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It won’t be an easy transfer for those of you who hope to study abroad or who simply want to get away from Nigeria. Even after you’ve finished the process and been admitted, there may still be a number of challenges you must overcome. It takes a lot of work, and there are many obstacles to overcome. Some of them are listed here, along with vital advice on how to address them.
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Feeling alienated from others
No matter where you are from or where you are going, it is nearly a given that you will experience feelings of being an outsider occasionally. You might wonder why your espresso always seems to be more expensive than that of the locals or why everyone is laughing while you weren’t aware that anyone had cracked a joke.
Even though it’s uncommon to be made to feel unwelcome or uncomfortable on purpose in most nations, trying to adjust to new cultural standards might be challenging at first.
Don’t let this get you down. While you may never completely “become one of them,” this problem soon gets smaller and smaller because, in general, everyone you encounter while studying abroad is quite supportive and pleasant.
Language barrier
The most evident difficulty of studying abroad could undoubtedly this, overcoming a language barrier. This could involve starting from scratch to learn a new language or it might simply involve believing you were fluent but finding it difficult to grasp the strong local accent.
There are always obstacles to overcome even if you are studying in a place where your languages are similar. For instance, trendy or popular slang will sound weird. The terms “crazy,” “balling,” “radical,” and “intense” have no meaning to anyone outside of America. However, all can be used to signify “great” among the locals.
Therefore, it will be challenging to acquire the vocabulary that kids use, but as you become involved, the language barrier issue also disappears quite quickly.
Adapting to currency variations
The process of adjusting to monetary variations is equally difficult.
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Work out a quick conversion system for yourself so you can mentally calculate prices when buying things. You should also learn what the “normal” price is for basic necessities by asking the locals.
Currency disparities are one of those factors that don’t really hurt if you are only visiting for a short time, but do have a huge impact if you are staying for a semester or more, like most of the difficulties of studying abroad. Don’t treat euros like naira when you spend them
Being disconnected from your support system
Living abroad is great when things are going smoothly. You may, however, feel completely alone if it seems like the gods are working against you. Family and friends who often serve as your “support network” will be located hundreds to thousands of kilometers away. You’ll learn how crucial they are today, even if you weren’t aware of it before.
This difficulty will probably be felt most acutely during the initial months of studying abroad. But after that, you’ll establish a new support system, and in about a year, everything will be OK.
Dealing with cultural differences
As a visitor, you are unfamiliar with the customs and traditions of your host country as well as all of its unwritten laws (though hopefully you have some idea of what they are). Let’s be clear about one thing: you will make mistakes, some of which may be unpleasant. Be confident; avoid repeating cultural misunderstandings by learning from them. Again, after a year or so, you will become familiar with all of these tiny unwritten agreements.
One illustration is the pressure you should use during a handshake; this varies greatly from nation to nation. In the US, it’s traditional to shake hands firmly but not painfully. A person can come out as weak if their handshake isn’t bone-crushing. Similar rules do not apply in many regions of Europe or Asia, where a vice-like handshake may be interpreted as unpleasant or obnoxious.
It’s simple to avoid many cultural misconceptions by paying attention to what and how other people do things. Ask if you’re unsure. The majority of individuals will be delighted to discuss their traditions with you and will take pleasure in imparting their intimate knowledge.
Although this list can sound frightening, don’t be concerned! It sounds much more difficult than it is. I’m reminded of the proverb “failing your way to achievement.” That is a remark that I believe all individuals who have studied abroad can relate to. We have all experienced failure in at least some of these areas, including filling out university applications, locating housing, and figuring out social standards.
However, if you persevere through the difficulties, everything will turn out for the best. If nothing else, you’ll have plenty of tales to share at gatherings about the time you were forced off a train at 12:30 in the morning because you were using the wrong ticket. Without any trains for four hours… Yes, it was awful.