Study Abroad in 2012

The year 2012 is upon us and if you are considering furthering your education, now is the time to take at look at your options. Studying abroad gives you more choice and could be the experience of a lifetime. Make it your personal goal to find not only your ideal course, but your ideal study location.

Where should you study?

There is a multitude of study locations all with their own unique benefits. Climate, costs of living, quality of life; all are key considerations. Presently it is important to consider the costs of studying and there is good value to be had if you search through the choices available.

If you have finished at school or college and you are gearing up for an undergraduate course such as a bachelor’s degree, keep in mind what you can get for your money. If you were to study for a full time bachelor’s degree in the Netherlands at an institution such as the University of Twente you would expect to pay between €7,084 and € 8,096 in tuition fees for the academic year 2012-2013. Compare this to the cost of studying at in institution in the UK, where for the academic year 2012-2013 the maximum annual tuition fee a University may charge has been raised to £9,000. The average cost for a UK undergraduate course starting for the year 2012-2013 will be around £8,300. The availability of scholarships and bursaries and fee waivers at the University you choose will also be important. Search for your University as soon as possible and begin your research into what options are available.

Tuition fees are not the only thing you should consider when you look for your course. Studying abroad is your chance to experience different cultures, languages and climates that you may have always wanted to. The world is your oyster when it comes to location. StudyLink.com has destination pages for all the major locations such as the UK, the USA, Australia, Europe, Asia, Canada and Japan. We recommend that you take some time to read through these pages, learn about what makes each location attractive and begin to narrow down the locations you would ideally like to study in. Further advice is available in the Destination section of our Blog site.

What are you going to study?

If you are ready to study an undergraduate course, this is your chance to choose the subject that interests you the most. Are you fascinated by natural sciences or do you want to join the IT sector? Maybe you want to break into business or become a teacher? Some Universities specialise in different subjects and it is worth your time to research what University best matches your chosen subject. For example if you are interested in Biology, Nottingham University’s School of Biology is among the leading Biology Schools in the UK.

Maybe you have already completed an undergraduate course and you are considering staying in further education? Well you can continue your studies abroad by taking a postgraduate course – choose a course to specialise your skills or maybe choose a subject you have not studied directly before to diversify your skill set.

StudyLink’s powerful course search allows you to search from a database of over 100,000 courses based on the subjects you are interested in.  Start searching and build up a list of courses and institutes you like to build an idea of what options are available. Did you know you can save a list of courses you are interested in when you register and sign in to your account on StudyLink? This makes your task a lot easier. StudyLink’s subject information directories can also give you background knowledge of studying various subjects. Go to StudyLink.com, look at the options under the ‘Subjects’ menu and get reading!

Applying for your course

When you have chosen where and what you want to study, you need to start applying to courses. At time of writing it may be too late to apply for January/February entry courses, though it may be worthwhile contacting the admissions department of your chosen University.

It is now the ideal time to begin your applications for a course starting in the 2012-2013 academic year. When you have identified which Universities you are interested in you should read the instructions on how to apply which are available on the websites of most, if not all Universities. Some Universities will have sections of their websites dedicated to information specifically for International students to make the whole process easier for you.

Many universities now allow you to make your application online. Follow all the steps you are presented with, making sure you meet every requirement. It is worth taking your time and presenting yourself in the best possible way at this stage. Perhaps consider asking someone to check your forms for spelling and punctuation.

There are several articles on our study abroad blog site that you might find useful when planning your applications, notably in the categories of scholarships, student visas and study abroad advice.

Studying abroad opens up a whole world of opportunities that you might never encounter if you don’t cast your net. It is likely that you will experience a little culture shock as you acclimatise to a new way of doing things, but the experiences you gain will hold you in good stead for your ambitions in the future.