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"While plenty of college students opt to study abroad for a semester or even a full year, a  growing number are looking to earn their entire degrees out of the country. Going to an international school promises adventures and opportunities you definitely wouldn't get on U.S. soil, but it also presents a unique set of challenges. Could it be the right choice for you? Read on for all the pros and cons\u2014and we do mean all.\n\nPro: Taking your education to the next level.\n\n If you're an art history major, what better place to earn your degree than Italy? If you're studying Russian, why not do it in Moscow? Students who opt to get their education abroad have the chance to soak up tons of new-to-you culture outside the classroom, perfect another language, and generally give their education an X-factor. Getting a degree internationally will allow you to deepen your studies in a way that just a semester abroad couldn't hope to match.\n\nCon: Uncertain post-graduation plans.\n\n If you decide to seek a degree outside your home country, finding employment after you graduate is going to be more complicated. If you want to stay in the country in which you're studying, there are residency and work criteria you'll be obligated to meet as soon as you are no longer a full-time student. And if you're returning home after getting your education abroad, you might have fewer personal resources\u2014well-connected professors, supervisors at former jobs or internships\u2014than your peers who studied stateside. It's also imperative to make sure that if you're in a highly specialized field, your international degree will meet the requirements needed to get work once you're back home.\n\nPro: Adventure.\n\n College is an adventure in itself, and going out of the country is only going to compound the new experiences you'll have. Frequently students in international programs can travel more easily to neighboring countries both for school and during breaks, providing you with endless opportunities to add stamps to your passport. Moreover, going to college as an international student ensures that you'll meet and study alongside many students from countries other than your own. If diversity is one of the biggest factors in deciding where you want to go to college, looking internationally is an excellent option.\n\nCon: Homesickness.\n\n Imagine leaving home for the first time, traveling thousands of miles away from your family, and settling in at a university where the language, culture, and social norms are completely different from your own. If that makes you super anxious, getting a degree abroad might not be for you. Just as an international university can provide endless opportunities for excitement, it can also make adjusting to your new environment much harder. Be sure to consider whether you think a faraway city would be a fun place for you to visit or a nice place for you to live\u2014there's a serious difference between the two.\n\nPro: You might get a bargain.\n\n With college tuition costs rising and admission rates falling in the United States, some students are looking at programs abroad in order to save money. Yes, many international schools are way cheaper than American ones. You can also apply for federal student aid even if you're hoping to go to school out of the country! If you already know the field of study you're interested in, looking at an international school might be a way to save money while still attending a highly ranked program (and getting to study somewhere awesome for four years to boot).\n\nCon: But you might still lose some cash.\n\n Tuition costs might be lower at an international school, but getting a part-time job to help pay the bills is going to be much more difficult than it would be in your home country. Be sure to research the work restrictions for students in the place you're thinking of studying; in many countries, being on a student visa means you're not allowed to work for pay, and you can get in quite a bit of trouble if you try to bend the rules. If being able to work while you're in school is essential to you, staying closer to home might be a better fit. You'll also need to figure travel costs to and from home into the equation.\n\nPro: Independence!\n\n Moving abroad for school is definitely going to set you apart from the legions of college freshmen returning home every weekend (mostly to do laundry). It's a huge step that will serve as excellent practice for future big moves, requiring you to find a place to live and get your bearings in a totally unfamiliar environment. After going far away for college, chances are many other life changes will seem like a piece of cake.\n\nCon: Independence!\n\n Attending school thousands of miles away from where you grew up requires a much greater amount of self-sufficiency than enrolling in a school close to home. Add a language barrier to the mix and things get a lot more complicated. If you're considering going to school in a foreign country, be honest in evaluating your ability to deal with unfamiliar situations on your own. Many things that wouldn't be nearly as stressful in your native country, from finding housing to dealing with academic advisors, will be more difficult for you as an international student. If those are risks you're willing to take, or if they even excite you, however\u2014bon voyage!"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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