I will be studying in Japan (Nagoya) and my meal stipend is 30,000 yen per month for all of my meals. I am aware that college food is very cheap but I'm not certain 30,000 will be able to get me 3 meals a day for a month. Is 30,000 reasonable or am I getting scammed?

Hi everyone! I’m planning to study abroad in Italy for the spring semester, but I’m running into issues getting a student visa appointment and could really use some advice.

I go to a university in Pennsylvania, but my primary residence is in New York. I’ve been checking both the New York and Philadelphia consulates, but there are currently no appointments available that work with my timeline, and I’m worried about being able to get my visa before my program starts in late January.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Has anyone had luck finding appointments through cancellations, getting help from their study abroad office, or using any alternative visa assistance services?

I’m getting pretty stressed about the timeline, so any advice or personal experiences would be really appreciated. Thank you!!

Hey! Im from India, currently in Class 11 with PCM, and Im trying to figure out my options for studying Computer Science abroad after Class 12.

I'm particularly interested in countries like Germany and Singapore, but Im open to other places too if they have good universities and realistic funding opportunities.

My biggest concern is the financial side of things. I'm hoping to find scholarships that cover most, ideally all, of the expenses rather than just tuition fees.

I'm still early in the process, so I'd like to use the next couple of years wisely instead of rushing everything in Class 12.

A few things I'd love some insight into:

• Which countries are actually worth considering for CS if you're applying from India?
• How realistic is getting a fully funded bachelor's degree abroad? Which scholarships are worth looking into?
• What should I be doing right now in Class 11 to improve my chances?
• Are exams like the SAT and IELTS worth preparing for? Are there other entrance exams I should know about?
• For Germany specifically, how does the admission process work for Indian students after Class 12?
• If full funding isn't realistic in some countries, what are the best alternatives?

I'd especially appreciate advice from Indian students who've applied to foreign universities or are currently studying there. Personal experiences, useful resources, and things you wish you'd known earlier would be great.

I'm trying to understand what's genuinely achievable before committing to a particular country or pathway. Thanks!

Hi everyone! 👋

I'm a prospective Computer Engineering student from Egypt. I’m currently preparing my application for a scholarship at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) for the upcoming intake.

I’m super excited about the prospect of studying in Indonesia, but I’d love to get some real, first-hand insights from locals and current/former UMY students before making the big move!

I have a few specific questions and would really appreciate your honest thoughts and advice:

UMY & Academics: How is the overall academic quality, atmosphere, and campus life at UMY, particularly for engineering/tech majors? Are professors international-student-friendly?

UniRes (Student Residence): I’ll likely be staying at UniRes during my first year. How are the living conditions and facilities (Wi-Fi, room spaces, noise, and kitchen setup)? Is it easy to get along with roommates and staff?

Life in Yogyakarta: How is Jogja for international students? I’ve heard it’s the cultural and educational capital of Indonesia, but how is it day-to-day in terms of vibes and safety?

Cost of Living & Food: How far does a student budget stretch in Jogja? Are local places (Warung/Warmindo) and local chicken spots easy to navigate for non-Indonesian speakers? Also, how accessible/affordable are supermarkets like Super Indo, Indomaret, or Alfamart around campus?

Weekend Trips & Fun: What are the best budget-friendly spots to hang out, explore nature, or take day trips around Jogja when taking a break from studying and coding?

If you have any tips on adapting to local culture or student life in Jogja, please feel free to drop them!

Terima kasih / Thank you so much in advance! 🙏

Hi everyone,

I’m currently a first-year Electrical Engineering student studying abroad, and I’m finding university very challenging. Some background info: I was always one of the top students in high school, graduating with a 3.88/4.0 GPA, and I was decent in calculus and physics, getting A’s. I knew engineering would be much more demanding than high school, but I believed I could manage it given my background. However, I recently completed my first Calculus 1 midterm and scored 1.1 out of 10, which left me shocked. I genuinely tried to study, even if I didn’t fully understand the material. I sat for 30 minutes just staring at the paper before I could start writing anything. I only managed to answer 4 out of 10 questions and, as mentioned, scored 1.1. I understand this is what I signed up for, and I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but now that I’m here, I’m unsure if I can handle it. My math skills are lacking compared to the level we’re covering, and I need guidance on how to study effectively.

What truly hurts is the sacrifices my mother and grandmother made for me to be here (my father isn’t in the picture, so they are my main support). I could have taken the easier route by staying in my home country and graduating from a less challenging engineering program at a lower-ranked university, but I chose to study abroad for better education and opportunities. I can’t go back and tell them I wasn’t up for it, as their sacrifices would seem in useless. One of the main reasons I went abroad was the 3-year European degree program, compared to the 4-year program in my home country. I wanted to graduate and succeed as soon as possible to repay my mother and grandma and become even half the people they are. Returning home would be proof that I couldn’t handle the pressure, and I don’t want that. I don’t want to have “what if” thoughts. I want to succeed, graduate with good grades, but mentally, I’m in a tough place. If anyone has been in a similar situation, please share what you did. How did you study? How did you overcome the pressure? How can I completely change my mindset and achieve good grades? I need reassurance that I made the right decision coming here.

My sat 1460, Ielts 7.0, gpa 4.35/5 some coding projects, I know 5 languages, some job experiences. Can you suggest country or university where I can get scholarships. Us and canada are too expensive for me.

Hi everyone! This is my first time posting on Reddit, so please bear with me.

I’m a teenager from Russia, completely self-taught in art, and currently in my second year of an online college program specializing in Game Art, Animation, and Cinematic Animation. My ultimate dream is to move to Sweden (or Scandinavia in general) to study and work in the creative/gaming industry.

My family (parents and cats!) is planning to move with me, which makes it less scary, but I still have so many questions and would love to hear your experiences or advice:

Is Sweden a good choice for game art/animation? I know the gaming industry there is huge, but how hard is it for a foreigner to break into?

Language: Should I focus entirely on mastering my English first, or start learning Swedish right away?

Culture & People: What is the atmosphere like for expats? What are the biggest challenges foreigners face there?Any advice on universities, portfolios, or just general life in Sweden would be deeply appreciated.

Thank you so much! :)

Hi there,

I'm an intl, who wants to study philosophy in Italy and get my bachelor's degree there. I needed to know how such a degree is seen by employers and what I can do with that degree and whether I can later specialize my focus in tech.

I just turned 20 and will graduate HS this year in July 2027 and get my national HS diploma in that time, and I have a DET result of 130.

I have some extracurricular backgrounds as well and want to know whether my age and timeline make any issues for me and where I should apply for, like a uni that I can give back by working and have a scholarship with that, because my family's financial background is not enough for Italy, and my GPA is 90.8 out of 100 here, which is like 3.8 out of 4.0 in the American system.

I'm like, also stuck in between choosing philosophy, math, physics, and CS, I can't study one specific thing and not mix it with another; my mind can't work in a linear way. It's so hard for me not to associate everything together.

Will having my HS diploma in July 2027 hurt my application as well?

I genuinely appreciate your help.

Hi everyone!

This is my first post here in the thread (though I have commented on several posts in the thread) and as I am writing this I feel a little bit nervous but I simply just want to share my experience studying abroad and how much of an impact it has on me on my academic, professional, and personal growth. I graduated during COVID so it's been awhile since I graduated, but this past year I have done a lot of reflection upon my past experiences and how it changed me so much as a person compared to during my time doing my undergraduate. Open to any questions regarding my study abroad experience and especially if you have any general or specific questions about study abroad in China, Korea, or honestly just any part of the world, I am happy to help answer and possibly guide you. I genuinely want to encourage Aggies to consider Study Abroad (in any form), because it really does change your worldview, perspective, and that experiential learning you get is so impactful :D

A little about me and my background:

I completed a double major in Chinese and International Relations at UC Davis. I honestly went in first as 'Undeclared' as I was not sure what my interests were at the time, so I took a mix of random classes, including Chinese my first year, and found that I am quite good at it. I am Chinese American, but mostly spoke Cantonese at home and did not know any Mandarin, so it was quite interesting how I broke the code in mastering the basics of Mandarin at that time.

Study Abroad was always on my radar as I was inspired by my cousin who studied abroad in Hong Kong, Seoul, and London, and motivated me to explore other parts of the world.

I was stuck between China and Korea for my top two choices, but decided to study in China at - Peking University and did a year program (I studied at UC Davis and applied for the year program via UCEAP aka University of California Education Abroad Program). I chose Beijing over Shanghai (UCEAP does provide a semester and year program in Shanghai specifically at Fudan too), because I thought it would be better to advance my Chinese and International relations studies in Beijing, especially since it is the capital and international affairs/politics) I think if I was doing something more in finance or engineering, I may have considered Fudan.

I actually ended up writing some blog posts about my time in China, but due to rules, I am unable to post them here, so if you would to view my blog posts, please feel free to reach out to me via DM. Overall, I experienced a great time making friends, exploring Beijing, and most importantly the teachers and classmates were so nice and I felt a sense of community being there. Living in Zhongguan Xinyaun(the international student dorms) was very convenient as it was located in the Southeast gate of the campus and there was a convenience store, KTV, and cafe located in the area.

What's the worst part? I still remember how I did not prepare myself for the cold weather and under-dressed. It came to a point where one night I went back to the dorm one night and I actually nearly passed out. It got to the point where I felt like I was experiencing jerky movements, dizziness, loss of consciousness, loss of vision for around 5 minutes and had to get some rest to recover. I remember closing my eyes in the shower for a few minutes and gained vision back. It was a very scary experience, so after that, I made sure to always dress warm and stay warm.

After China, I knew that I wanted to do another abroad program and applied for UCEAP - Yonsei as well as the Gilman Scholarship, which I actually got (did not expect this at all!!)

Unfortunately COVID-19 happened and all study abroad programs got cancelled. I knew that I wanted to further my academic studies in Korea as I wanted to connect Korean international relations, economy with my studies in Chinese and International Relations, as well as having a better understanding of Korean society, business, culture- beyond what we see on the Internet about Korea. In the end, I decided to pursue language program studies and then a full time Master's at Yonsei University, where I also got to work part time and full time internships in Korean companies.

Somehow, I am in the international education/travel field now, helping next generation of students with study abroad with advising/consulting, program fit, and developing more global learning programs. In my spare time, I write blogs, newsletters related to international education and travel :D

Since my story is quite long, this is a much more condensed overview, so happy to answer any questions about my personal experiences studying abroad. If it is a more specific question which may be not ideal to post here, you can DM me.

Hello everyone! I'm 16 and I want to study abroad! One thing tho, my family has a low-income, I was wondering if there's low-income foreign exchange programs, or can I apply for low-income? Also are their anyways that I can't do it without a school counselor? I've looked into some but I'm a skeptical person so I know. If push comes to shove then I'll just do something else.. thank you for listening to me at Ted talk.

Edit: okay okay, it took me like 10 minutes to figure this out. I left some details out like dork so here

1. I'm American
2. And I plan on doing for a year
3. Also I'm a junior in high school

Hello,
I(F22) really want to study abroad but I’m also really afraid of two things: it being too expensive to me and my parents to afford or that I end up failing everything and never get a job so I have very few hope of it being a good thing also I’m thinking wherever I should do my bachelor degree abroad or my masters in Canada or Germany(I have more countries in mind but those two are more prominent in my mind)
By the to do study abroad in those countries I need to any kind of test or additional year? If so I’ll try to prepare myself for that.
By the way if you guys have suggestions of countries that may suit myself better you can put in the comments.

I want to study in Japan but I'm not that much financially stable either my family. Is there any possible way to get scholarship? And what I need to get the scholarship? ECA & SAT? ACT is actually worth it to help? My target course is engineering and for undergraduation and I've 1 year gap.

And if japan seems impossible for me then which country will be wiser

My SSC result is 2022- 4.94.

My Hsc Result is 2025-3.58 both science.

Is it really late or unacceptable to go abroard any country for better future, ,or Am I just delusional about it?

People who go through it ,Please suggest me a realistic way

My father is a garments worker day by day I am becoming a

Burden to him.

The thing is I'm Fully aware of mext scholarships and other ones but ik I can't do it not because I'll fail if i try but rather , see the main reason I wanna go to Japan is i wanna be exposed to international culture, I wanna travel around the world , new places ,meet new people, make international friends, go on trekking, see I wanna be as to be precise Luffy, just go and explore things and I want my 2 years be filled with different side quests and memories worth telling this is how I wanna live but again it's not like I can js go to and my family can js put money so that I can travel, so I decided I'll further pursue my studies and while I'm at in in some different country ilm be doing everything to achieve what I wanted. So pursuing Mext scholarship isn't a option cause doing so will put pressure on me which Is a drag. So I wanna know is my decision on going to Japan taking a loan worth it? What will you guys be doing if you were in my shoes? Cause if not japan then i must stay in my own country and prepare for civil services exams crack a job and yk whats next🙂 so idk what to do im confused as fuck, see all I want is exposing myself to international culture and studies and environment and at the same time meet different people and explore my dream country and yeah I don't have any interest in settling down there again.

I’m currently an international student studying in the U.S., and I’ve been struggling to keep up with my classes because English isn’t my first language.
It takes me much longer than native English speakers to complete readings, understand lectures, and study for exams. I feel like I’m constantly trying to catch up.
I often hear people say that getting enough sleep improves learning, memory, and academic performance. I understand how important sleep is, but the problem is that everything takes me so much longer that I struggle to find enough time to sleep.
I feel stuck between getting enough sleep and keeping up with my coursework.
For those of you who are or have been international students, how did you deal with this?
Did you prioritize sleep even when you hadn’t finished studying? Did things get easier as your English improved? Are there any study strategies or time management tips that helped you?

im currently planning on studying abroad this spring (im currently a junior) but im having trouble finding a subleaser so i was thinking of pushing it back to next spring aka the semester i graduate. i would have all my classes completed before i go abroad so transferring credit won’t be a problem. i want to go abroad for the experience of living in another part of the world and i dont want to graduate early, ive been really saving up for this. i cant go next fall bc ill be recruiting for full time jobs. ideally i would like to study abroad this upcoming spring but it would be very difficult to absorb the double rent cost. so im just wondering what are the pros/cons of studying abroad the last semester before graduation? can anyone who has done this talk abt their experience?

tldr: can’t find subleaser, might have to push study abroad back to senior spring, can anyone talk abt their experience?

Which country is better for international students?
(for UNDERGRAD)

I'm a super indecisive person and I have a deadline I need to decide by, pleaseee help

Ireland (maynooth):
Pros:

• Small college town
• School is less posh, smaller, easier to make friends
• Music (I loveee irish folk music)
• Language is more integrated with the culture 
• Gorgeous landscapes
• Nearby city has more nightlife 

Cons:

• Poorer academics (for my specific major)
• fewer backup classes if I don't get into the ones I registered for
• Hard to get places from maynooth, I need to take almost an hour bus to dublin then go on a train from there, most of the things I want to do are out west 

Scotland (edinburgh)
Pros

• Amazing hiking
• Mountains everywhere!! 
• Can go more places I’m interested in via public transit
• Very prestigious school, going there will look good for me
• Interesting classes, 

Cons

• Sad grey city
• Big, touristy city
• Will the school be too intense for me? I can struggle with self-guided academics
• I don’t like the gothic dark academia vibe compared to a cutesy small town

if anyone has input, or has experience in these places pleaseeee please lmk!!

My Stats: I am senior at a highly competitive stem focused high school. I have a 4.0 unweighted, 34 ACT, research experience, solid ec's, ap classes (Chem(4), CSP(5), CSA (5), APUSH (5), APAH (4)), dual enrollment (eng 111/112, calc 1/2, physics 1A).

My Education Goals: I want to study chemical engineering if I stay in the US because I believe that will give me the best foundation to work OR pursue a masters. If I go abroad I am interested in studying either chemistry or chemical engineering (depending on program) and would intend on pursuing a masters. I don't want small town, I don't want to live on campus, I would need an English based program because I'm not very proficient in other languages but do intend on learning the native language wherever I go. Research is extremely important to me. Also I love chemistry. I'm really interested in physical chemistry (which might make you think why chemical engineering but i promise I just think it gives me a more rounded foundation).

Why Europe: The program structure- I love that they cut the gen eds and throw you right into rigorous, major focused courses. Also the uni culture- I am not looking for a tight knit community, i do not need to live on campus, I know how it differs from American uni's and I love that. Also I want to leave America- here life is very much live to work and I would prefer to work to live. I plan on permanently immigrating at some point. It would be nice to be able to move now for my bachelors, but I recognize that may not be the most logical choice. I know you might say just go to a state school AND DON'T WORRY IM APPLYING TO 8 OF THEM SO HOPEFULLY SOMEONE GIVES ME A FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP but really thats just me crossing my fingers. Even state schools are unaffordable with the cost of living compared to the aid I'll receive.

Being Realistic: I have 60k usd set aside for school right now (tuition + life costs). In America I am not eligible for much financial aid, if any. Budget has some flexibility. I do not believe Europe will be more affordable (with everything considered), that is not what I care about. Budget is just for logistics. I have a very heavy senior year course load and my domestic college apps are overwhelming any ways so I would prefer minimal extra exams. I know this is lazy and probably compromises my potential.

I've spent too much time researching and this is the most realistic list I've come up with for myself:

Aalto University

Kaunas University of Technology

Johannes Kepler University Linz (I actually need to do more digging because I am not certain I'll even meet diploma requirements BUT THIS WOULD BE AN IDEAL OPTION IF I DO)

Any advice, suggestions, thoughts, comments, ideas, feedback, would be appreciated. Family is supportive, I just have to figure out everything myself (sigh).

Hello! I am planning on doing a semester abroad in Tokyo in the spring of 2028. How much should I save in total? The only billable item I have to pay for upfront is 500$, so I will only be paying for things like suica, food, school supplies, whatever else I gotta pay for. Housing is already covered and should be on campus, so I wont have to worry about daily transport.

Hey all!

I am need a field school and/or internship for my BA in Anthropology. This is because I am also getting a Applied Archaeology Certificate through my university. I was looking at the IFR Field School, along with some study abroad programs.

Has anyone had any experiences with a particular field school? Or anyone else in the same situation? I need something for Summer 2027 so im actively looking now and applying by Dec/Jan.

Thanks a bunch!

I'm a B.Com graduate from India and I don't have any full-time work experience. I'm considering pursuing an MBA in the UK, or in any other cities preferably through scholarships or other funding opportunities.

Has anyone with a similar profile applied to or studied for an MBA in the UK? I'd like to know about eligibility, universities that consider applicants without work experience, the application process, and scholarship opportunities.

Also, are there any universities you'd particularly recommend looking into for someone with my profile?

Hi everyone. I am from Mauritius and I have a french nationality. I have done my cambridge A levels this year and I have been wanting to go to universities in spain. The admissions open in November and I don’t have my A level results yet. I have emailed plenty of universities and they told me to go through UNEDassiss to convert my UK results into Spanish results. This service is costly and I don’t want to convert only my SC results right now.I also don’t have any predicted results. I would like to convert both of them but my A level results come out in January. Anyone who have gone through this process can explain to me how this works please?

Hello everyone. I am in my final year on a bachelor degree in geology (geochemistry) in one of world top-100 universities, at least according to some outdated lists. Although i don't complain studying here, it's becoming difficult to do science in my country and basically to survive, especially for people like me. So i'd love to take an opportunity to do my master's abroad (and better not to return). One of the problems is that i poor (as well as most of people in the third world) so i consider only fully founded scholarships.

At first glance i seem to have quite good chances: my GPA is 3.67/4 (apparently), i have a year and half of lab experience at a respected institute, including geospatial modeling, chemical analysis, participation in a biogeochemical expedition, and presentations at several local and regional conferences. On other hand i've messed up and missed the deadlines for most applications, and my preparation for IELTS started too late so now i approximately may get 7.0-7.5 at the end of November, while my writing and speaking are so weak i doubt whether they will be above 6.5 or even 6.0. Taking the test requires going to another country (as our *beloved* government banned IELTS not long ago) so the total cost will be about $500, which is a lot for my family.

Since i still have to work at lab, write my thesis and try not to go insane, i've started dwelling on worthiness of my struggles. Regarding my main field (which is biogeochemistry and/or geospatial modeling) there are generally left two scholarships - Erasmus Mundus GEM and ETH Zurich ESOP. For any other program, i'll fall behind in application deadline by the end of November when i'll get my IELTS results. I'd appreciate if anyone could suggest scholarships i might still be eligible for, but even if there are some i'm not sure whether i will apply. Most programs require letters of recommendation, and i am lacking in confidence to ask for them. Although i work for a certain amount of time, i don't have any published papers and my previous courseworks were generally laughed at. My university also has hard time helping student on applications, so we have to translate transcripts ourselves and practically fight with administration to get them approved.

Honestly, it would be easier if i skip this year and apply for wider range of programs on autumn 2027, when i'll have my diploma on my hands. The only downsides are emotional damage of giving up and slowly growing risks for life. Since i was almost burnout i wrote this post hoping for advice - not necessarily about any specific programs, but about my direction. I welcome any opinion on *does it really worth to have a try* if you have one.