Living in a new country alone for the first time, adapting to a new lifestyle and culture, potentially learning a new language: studying abroad can signal a monumental change in a person’s life.
Making the decision to study abroad is just the first step. There are many things to research and consider when preparing to live and study internationally. On top of that, there is a plethora of university options from all around the world.
We aim to simplify the entire process by breaking it down into steps. Here, we will guide you through the process of choosing your perfect university and study destination to make your study abroad dreams a reality.
Research
Studying abroad is a significant decision and so the initial research phase should be extensive.
The first thing that you may want to research is the destination. Choosing the right region, country and city is particularly important as it will form the backdrop for, not only your studies, but your experience of living abroad.
It will impact how easily you can travel home if it is near or far away from your home country. There will be considerations such as language, food, and culture. It will allow you to choose whether you would like to live in a major city or somewhere that is more rural, coastal, or quiet.
Some things that you might want to think about are the cost of living, the size of the student population, the climate, and the availability of student accommodation.
Once you have decided on your study destination, you may want to explore the location’s top-ranking universities. The QS World University Rankings will allow you to look up the best universities in your chosen destination to ensure a high-quality education.
It will even allow you to choose a category of priority such as the school’s academic reputation, its international research network, employment outcomes, sustainability and much more.
Finally, you will need to do some research on the programmes that your desired university offers. Different students will have different preferences when looking at the course content of a programme. Some will have a clear idea of their career ambitions and will prefer a programme that allows them to specialise in a specific topic. Some will not be as certain of their career plans and will benefit from a programme that gives them a wide range of knowledge and transferable skills.
As well as the course content, students may want to find out the price of the programme, the mode of teaching: online, in-person or hybrid, the duration of the programme and the research or internship opportunities available.
You can start your research today by using the course matching tool on the Top Universities website.
Scholarship opportunities
Looking at scholarship opportunities is an important part of your research as it allows you to have a better understanding of the options that are affordable for you.
QS is a great place to begin looking for scholarships through our ImpACT programme. We offer many opportunities to a range of prospective students including female students, LGBTQ people, military personnel, STEM students, business and management students and many more.
All the information about these scholarships is available on the Top Universities website. There are also plenty of articles on scholarship opportunities and applications to aid in your research.
Alternatively, students may look for scholarships funded by the university, by the local government or by private organisations. For help in looking for these, our scholarship guide has an extensive list of options from around the world and provides information on how to apply.
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