The disadvantages of studying abroad for the country and students
Introduction
Education is very important in life. Pursuing studies abroad has been the most plausible trend nowadays for the purpose of gaining international exposures and experiential learnings. Such experience contributes in getting the best education so as to acquire the best knowledge and to obtain opportunities for employment. While also developing the individual’s adaptability and independence, studying abroad expands the horizon of the students and their network. In immersing to different cultures, the students will increase their chance of learning new languages and skills as socialization thereby becoming ‘a changed person’. Nonetheless, there are also inherent disadvantages into it, and these advantages could be evident from both country and students perspectives.
Disadvantages for the Country
For the home country, the main disadvantage would be the explicit disclosure of the weaknesses. Provided that students could improve understanding of the conditions of other countries such as political issues and tolerance of other views, comparison is inevitable. Through constant interactions with other people the deficiency of the home country could be revealed while the international students are not always equipped with avenues on how to explain further, thus the possibility of jeopardizing own culture. The deficiencies and inflexibilities of the education system of the home country compared to the host country could be also considered here.
Educational travel is viewed to be an effective alternative tourism both for home and host countries. However, the undertaking disadvents international students in terms of the unequal power relations between the educational tourist and the locals which will be eventually evident on economic exchanges and exchange of knowledge. Stereotyping and idealizing of cultures is possible wherein lack of real contact and meaning characterizes the acquaintance. As such, gaining of respect for cultural differences will be less than superficial. The saddest part of this is when the exchange of experience travel by word-of-mouth in which damaging the reputation of one culture is inescapable.
Disadvantages for the Students
Basically, the endeavor is in itself a hard thing because of the fact that the student will be away from the family for a significant period. There are people who are uncomfortable without their family and the people they know so well, making them emotionally dependent onto their presence. This typically results in homesickness and the way to deal with it will be also a challenge to the student. The distance inevitably destroys family relationships especially when conversations are limited and there are no resources to prioritize telephone calls, online chatting and etc since it can add up to the financial burden. Realising this, the offshore education is expensive in order to cover all the requirements such as a place to live, transportation, food and books among others. Not to mention, the pressures to equate with the spending habits of colleagues is also a serious issue herein.
Aside, international studies are tended on the fact that the student will experience culture shock. Studying abroad requires that the person will readily immerse himself in whatever cultures are apparent in the host country. Since there is a relatively high difficulty of conforming to local language and customs, confusions could arise and may affect the confidence level of the student. These people who suffer from getting passed the acculturation stage will normally feel outcast and intensifies homesickness, which in return could affect the academic performance. In this stage also, the person could not fully developed the sense of trust with his or her colleague and would always want to watch their backs. The possibility that conflicts will emerge is high and that the person will resort in otherwise unhealthy practices such as withdrawing from reality and hurting their selves.
Given that universities abroad will endow students with no special favors, the study habits and learning practices that the students had grown accustomed with could be also challenged. Unique to every country are official ways of dealing with paperwork and rules and these are expectantly extended to academic undertakings. Several rules and regulations are outlined in student handbooks that might sound alien to the student. Further, international students are expected to collaborate within and outside the classroom and this maybe another burden to them; linguistic and cultural barriers may limit expectations. There could be also the possibility that older students may feel tensions and frustrated since they are surrounded by a pool of twenty-year-old students. In a scenario that no one could assist an international student in coping with the localization process, the tendency is isolation and poor academic performance.
Conclusion
Studying abroad does not only mean to participate in classes at university but also to be immersed in different cultures and languages. In country context, the primary disadvantage of studying abroad is on unequivocal disclosure of the weaknesses of the home country with persistent comparisons with that of the host country. The second disadvantage would be the lack of authenticity of cultural exchange as manifested by shallow understanding of cultures and of the international study program in general. For the students, the disadvantages are homesickness, culture shock, isolation, expenses and nonconformity that affects the socialisation process as well as the academic performance.
References
Kauffmann, Norman L., Judith N. Martin, Henry D. Weaver and Judy Weaver. (1992). Students Abroad: Strangers at Home. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.
Maiworm, F., & Teichler, U. (2002). The Student’s Experience. In Teichler,U (Ed.) Study Abroad. Bonn: Academic Cooperation Association.
Opper, S., Teichler, U., & Carlson, J. (1990). Impacts of Study Abroad Programmes on Student and Graduates. London: Jessica Kingsley Publisher.
Pearce, Douglas and Butler, Richard W., eds. (1993). Tourism Research: Critiques and Challenges. New York: Routledge.
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