Studying abroad has become more and more common amongst form 3 students, yet I wonder if studying abroad does better than harm to secondary three students? This essay will be introducing the pros and cons of studying abroad.
First of all, studying abroad allows students to gain more exposure to different cultures. When a student stays in one place all their lives, they are very accustomed to a certain lifestyle and are only able to get a glimpse of the outside world through pictures or stories told by their peers. Yet, studying abroad allows students to be able to learn more about the world and to not always be sheltered by what they are familiar with.
Another strong point on studying overseas is that students can learn to be more independent. When students are thousands of miles away from home, they have no choice but to learn to become more independent. They are away from home and they will not have a parent which is just a drive away, pressuring them to make good decisions without any help.
Studying abroad has loads of advantages, but there are also disadvantages to studying overseas as well, which shouldn’t be overlooked either.
First of all, students are not capable of making smart choices on their own during this time in their life. As Form Three students are still immature and are still getting accustomed to having more freedom and flexibility in their lives, they might not be able to handle it correctly, causing them to make irreversible mistakes. Some may say that making mistakes is part of life, making a disastrous mistake at such a young age may not be worth it.
Also, while studying abroad students might encounter a language barrier. As English is a commonly used language worldwide, if one’s English isn’t up to par, then not only would they have difficulty with learning but also making new friends. Being able to make friends is quite important while trying to adapt to a new and unfamiliar environment, yet if they are not able to speak the language then it would be even harder for them to gain the confidence and reach out.
In conclusion, there are certain benefits and drawbacks to studying overseas, such as being able to gain more exposure to the outside world, learning to become more independent, not capable of making smart choices and encountering a language barrier in a foreign country. Although I am not keen on form three students leaving home to study abroad, I believe that being able to have the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and broaden their horizons would be more beneficial to a teen rather than detrimental.