Stop! Don't study abroad!

Why would you ever consider schooling abroad? Don't do it! It is not worth it.

There are just so many reasons why you should never consider doing this. What are the schools in your home country for? Here are 3 reasons you shouldn't school abroad.

1. You will be lonely. Imagine going to a strange country, maybe with a new language, with no family or friends available. You will lose all your social connections. The locals are not friendly, and your fellow students will not go out of their way to make you feel welcome. Basically you are on your own. Where your days were filled with parties, weddings and family gatherings you will spend most of your free time on your phone on facebook, trying to maintain the connection with your home country. On the other hand, if you're lucky you may meet other international students who are open to making friends. There may be a language barrier but you will share similar experiences trying to navigate your new country.

2. The weather sucks! If you have lived in Africa most of your life, you'll probably have dreams of playing in snow, or experiencing a white Christmas. You'll want to experience freezing weather because you are just tired of sunshine every day. When you study abroad in a western country the first shock will be how cold the weather is if you arrive during winter. Apart from braving the cold you also have to deal with dark dreary winter days. Imagine coming from a place of sunshine and light and warmth to darkness, coldness and emptyness. The weather conditions during winter sets the perfect background for depression. A lot of African students struggle in their first months because they usually arrive in October  when it starts getting colder. On the plus side, you'll get to experience the different seasons and summer is always fun!

3. You'll be broke. If your surname is Dangote this doesn't apply to you. As an international student, get used to being poor. Yes you may have access to basic amenities like housing, electricity, internet and food but your bank account will have a frown most of the time. If you are coming from an African country like me, the exchange rate means that it is almost impossible for your middle class parents to be sending you money regularly. You will have to work alongside studying and because most student visas have some form of work restrictions, you will most likely only
earn enough to be able to pay your bills. However I know some students who were lucky enough to get good jobs and save whilst schooling.

If these 3 reasons don't deter you then you may be the right candidate for schooling abroad!

Finally Graduated!!

After 3.5 years I have my degree. Master of Science in Economics. 3.5 years of blood and sweat. The original plan was to complete in 2 years. This is the official duration of the program however Germany happened. If you are already an International student in Germany then you have an idea of system and how you can easily spend extra semesters than planned.

When I first decided to pursue my Masters degree I had an idealistic expectation of what my years in Germany would be. Learning German, meeting fellow students from all over the World, scoring top marks in exams, graduating and finding the perfect job. Ah well.

Over the next  posts I will be documenting some of the experiences about the German school system, culture, supporting myself as a student in Germany and finally what next after graduation.

Are you currently an International student in Germany? Do you have plans to study in Germany? Leave a comment!