Far from home: The cost of a foreign degree

Your mother's home-cooked meals, watching your favourite football team absolutely get wrecked in the championship with your father, the scent you associate with home, the random stray dog that everyone in your neighbourhood has silently agreed on taking care of, the nameless faces that have become all too familiar on your daily walk back home—these ordinary yet unique quirks of your small community are what makes you feel at home.

Every year, the number of students leaving their countries to pursue an education increases by thousands. But why would anyone want to abandon the comfort of their daily routine, the presence of their loved ones, and move across the planet for a piece of paper?

The answer is simple—that piece of paper represents the promise of a better tomorrow.

The desperation for personal growth, exposure to world-class education and career opportunities lead many individuals to leave behind the very essence of what they have known as home.

At 16, I packed my bags, booked a 22-hour flight and moved into a boarding school on the opposite side of the world. To some, this may be surprising but it's simply a tradition in my family. My father did the same and so did his father in the early 1920s. All three generations left home with the hopes of achieving one common goal – a chance of a better education.

The reality of millions

Just like me, there are millions of students who are forced to leave their country in pursuit of a future that is no longer even guaranteed due to the growing economic woes.

According to Studee, in 2020, over 5.6 million students chose to reap the benefits of studying abroad.

Based on the reports, approximately 5.6 million children have had to pick between education and being with their loved ones. Along with the 5.6 million students are their families who are deprived of the everyday joys of ordinary activities we often take for granted.

These five million families made the ultimate sacrifice by letting go of a loved one chasing their dreams, even if that means missing birthdays, holidays, major milestones, and achievements.

D Ahmed, a South Asian student living in the US, shares his story of how he missed his grandmother's funeral.

"Both of my parents were employed and worked full-time, so in reality, my grandmother raised me. My earliest memories are of my grandmother picking me up from preschool."

"On my birthday in 2019, my second year in the US, I did not receive my annual birthday call from her. I waited all day but the phone never rang," he continued.

Ahmed later elaborates on the situation, mentioning that his mother broke the news to him that his grandmother had passed away a few weeks prior, days after his birthday.

His family had made the difficult decision not to tell him to spare him from added emotional burden during a challenging time of financial strain and final exams.

Ahmed's story is just one of the millions of heartbreaking experiences and scenarios that foreign students often encounter.

The inability to be present for sick family members or to be a part of essential life events such as weddings, funerals, and graduations can take a significant toll on the student's mental wellbeing. These sacrifices are part of the hidden costs of studying in a foreign land.

"Go back to where you came from"

One can only hope that the ordeals of switching hemispheres would only be limited to leaving loved ones behind. Unfortunately, the list of nightmares seems to never end.

Some of the most common struggles faced by international students according to studies are the language barrier, homesickness, culture shock, financial instability, and discrimination.

I still remember the first time someone had made a 9/11 joke during lunch time – it was my first year at the new school. Young, naive, and still adjusting into a predominantly Caucasian community as a brown girl, the joke never registered. It wasn't until I was called into the headmaster's office, who had been informed by a bystander about the incident, that the severity of the event finally set in. That was the first and last ever direct racist encounter I had had while studying in the US.

However, discrimination is often a constant part of a foreign student's time away from home. According to Educations, approximately 85.4% of prospective international students have concerns about safety when thinking about studying abroad. According to their surveys, here are the top concerns that international students are faced with regularly:

The constant harassment, along with the deteriorating economic conditions, and separation from loved ones all the while navigating through an unknown territory are all good reasons to 'go back to where we came from'.

However, it's never that simple, is it?

The real cost of studying abroad

The pursuit of a foreign degree demands a significant investment of time, resources, and effort, which is often overshadowed by the real cost of studying abroad. 

Whether it's being away from the support of family and friends, navigating the constant stress of financial responsibilities, or juggling academic and employment commitments — the true cost of studying abroad lies in the profound emotional challenges faced by international students.