The pros and cons

Thinking of taking a year to study abroad? Or even do a work placement abroad? Here’s a list of pros and cons, based on my personal experience of studying abroad for a whole year in Sydney, Australia!

✅ Pros

• You'll experience something completely different

Every country is unique in some way. From food, to climate, to general way of life, there’s something different everywhere. Depending on where you choose to go, it might be a huge change or a subtle one. For example, I chose to spend a year in Australia, so I didn’t have to learn a new language, but I did find myself adopting a new lifestyle while I was there!

A lot of things happen outdoors there, because there’s such beautiful outdoor spaces and a great climate for it – a complete contrast to the cold, drizzly days in Coventry where I stay wrapped up in a blanket. Getting invited on a coastal walk or hike in the mountains was a regular activity, and I was probably the fittest I’ve been in years! 

• You'll make new friends and connections

Both friends and potential future colleagues! Whether you go abroad to work or study, you’re bound to make new friends to explore the country with in your downtime, and you’ll make professional connections too. One tip would be to connect with people on LinkedIn, it’s a much easier than emailing them once you get home, and it lets you keep an eye on any job opportunities near them, they might be the key to you getting a grad job out there!

• It'll give you a whole new perspective on your work

You’ll learn things that aren’t normally covered on your course at home, giving you that extra knowledge and experience to set you apart from your peers. I study Interior Architecture, and while I was in Australia I learned so much about how they work to protect Country, integrating the land with architectural designs, rather than just building over and destroying habitats.

It’s something I’ve become more conscious of since returning to the UK, and include similar concepts in my final year work now. No matter what your course, there will be something new for you to learn.

• You might even learn a new language!

Depending on where you go for your year abroad, you might find yourself becoming more immersed in another language as you navigate learning to live as a local. Don’t let this deter you from going though, you’ll still be supported as an English speaker at your university.

• You'll still be supported by your home university, and you get extra funding assistance

Studying or doing work placement abroad both mean that you are still enrolled as a Coventry student, and you are still entitled to student finance (The same as your entitlement studying in the UK), as well as extra support from the Turing scheme funding, which varies depending on your destination.

You’ll still be able to access resources at Coventry University while you’re away, and the Global Mobility team are always on hand to answer any questions.

❌ Cons

• It can get lonely, especially in different time zones

When you first arrive, there’s a good chance you won’t know anyone yet. You might be lucky enough to travel with a fellow Coventry student, but that’s not always the case. If you’re particularly far away, you might be in a very different timezone to your friends and family – a great tip is to set up a dual clock widget on your phone and theirs, showing the local time for home and your destination, that way hopefully you won’t wake each other up with midnight phone calls!

Once you arrive, try and throw yourself into as many activities as you can. You don’t have to commit to weekly clubs straight away, just get out there and get a feel for what you might enjoy, and it’s a great way to meet new people.

• You'll need to learn to adapt to the local customs

In Sydney, they stand on escalators on the left. In London, they stand on the right. I was fortunate that Australia also drives on the left, but their crossings are different to ours (They make a very silly sound as well).

No matter where you go in the world, make sure you look both ways before you cross the road.

• It can be expensive, especially at the start

You’ll likely depart for your year abroad before September, which means that your first couple of months will need to be self-funded before the student finance/Turing funding kicks in. This can be an expensive time due to having to pay for flights and accommodation deposits, but it’s only temporary as you’ll still get your funding eventually – just a little later than is ideal!

• It can be sad finally coming home, especially if you're the only person who took a year out

Eventually you’ll get settled, and before you know it, it’ll be time to leave again! Coming back home can be bittersweet. Although you have to say goodbye to your new friends, new routine, and new favourite restaurant, you get to come back and reconnect with your course mates you’d left behind! Hopefully they’ll be coming back with their own experiences to share, so you can all have a lengthy catch up and hear about each other’s year out.

This is a short list, I could talk about my study abroad experience and tips for hours, but hopefully this gives you a little bit of insight into what you might expect from a year abroad, whether you’re working or studying, it’s an incredible experience that I’d recommend to anyone.