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Mentor Advice

Question

Since studying abroad in certain countries is more expensive than others, should students take this into account when choosing which country they should travel?

3 Replies from Mentors

  • mentor picture Isabel
     
    Isabel
    Junior Year Student
    Loyola Marymount University
    Although money is an important factor one takes into consideration when making important...
    Although money is an important factor one takes into consideration when making important decisions, I do not think it should be a deciding factor when choosing which country to study abroad in. You should go to the country that is truly calling your name, which may or may not be the least expensive country to visit. Remember, there are various ways to pay for study abroad programs whether it be loans, working a few more hours, scholarships, etc. Although I recognize that money is definitely something one thinks about when studying abroad, in my opinion, the study abroad experience outweighs monetary costs.
  • mentor picture Kimberly
     
    Kimberly
    Senior Year Student
    Loyola Marymount University
    Although financial expenses should not affect one’s choice in where to study abroad, I feel that...
    Although financial expenses should not affect one’s choice in where to study abroad, I feel that one should highly take them into account when considering where to go. Whether the exchange rate value is higher or lower than that of your home country’s currency, this affects how much you can travel and how much you can spend on souvenirs, food, etc. If you do not have a meal or housing plan included in your study abroad program, you should also take these expenses into account. For me, even though housing was included in my program, food was not. Luckily, the Chinese exchange rate value is lower than that of the American dollar, so I would barely spend any money on meals. My advice is to strongly think whether you can realistically spend your money while still living comfortably and having fun. No matter where you travel to, just remember that budgeting and spending your money wisely is most important.
  • mentor picture Ashley
     
    Ashley
    Junior Year Student
    Loyola Marymount University
    The exchange rate is something that all students abroad need to take into consideration when...
    The exchange rate is something that all students abroad need to take into consideration when choosing a country for their program. London is one of the most expensive cities in the world, since the pound is basically double the dollar. I was aware of this and knew I would need to prepare for this ahead of time, so I worked two jobs the summer before I left and saved up as much money as I could. Don’t reject certain countries because of expenses, simply prepare ahead of time and spend money wisely while abroad.