Would You Study Abroad?!
I think most of us will have seen that advert about studying abroad and how it can and most of the time does change you! It got me thinking, would you (or are you going to) study abroad at any point in your life? As someone who will (God willing) be traveling to the UK alone next year to receive an undergraduate degree, the thought of not studying abroad never crossed my mind! But the fear of losing the traditions and customs of my religion and culture never really worried me either!
I visited the UK recently and realized that there is a huge cultural shock not for me, but for people who have seen (and will see) Arabs in a certain manner and who are shocked when we do not appear in that way! Do you think that to fit in living in the USA or UK you need to change who you are? Will holding on to your roots make you unsociable?!
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I may go to the U.K :D Are you going to London Karim?
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I would love to study in Syria, it is really a beautiful country! I live in Europe and when I tell that to people they tell me oowww the ME is not that a dangerous region, I tell them that I LOVE danger :D. Can anyone advise me a good univerisity in Syria. Sorry for my bad English (I'm francophone:p)
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Studying abroad definitely has its advantages , yeah you will be a different better more refined person , get exposed to a lot of situations , especially when you're abroad , you get to take care of cleaning your room , laundry done , washing dishes , which might not be the case if you are planning to study in college right next to home and have our parents to do them for us :) plus you meet different people and see people as how they are as you live with them 24/7 unlike school where you used to see people for a few hours :) plus studying abroad might not change your beliefs or culture , it might give you an opportunity to looks at the other's culture , like i had many misconceptions and i got to see the other side's opinions :) Plus think of it as a chance to change people's outlook about arabs by seeing you :) and sticking to your roots might not make you unsociable , but being flexible makes you more sociable though
good luck karim :)
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Be open minded. You should not be "afraid" of "losing the traditions and customs of your religion and culture", who knows, your Religion and Culture might actually be wrong. Somethings may convince more than others, or you may end up with a stronger faith than when you left. I have seen it happen to many.
Me, I have to travel abroad to finish my post graduate specialization in medicine. I became an atheist long before I even stepped outside of Jordan. I think and I hope I will fit well.
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ofcourseeee, u will change. i am serious every single person used to say,"i will never change, nothing will ever change me no matter what it is, i am gonna be the same person." thats what u will always hear from a person who is going abroad, but the truth is totally unexpected, u WILL change n u will become a person that u ve never known. all these new cultures will change u, its something u cant control. i ve always belived that there is nothing in the whole world that would change u, but reality is different, i am living abroad n i ve experinced all of these. the wind will take u where it goes. at the end, it is my opnion, but i 'd rather u stay where u are now unless u reallyyyyyyyyyyy know urself that ur not going to change.
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Hey Well I am Lebanese I studied in montreal for Uni and it was the best experience of my life, if you are concerned about religion and values not to worry there are more like you out there, this is an opportunity to meet new people and build new memories and expand your horizons!! HAVE FUN!!!
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Hey Karim...studying abroad definately has its advantages and ESPECIALLY THE UK where I live..studying here is very flexiable and don't worry it's very multi-cultural and ppl of all ethnic origins and religions live 2gether in peace. The only thing that willl change is ur outlook to life & u certainly will appriciate everything u have & realise that u shudn't take your life 4 granted
..and personally I think who ever loses their relgion/tradition just becuz they moved countries is just sad because by holding on to these things u are becoming a stronger person & it's ur identity! Once sum1 has no relgion/tradiion or loses their morals they will lose their identity and will always feel empty and lost inside if not now..they eventually will at one point in there life wer they'll question their exsistance. Wats the point of living aimlessly with no purpose, moral guidlines or limitations. Might as well be an animal! =)
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I was born in Sweden and im still living here. Next year im moving to London to continue my studies there..when i get 18 and start the uni. Actually im studying economics now but i will continue my studies as a psychologist so I cab get 2 educations.. .See, so I mean that studying abroad is not bad at all... its a way to teach ur self.
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All I can sayyy is that I'm an Egyptian living in the US and it's pretty hard fitting in here bcause I live in a suburb where my closest Egyptian friend is an hour away like I suffer everyday and always wish I could go back to Egypt some day I'm tired of spendind my whole life here because ok feel so left out of everything wen I go in the summer like I thing moving here or anywhere else to study has ya good like learning styles and stuff but u miss out on like ur cultural memories you live in college like the friends and everythingggg but I do have 6 best friends that despite the distance are always there from me and I see them all the time
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I think it changes you, not necessary for worse. In my opinion it can actually make you a better person, for example i study abroad and it has made me stronger with my culture and religion. It depends on your personality and how much these things mean for you. Although i have to say i will always feel like a stranger but you meet many people of different cultures so they understand the feeling. You'll get used to it. Its what you make of it.
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i am 17 years old and im graduating from high school and i am going to study abroad in france i got my internship my parents found the idea scary at first butr since it is my decision then they ageed. it would actually help the person to study abroad because it will change any person to a better person not necessarily to worse you will learn alot of things that you didnt know and you will take responsibility for yourself and i am not scared at all just thing of the positives not the negatives
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I had a feeling this would be one of those topics that interested allot of people and thank you all for your comments. I do agree with those who think that change is inevitable, but like zuzu said it does not necessarily have to be a change to the worse. Exposure to a different culture and different way of life would be interesting and eye opening! When I was in the UK visiting, my maid called me (like a true Arab I have a maid) and when the people I met there found out who I was speaking to I was immediately perceived to be an 'Oil Sheikh'! It isn't that they treated me differently because of it, but it did remind me of the cultural gap between us. meee: There is a certain University in London which I am waiting for a reply from, if they accept me then inchallah I will be in London. But if not I will still be somewhere in the UK. Who knows maybe next year I can tell you all about my adventures as an Arab studying in England?!
Karim
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I wish I could go study in the USA ... the subject (major) I am interested in doesn't exist in my country! LAMO!
Joe
Feb 4, 2009
I would love to study in Lebanon, it's my dream but I'm afraid that will ruin my future when I can get a degree from the USA, my current residence.. I don't know.. I need opinions from others that would convince me of the pros of studying in Lebanon.