Studying abroad.

[Ajw67]

DS has just announced he wants to go to university abroad. I haven't started doing any research but my first thought is the cost and he doesn't speak a 2nd language. Would be interested to hear if anyone else has got any experience of this. Tia xx

Some European universities teach in English so he can research them.

Also USA. If you don’t get a “needs blind” place at an Ivy League university, then be prepared to pay around £25,000 upwards for tuition each year, plus living costs and flights. If he’s brilliant and you are rich, Usa can work. DD got a place at a USa university and tuition was $40,000 pa and living costs (accommodation, books, materials etc) estimated at $25,000 pa. 4 year course. If it’s a whim, think twice before you encourage this if you cannot afford it. Europe is better but Brexit??? Who knows?

Ouch....don't think that is going to happen somehow. Thanks

We looked at the Netherlands. One of ds1 year did liberal arts in Amsterdam.There are a fair few institutions that teach in English. It was a while ago since we looked but there were some grants a available for those who work so many hours per month. And fees were low. However not sure what impact Brexit will have.. ds2 did a semester abroad and would gave liked to so his masters there but he decided against it as the Brexit results had such an impact on the value of the pound, he was seriously worried about affordability.

How old is DS who has announced that he wants to study abroad? How much research has he done? While I would want to inform myself separately, I would also expect the child to be doing at least some of their own research, otherwise how can they really have an informed opinion?

The subject will also influence the language spoken. I did economics at a German university. All the text books were in English and the lecturers language skills were no bar to submitting material in English.

Would they want to study english literature, and have a massive advantage over (some) students?

And then there is Brexit...

He is 17. Doesn't seem to have done much research into except when he was 9 his stupid father decided he should learn Swedish as their Unis are free.

Maybe its his way of trying to eliminate the financial burden which of course it won't

It’s an unknown now regarding university fees in EU countries. I would suggest that he looks for a course here that has the option of a year abroad. Some do Usa, Canada or Australia. Sweden - not so sure!

Sweden may be OK . One of my cousin's sons went to do a year in Sweden as part of his UK course but didn't return- finished his degree there. Still lives there now.....

Did he learn Swedish?

Sweden is uber-expensive!

I would look at the Netherlands. Fees are cheap (don't know what they will be like after Brexit) and many universities offer courses in English. Rotterdam in particular has a wide range although some courses can be competitive. Check out the website studyinholland.nl for more info.

I would suggest that he looks for a course here that has the option of a year abroad.

I'm with BubblesBuddy, or possibly even beyond that - what are his motivations for studying abroad? What would he be getting abroad that he can't get here? If a course in a British university won't satisfy that need, of course look abroad. You only have to look at the threads of parents whose child is having to do a year abroad as part of their course to see that it can bring some additional issues compared to the normal homesickness/culture shock.

He never learned Swedish but has started with the research and looking Germany is looking good. I love Germany so fingers crossed he finds what he wants

If you have to be an overseas student in Germany though, what will that cost? What are the advantages? If it’s negligible, why not do a year abroad? You can do a Language with your degree ab ibnitio so you prepare for 2 years before you go. At least that gives you the bulk of the degree here. I don’t really see why a degree from a foreign university beats top class universities here.

Undergraduate studies at German universities are free but they are all taught in German, so his German would have to be pretty good.

I don’t really see why a degree from a foreign university beats top class universities here.

Firstly, there are some top class Unis in the UK (Oxbridge etc) but there are many average Unis too.

Secondly, by going abroad for your degree you could become fluent in another language, learn about another culture and meet some great people.

Lastly, Unis in several countries are free, even for foreigners.

There are undergraduates degrees taught in English in Germany, also the Netherlands are very affordable.

Ask him to seriously consider whether he wants to do the whole degree abroad, or if he'd like to do a degree in a UK uni with a full year abroad.

Dd1 is in the final year of a course at a French University (although she is registered in France, she's actually doing the year in a non-European country, but paying the French fees). For her it was about a specific course at a specific highly regarded uni, rather than just 'study somewhere abroad'. Her back-up plan was a course taught in English at Leiden in Holland. We're in Germany where Unis are largely free (you pay an admin fee of several hundred a semester), so both France and Holland seem more expensive for us - but of course they're both far cheaper than the UK. It means she'll be finishing her undergraduate studies with no debt, which is great.

When DD was thinking of Holland at 17, we bought her a plane ticket, booked her a youth hostel in Amsterdam, and sent her off alone for an open day/weekend. It was great to give her an idea of 'this is what you'll be dealing with by yourself if you choose to come here'.

DD's primary reason was NOT learning another language, and her course was taught in English, but a French class was compulsory and her French is now at C1 level, so it worked for that reason too.

The biggest issue your DS would face is that nobody yet has a scooby what the Brexit consequences will be, but he'd probably have to apply for a residence permit/visa to stay in any EU country, and that might involve demonstrating in advance that he can finance his studies.

That must be private Unis... I've not heard of a state Uni in Germany teaching in English at undergraduate level..? Do you which Uni?

Bremen seems to do lots of course taught in English that appeal to him. The more I think about it seems like quite an experience for me and he wouldn't have the debt compared to here. Certainly not as panicked by the idea now but clearly more research needs to be done

That uni in Bremen seems to be a private uni and isn't free.

When thousands of students never get near paying back their university fees, judging costs is very difficult. It’s not like for like as you cannot get the student loan for overseas study. Are German universities feee to Usa residents and those from India. That may well be our status soon. We won’t be Eu students.

You need to be very good at a language if you are going to be taught at university level in it. It’s third year abroad for MFL students. It’s not first year abroad even for A level students in the target language. Why would a German university be more highly regarded than here? Surely if you can only access mediocre here, the same would apply in Germany!

Maybe a bit of a stretch but... how about Japan? Yes, there are programmes taught in English, and good funding can be obtained, mostly through the Japanese gov't. It's competitive, but not overly so (am currently on it myself, though at the postgrad level).

www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/mext_undergrad.html