Wanna Move Overseas After School or Uni? Here Are Some Tips to Make It Happen

A student tells us how they moved to a new country after school.

For many, the thought of leaving everything (and everyone) behind to start a new life in another country, far away, is daunting.

But, for some people, learning to live in a new culture can be a rewarding experience. 

Clare Learoyd is one student who took the plunge and decided to pack up the life she knew in Australia, moving to Germany for study. We asked her to share a few tips she wished she knew before she left on her journey to the faraway land of pretzels and steins.

Do your research.

This one's a bit of a no-brainer, as everyone surely does a little bit of research before they head off into uncharted territory. However, Clare explains that this doesn't just mean checking what language they speak and the price of schnitzels; she recommends doing something a bit more rigorous and learning cut-off dates for important tasks such as getting student visas and applying for university.

"Deadlines can be strict and missing one could mean you have to wait an extra year before starting your big adventure," Clare admits.

"Know what you have to organise, when it needs to be done by and do it early."

Be flexible.

You might enjoy planning everything down to a T, but something the best things that can happen are unplanned. Clare explains that while rigorous planning is a smart thing to do, being flexible when it's needed is just as important.

"Planning is important but flexibility leads to serendipity," Clare offers.

"That's the best part of moving overseas."

Have a backup plan.

Generally speaking, you should have a backup plan for everything in life. If you're moving overseas, that backup plan is even more crucial. Say there's an emergency back home, or you encounter unexpected visa issues, or you just don't feel this whole move.

"Have a contingency plan, mental health plan and enough money to fly home," Clare suggests.

"Those three things are invaluable."

Learn the language.

While learning a new language isn't something you can just knock out in one weekend, Clare recommends making an effort to learn the language of the country you plan on moving to. 

"You may get by with English on a holiday, but if you're living in the country you'll see the value of speaking like the locals," Clare explains.

"It's not just polite to put in the effort, learning a new language is also really rewarding."

Remember: regret is normal.

Before you jump straight into that backup plan and start running/flying home, understand that feeling regret is completely normal. It's a regular part of culture shock to feel regret and loneliness, so it's important that you have a solid safety net of friends and family to talk to (even if it's just over the internet). They'll help you figure out if you should pack your bags, or wait it out. 

"Whether you go or stay, you'll miss out on something, so choose what you want to do, not what you think you'll regret the least," Clare says, adding "you can always change your mind."

Header Image: iStock.com/martin-dm