Why I Got My Master’s Degree Abroad…And Why You Should Too!

While studying abroad for an exchange semester is all the rage for college students everywhere, very few Americans consider getting their entire degree (whether Bachelor’s, Master’s or beyond) abroad.

While pretty much everyone knows the benefits of studying abroad for a semester or two, not many are even aware of the option to enroll in a university abroad for an entire Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.

I have experience in both. I studied abroad for a semester in Switzerland during my Bachelor’s degree. Then a year later, I moved abroad to the Netherlands to get my Master’s degree.

While there are some benefits to studying in a different country for just a semester in an exchange, I am going to go through some of the reasons why it’s better to spend your entire Master’s degree abroad.

Hopefully by reading this, some of you will be convinced to at least consider the adventure of enrolling in a university abroad!

1. It Could Be Cheaper!!!

To be entirely honest, the main reason why I chose to move abroad to the Netherlands for my Master’s degree was because of the costs. There was no way I would have been able to afford a Master’s degree in the U.S., which has some of the highest tuition rates in the world.

I paid only 2,006 euros for my entire Master’s degree. Yes, you read that right. I paid less than $2,300 total for all tuition and fees for my Master’s degree in Public International Law.

Granted, it won’t be that cheap for everyone. That price was only for students with EU citizenship. I have this thanks to having parents from Poland, therefore qualifying for Polish citizenship.

But the tuition for non-EU students was still cheaper at the university I studied at than it would have been in the U.S., at 15,000 euros. Most countries have cheaper tuition rates than U.S. universities, even if the rates are higher for international students.

And in some countries, you can study for free even if you only have American citizenship.

So do some research. Many high quality universities outside of the U.S. will be considerably less expensive than if you stayed in the U.S.

Many Master’s programs in countries abroad are available in English, so don’t worry about language.

And if you have any recent ancestors from an EU country and have the chance to get a passport from that country, do it! You will open up many opportunities for yourself.

2. Get A More Rounded Education with Learning From Different Cultures

It’s true that for some fields, it will be harder to get a job back in the U.S. with a foreign degree. But for other fields, it’s actually better!

I did my Master’s in Public International Law, and I probably learned more from some of my classmates than I would have from a university in the U.S. Everyone in the program came from different countries and cultures. It was really cool to learn how law differs in different countries and to see law (and the world in general) from different viewpoints.

Especially if you choose a university that has lots of other international students coming in, you will learn not just from the culture of the country you’ll be in, but from many other countries too. I have found that I learned just as much, if not more, from the people I met rather than just the classes I took.

3. You Need To Spend More Than A Semester To Fully Experience The Country

While a semester abroad is a good first step to experiencing life abroad, it simply is not enough to become fully integrated in the country and to experience all it has to offer.

For example, I am extremely glad that the first semester I spent in the Netherlands wasn’t the only one I spent there. If it was, I would have had a terrible impression of the country.

Fall is rain season in the Netherlands (weird for me, coming from a place where “April showers bring May flowers”). That means that it rained pretty much every single day for a few months straight. And I had to ride my bike every day in that rain.

When I was flying back to Chicago for Christmas break and the plane flew up above the gloomy clouds I grew used to, that was the first time I had seen the sun in months.

The spring and summer, however, were gorgeous. I got to see the country in a different light (literally, because there was actual sunlight) with picnics in the parks, drinking by the historic canals, going to festivals and experiencing the many national parties (Dutch people like to party).

4. Easier to Grow Connections with People in the Country Where You’re Studying

While studying abroad for just a semester, it won’t be easy to hang out a lot with locals. You will most likely be hanging out with the group of fellow Americans studying abroad with you. Even if you do want to venture out of the American group, you might be seen as an outsider at the school you are studying in.

It is hard to grow connections with others because they know that you will only be there for a few months. So a lot of times, those students don’t bother putting in the effort to befriend the “study abroad-ers.” And in some study abroad programs, your classes don’t integrate you at all with the domestic students.

When you move to a country for a longer period of time, people will be much more likely to put in the time to spend time with and befriend you. It’s also easier to grow connections with your fellow classmates if you start and end the entire program with them, rather than being present for only one semester of classes.

It was really easy to make both national and international friends when I started my Master’s program in the Netherlands.

That’s because everyone was in the same boat of not knowing anyone.

When you study abroad for just a semester, the students in your classes have already formed their friend groups.

Also, it will be easier to interact with locals when you are there for a longer time. For example, you’ll most likely have to find your own housing. The university I studied at didn’t offer dorms; read more about finding housing abroad here.

This means you’re more likely to end up in an apartment with natives of the country you’re living in. This was the case for me. And I became much more integrated into Dutch culture by living with Dutch people.

5. And Finally, Grow As A Person

Studying abroad for a semester and getting your entire Bachelor’s or Master’s degree abroad are very different. For most, it’s often easier to do just an exchange abroad. For some, even just a semester abroad is hard. And I can tell you that moving to a country outside of an exchange is not always going to be easy.

During an exchange, you’ll have help from your home university and most likely spend most of your time with your fellow American students on exchange as well, so you won’t feel so alone.

You won’t have that kind support if you’re enrolling in a foreign university for an entire degree. You’ll have to find housing and take care of things that you wouldn’t have to worry about if you were there for only a semester, like setting up a bank account.

But the extra challenges you will face are going to be well worth it. Trust me. You will become a much stronger and more self-reliant person when you push yourself outside of your comfort zone. You will experience life more, solve problems faster and deal with stressful situations better.

So there you have it!

While studying abroad for a semester is definitely a less scary option, I promise that spending a year or more and getting your entire degree from a university abroad is so worth it. It’s not as daunting as it seems.

Hopefully I’ve convinced you to at least consider enrolling in a university outside of the country you call home.

Remember: any push outside your comfort zone is an adventure waiting to happen!

Please comment if you have questions about enrolling in a foreign university, and share your experience with us if you got your Master’s degree abroad as well!