Nowadays, many students plan to study abroad after completing Secondary Three. Some may think that studying abroad can broaden their horizons and experience the foreign culture, but still some may think that they may encounter many difficulties. In this essay, I am going to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad and lastly state my opinion on this controversial issue.
The first disadvantage of studying abroad is that you may encounter homesickness. As you are in a new environment, and your parents are not with you, it will be difficult for you to handle all the daily needs. For example, you need to cook and tidy up the room all by yourself. You may say that eating cup noodles or dining out are good choices, but after a few weeks, you will probably miss the food in Hong Kong such as dim sum, dumplings noodles and your favourite food cooked by your mother. Besides, you will also miss the atmosphere when you are with your family especially when eating, chatting and sharing your experience with your family during dinner time. Moreover, when you are sick and sad, there will always be someone besides you, listening, comforting and taking care of you. To conclude, your family members may not be able to support you when you are studying overseas.
Another drawback is that it is too expensive for most students to study abroad as they can’t afford the expensive cost. There are always financial burdens because you need to pay for the heavy tuition fees and the living costs. You may not be entitled to the same student loans as in Hong Kong, you need to pay all the fees by yourself. In addition, you need to consider all the daily costs when you buy new clothes and all the moving costs when you choose to study abroad. For example, in Australia, the tuition fee is around $150,000 per annum but this does not include the living cost. To conclude, most people can’t afford the heavy cost of studying abroad.
Despite the fact that there are many disadvantages of studying abroad, there are still some advantages of overseas education.
The first advantage is that it provides opportunities for you to broaden your horizons. It provides more options and flexibility during your studies. For example, if you are studying business, there will be more choices for you in other countries compared with the lessons in Hong Kong. You will also have more choices of jobs. You can receive the best possible teaching because you can apply to study around the world, rather than settling what you have in Hong Kong. In this case, you may open your eyes to new ideas that you wouldn’t have considered. Also, studying in other countries gives chances for you to explore while studying. You may try something new and meet new friends. It can also give you insight and perspective on your home cultures. This will be exciting if you have never traveled before. To sum up, studying abroad gives you a chance to have a better learning environment and broaden your horizons.
Another benefit is that you can be more independent. You need to try everything by yourself and not rely on your family members for support. You will have to try and work everything by yourself. This gives you the opportunity to try your best in exploring many daily skills and become a more confident person. Many daily tasks such as purchasing groceries or even tidying up your room need to be done by yourself. You have to devote a lot of time to do these tasks when you are unfamiliar with it. After all these daily tasks, you will feel that you have been to an adventure and feel like you are a local yourself. To sum up, you can learn to be more independent and be confident in yourself.
In conclusion, there are both pros and cons of studying abroad. However, in my opinion, advantages outweigh the disadvantages on balance. Literally, studying abroad gives us many chances to broaden our horizons and become independent. Heavy cost is only an excuse, as you are willing to learn and you will have the determination to study, you will easily be offered a scholarship from school to support you to achieve your dream. So I think studying abroad allows you to have a chance to look deeply in yourself.