Heading Off To College?

It’s that time of year again when millions of high school graduates all around the world are gearing up for their first year of college and stepping into the unknown. While others are returning back to college life or continuing a higher degree, it’s that freshman year that brings the biggest bouts of uncertainties and homesickness, especially among new, international college students.

A perfect example of this is a good-natured gentleman I met who just got accepted into a university located in the U.K. He had been applying for the past year and when he finally did get an acceptance letter, he no longer wanted to go anymore. The reality of leaving home, family, friends, work and his community hit so hard and suddenly that he almost put aside all the years of hard work and perfect grades.

This inner struggle clouded his judgment and made a two-year Master’s degree seem like an entire lifetime whereas his family saw it as a fantastic opportunity and only a temporary absence. Thankfully he listened to his younger brother and decided to head off to the U.K. where he will get a degree that’s 10 times stronger internationally than if he had continued his education at a local college.

The point is this: The most important aspect to remember during your internal tug-of-war of should I go, should I not go, is that college degrees will give you opportunities you never could have imagined having. Whether it’s an amazing job that provides excellent benefits and paychecks for you and your family or a lovely home supported by a comfortable salary, you’ll have the qualifications needed for this lifestyle that will last for the rest of your life!

Sometimes it’s more helpful to hear what college students, like yourselves, have to say about the importance of a college degree:

Check in with us next week to learn some helpful tips and find useful methods to help cope with homesickness. It may sound a little too young for you but believe it or not, college students cover the biggest majority of all those affected by homesickness!