre-departure.