5 major problems you never think of while moving abroad
Reading time: 2 minutes
By Pratyancha Padake, Psychologist, Mumbai
Moving abroad is a big step and we accordingly prepare ourselves financially, physically and mentally. But sometimes, it is difficult to predict a few things living far away from the country we are going to study in. Even though we have thought of every possible situation, joined every living abroad student group, enquired about the living situation, there are things that occur once we start living abroad – Things we didn’t actually think about. Here are a few that I could gather from my friends abroad:
1.Balance between work and studies
In order to pay off our student loan and to look after our own expenses, it’s necessary that we work abroad – maybe at a subway outlet/coffee shop or the place that we would prefer. The thing with working is that the distance to the place of work and the hours of shift can vary. A Lot of students get job opportunities that are 2 hours away from their home and not at all close to their college. While initially it does look adventurous and fun since we get to explore new parts of that country, eventually, it starts affecting our academic and work balance. Waking up early, planning the travel to work and college accordingly becomes a tiresome activity. This in turn affects the study hours.
2. The sudden change in political factors
Accommodation facilities can be tricky at times. Even though the college has accommodation for their students which is affordable, the sudden change due to the Ukraine war made the college share accommodation with neighboring colleges as well. Due to the increased number of refugees, the accommodation can become a hassle. The university does not mention these internal issues but expects us to find our own way. It is important we take a look at the political situation and the availability of resources. This becomes a problem not only for the newly welcomed students but also possesses a sense of insecurity for the ones already living there.
3. Cultural difference:
Although this point seems to be something we have thought about, the plot twist comes in when we have to adjust lunch/dinner timings according to the roommates we get. If we are lucky we might get Indians as roommates but when people from different cultures come together there are adjustments that we might not be prepared for.
4. Unexpected Laws
In Ireland, people below the age of 18 years can not be arrested for crimes i.e there is no punishable law for them if they attempt a criminal offense. One of the things that we wish to have in a new country that is going to be our home for at least a few years, is security and safety, which is a bit dicey in Ireland. A group of teens intimidating others whilst the passerby or police just watch and do nothing is a little scary. Although, students have made peace with it and choose to ignore these acts.
