Congratulations! You’ve finally been accepted into an overseas university. For the next few years, you will be living in a foreign land, interacting with people from different parts of the world, each with their own cultures, values and lifestyle. Sounds daunting? Take a leaf out of these students’ books and turn this overseas stint into a rich and fulfi lling chapter in your life.

Discover yourself

Being away from home and the influences of families and friends is possibly one of the best times to rediscover yourself. This includes reexamining your strengths, weaknesses and values, and redefining your views about the world in general.

Wilson Toh is presently pursuing a Bachelor of Business Communications at the University of Queensland in Australia. He says, “When you’re alone overseas, you have only yourself to depend on.” Indeed, ask anyone who has studied abroad and chances are, they would cite independence as one important lesson learnt. For many, this reliance on yourself begins with taking care of domestic chores such as doing the laundry, cleaning up the dorm or apartment and cooking.

With independence and freedom comes greater responsibility and your level of self-discipline will be reflected in how well you manage your finances. Wilson says that he had to learn “how to manage and control his finances while maintaining a healthy workplay balance.” Priscilla Lim, who is doing a degree in Film Studies in San Francisco, agrees. She left a well-paying job in Singapore to further her studies.

“I had a good paying job back home and I was willing to give that up, but I didn’t realise how much my spending habits had to change. I had to give up a lot of luxuries. That makes me more careful with what I do with my money,” says Priscilla.

However, the time abroad could also be one where your morals and values are challenged. Issues such as drugs and alcoholism are real. Some experiences may leave you shocked but they also provide you the opportunity to take an honest look at the morals and values you stand by. You will learn where to draw the line between what you don’t mind compromising and what you would not.

This knowledge will help you stand firm in the face of temptation and help differentiate who your true friends are. “When you are overseas, you have only yourself to lean on for support. Friends and even family can only do so much for you. You are responsible for yourself. So know your priorities and what is important to you so that you will not bow down at the slightestpressure,” shares Priscilla.

Learning to adapt

Ang Chee Chien was awarded a scholarship to pursue a Masters degree in California. The opportunity to “establish close bonds with students from all over the world” was a facet of his overseas education he cherished . Indeed, there is no better time than this to network with people of diverse nationalities. The world is turning flat, and your course mates could well become your future business associates.

However, given the differences in social and cultural backgrounds, it is not an easy task to establish relationships with newfound friends.

“Fitting into a new environment and culture is already a challenge. I had to resist the temptation of just sticking to Asians as doing so will deny myself a ‘full’ overseas experience,” says Wilson, as he relates how he stepped out of his comfort zone. Priscilla also found that living with room mates, which she had never done before, could be trying at times. On some occasions, she had to learn to compromise in order to get along.

The golden rule applies: do unto others what you would have them do unto you. Just as you do not wish others to prejudge you, throw away any preconceived ideas you may have and be open-minded. Only then will you appreciate the strengths that can be harnessed from differences.

“I had the privilege of working in a multicultural project team recently. There were four Australians and a German. I realised we have different strengths that will benefit the team if we could integrate well. For example, I realised Singaporeans tend to focus more on efficiency while the others were more creative,” recalls Wilson.

Education is primarily about learning and learning goes beyond books. For Chee Chien and Priscilla, road trips and travelling around the host country offered them some of the best experiences during their stay in the US and broadened their horizons. Chee Chien even participated in community activities such as volunteering at a local Meals-on-Wheels programme and worked as a stargazing guide at a state park.

So go ahead. Explore and have fun. Check out some out-ofthe-way places and immerse yourself in the local cultures. Often, surprises and enriching experiences are just round the corner waiting to be discovered.

To return or not to return?
Many who study overseas would ask this question at one point or another. Regardless of which way they decide, the reasons will vary from individual to individual.

Chee Chien was on a scholarship and he had to return to serve his bond. Even if he had wanted to do a self-financed Masters degree, his scholarship provider still wants him to come home first. High income tax rates and hassles in obtaining work visas in the US were some of the other factors that influenced him. Moreover, his family was in Singapore.

Wilson, on the other hand, does not want to miss the chance of working overseas and experience unique challenges and gain new perspectives.

Priscilla would also like to stay on after graduation and work in the US film industry for a few years. But home is where the heart is and she feels that she would definitely return to her family and friends in Singapore one day.

Remember our advice to stay open-minded? Well, it applies here as well. Don’t be too concerned about what other people think about your intention to stay abroad after an overseas education — more often than not, they’re not really thinking about how you actually feel.

It’s a very a big world out there, and if you really want to explore it, go ahead. As for how things will eventually turn out as a result of that fateful decision, well, only time can tell.