How To Deal With The Reaction Of Friends And Family When Choosing To Study Abroad

The American dream has always been an idyllic situation for a lot of people. My dad for instance. He is from Germany and dreamed his whole life of going to America; just like you and I have dreamt of going to Europe. It’s important to help people understand that the “American Dream” is not for everyone. 

When I explained to my parents last year that I wanted to study in England, I was thankfully very supported. However, almost every single person that I worked with tried to make the idea sound awful. It was sad to not be supported by my peers, especially adults who you would expect to appreciate adventures like this. They would make comments like, “You are going to hate it there.”, “You will miss your family and regret ever going.”, “You aren’t smart enough.” 

Here is the deal. I didn’t care what they thought of my life. It was my life; I was going to go to a place they had never even stepped foot in. How would they know? So, these negative comments didn’t get to me at all. In fact, they drove me to start my UK study adventure even sooner. All the negativity was making me more determined than ever. 

Where am I going with this? Well, if you want to travel abroad, whether to study or just for an adventure – do it!  Not everyone will be supportive, and that is ok. If you ask your average American what their dream vacation is they usually say, “Hawaii.” You also must remember, your average American stays in their hometown and goes to their local university. This is not a bad thing: all my friends did. However, it isn’t everyone’s dream. 

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when embarking on a study abroad experience:

1. “Anything is possible. Anything is achievable if you put your mind to it, so DO IT.” Yeah it is corny, it is cliché, but it’s true! Don’t let anyone bring you down or talk you out of your dreams.
2. Remember, university in Britain is not unattainable. The price, if not the same, is cheaper than back home. My best friend is going to university in our home town which she is spending more on than myself in the UK.
3. Support is fantastic, yes. But if you are having trouble finding it, contact Across The Pond, they’ll be there guiding you all the way to enrolment

I have been here in England for three months and I have no regrets! I have made lifelong friends, my teachers and classes are fantastic and this experience so far has made me never even want to go back. I have, to simply put, fallen in love with England, and I have no doubt that you will too. 

 If you would like to find out more about studying in the UK, please contact one of the Across The Pond Advisors.