The Coronavirus is here with us. Unfortunately, it has disrupted all areas of life on earth, and the educational sector is one of the most adversely affected. Its impact has been so devastating that it placed nations on lockdown for months. Schools also shut down from kindergarten to university to step its rapid spread. Moreover, international lockdowns meant that learners couldn’t travel to study overseas.
So, the question here remains: is studying overseas in 2021 after the containment of the Coronavirus a safe bet? What are this choice’s risks, and are there any hopes? To answer these questions, we have contacted the experts at https://studyfy.com/. They gave us some deep research-based insights into what students are facing and their prospects of pursuing their studies overseas. Keep reading to discover more.
The Challenges
The Coronavirus has posed many challenges to international scholars and those aspiring to study overseas. Thus, it’s critical for those intending to study overseas to follow the latest developments. Here are some of the challenges research revealed in Europe and other regions.
No Face-To-Face Training or Examinations
First, many universities closed down. The ones that are opened suspended live lectures in lecture halls. Instead, some resorted to online studies. However, this alternative still paralyzes project defenses. Thus, colleges decided to postpone those that couldn’t be done using technology. So, many students will delay their graduation.
Immigration Limitations
Also, many nations closed their borders and restricted entry to only essential ones. For example, they only allowed their citizens to return home while locking out foreigners who were not on essential and emergency missions.
Eligibility for Admission
College admissions also suffered from the pandemic because delays in high school graduations meant that all colleges had to adjust their admissions accordingly. Thus, these delays negatively affect millions of learners internationally.
Travel Restrictions
Another survey shows that travel bans are a significant challenge many students face in 2020. It revealed that 82% of its correspondents were worried they couldn’t travel overseas to study.
Financial Challenges
The same Student Portals Survey showed that many students worry about financial challenges. For instance, 60-67% of the correspondents decried their parents’ decreased budget, while 43% feared that studying abroad would be more expensive.
Potential international students also confront financial challenges. Interviewed enrollees were concerned that their parents were unwilling or unable to fund costly overseas studies. Moreover, a WES survey disclosed that 79% of the correspondents expect the virus to affect their national economies adversely. Another 43% fears it may no longer afford schooling in the US.
Virtual Degree Recognition
Virtual learning became one of the alternatives colleges adopted as they responded to the pandemic. Thus, many students will earn virtual degrees. Unfortunately, some correspondents were still hesitant to join online programs. For instance, they raised concerns regarding their degrees’ quality and recognition.
These are just some of the few challenges prospective international students grapple with. But is all hope lost? Definitely, not. Keep reading below to see the flip side of the whole story.
A Positive Outlook
According to one study, most potential foreign scholars still nurture their hopes and dreams of schooling overseas. Essay Reviews service will always help you study abroad. It revealed that a mere 5.4% of potential students wanted to abandon their intentions to study overseas because of Coronavirus. Moreover, the study showed that 54.2% of those who didn’t want to postpone their studies were still open to enrolling for online courses. Overall, most students whom the Coronavirus pandemic affected see it as a temporary situation.
Additionally, 53% of WES correspondents said they wouldn’t drop their desire to school in America. Instead, they intend to postpone their plans until the situation changes. Only a mere 23% of those sampled confessed they intended to shift their studies to different destinations.
In Australia, things are even better for international scholars. The Australian government exempted international learners from travel bans and permitted them to return as early as July. Moreover, its neighbor, New Zealand, has managed Coronavirus successfully. Thus, it’s a leading alternative hub for international students during this health crisis.
Weighing the Advantages Against the Disadvantages
After looking at the problems and hopes, examine the benefits of risking school overseas next year. Here are some leading benefits worth risking for your studies abroad:
Enhanced Completions, Retentions, and Transfers
Despite the current challenges, research shows that underprivileged overseas students are better positioned to complete their courses than their local counterparts. Also, retention in the first two years of college studies is higher among international students taking 4-year degree courses.
Enhanced Grade Point Averages
Research also discloses that foreign scholars get a higher GPA than those schooling at home. This effect is felt more in scholars from minority and underprivileged backgrounds.
Accelerated Language Learning
It’s sad to discover that 75% of all adult Americans can’t speak any foreign language. A Pew Research Center study exposed that a mere 25% of US adults know foreign languages. Of those who can speak other languages, a mere 7% studied that language in school. Remember, research also exposes that foreign learners master foreign languages better than their colleagues who learn similar languages at home.
Improved Intercultural Understanding
Moreover, international scholars are better positioned to enjoy improved intercultural understanding than those who study locally. Such students can work and live with people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Also, they tolerate and don’t fear people from countries considered “bad states.”
Better Employment Perspectives
Lastly, studying abroad increases students’ chances of landing good jobs. Although international students get the same skills as local ones, they still have an advantage over them. They have adequate international exposure that suits them better for jobs that have an international angle. For instance, they can serve as better regional representatives because they have practical experience with foreigners.
The challenges, prospects, and benefits are clear. Now, the ball is in your court to use these in-depth and research-backed facts to choose wisely and accelerate your studies next year.
