An international student can explore new opportunities available abroad
I wouldn’t be in the position I am today if it wasn’t for studying abroad. I gained tremendous experience from the unique qualities an international education offers, the exposure to studying abroad, and the networking opportunities with other classmates, which led to life-long friendships and connections.
Below I’ve rounded up some of the key ways studying abroad makes you stronger, shapes your character, and leads to positive outcomes for your future.
Look Beyond the Challenges
In the early days of my career, I realized I wanted to study abroad to pursue higher education as working with people from other countries indicated there is plenty to learn from different cultures and backgrounds. I started by researching and identifying the institutions that provided scholarships and teaching assistant positions for students. This improved my prospects of keeping costs down and receiving the education I wanted in a foreign country.
In 2004, I completed my MBA in Product Management and Marketing in the United States. My first three months as an international student were the most difficult because I had to uproot my life to a new country. There were language barriers, the culture was completely new to me, and I was still building my confidence. As an international student, you learn to stretch your learning capabilities and comfort zone in ways that you never thought you could. I quickly learned how to network and build confidence even in scenarios where I didn’t naturally feel at ease.
Embrace Networking Opportunities
Being an international student led me to engage in activities and sign up for new opportunities that I had never tried before. I was motivated to meet and embrace new cultures and thought processes in order to make the most of my experience abroad. The professionals that I met along the way and the networking opportunities helped me build some lifelong friendships.
My advice to any students planning to study abroad is to extend their friend circle outside of their own community and form friendships with people from different cultures. This helped me gain a global perspective. To this day, I have friends in different parts of the world that I can discuss business ideas with and whose networks I can leverage.
Building Blocks to Create a Successful Future
Even though I was hired for a job after my MBA program, I was inspired to make a difference in the education field and start a business in my home country. I ran a company for several years where I was able to apply the global best practices I learned and the curious mindset I had developed.
I used my study abroad journey as an opportunity to build my character, mindset, and a stronger sense of self. Letting go of the fear that comes along with risk-taking is a skill that I’ve used in every aspect of my personal and professional life. All in all, the experience trained me and prepared me for future career opportunities.
Today we live in a global village, with the transformation of connectivity and information exchange. In this new evolved world, education across borders can give you the exposure to build businesses and serve global customers from wherever you are.
My journey as an international student led me to continue to find meaningful and impactful ways to improve and fix a problem that I’m very passionate about to this day, enabling access to education.
(The writer is Chief Experience Officer at ApplyBoard.)