It’s quite common these days to see students of different nationalities taking their studies in a certain country. In the U.S. alone, there are over one million international students in higher educational institutions, which placed the country as having the largest number of international students.
Life as an international student can be fun, challenging, and precarious at times. This is especially true when emergencies occur and the parents are located on the other side of the world. On many occasions, the student is left to face such challenging times alone.
Fortunately, there are plenty of safety precautions that parents and students can take to ensure that the students will have a degree of protection and security while studying overseas. For one, there are study abroad insurance policies offered by some companies to provide students with medical coverage that includes hospitalization due to accidents and sickness.
These insurance policies are a great investment, considering that healthcare coverage may not be readily available for international students in the country they’re studying.
But aside from getting insurance, there are other things an international student must keep in mind prior to studying overseas. Here are some of them:
Get a student visa
If you intend to study in the U.K., for example, you should secure a student visa to become eligible as an international student. If you would stay for less than half a year, then you should get a short-term student visa. Meanwhile, longer than that, then a general student visa (Tier 4) is required. Note that a Tier 4 visa would qualify you for work opportunities in the U.K., so it’s the obvious choice if you wish to earn money while studying there.
Secure your accommodation
Another essential thing that you must take care of is your accommodation overseas. There are universities and colleges with dorms (both on-campus and off-campus) for students, both international and domestic. Others, sadly, do not have such facilities for students and you would have to seek elsewhere.
With these facts, make sure that you inquire with university officials if they have a dedicated facility for student accommodations. If they don’t, then be ready to search for an apartment or other accommodations run privately.
Have your documentation ready
Before you head out of your house and into the airport, be sure to check and double-check if you have all your pertinent documents with you.
These may include the following:
Also, don’t forget to have a list of contact persons just in case you get into any trouble upon landing on your chosen country. This way, authorities will know who to contact in case of an emergency.
Set-up a bank account at the host country
By having your own bank account in the host country, you’ll have ready access to cash in the local currency, and your parents could transfer money from abroad. Be sure to do your research, so you’ll know the process you need to undergo when setting up your own bank account overseas.
Studying and living in a foreign land doesn’t have to be difficult. Just take note of these four things and your life as an international student should be a hassle-free one.
Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash