Not as easy as it sounds

COMMENT Studying abroad is not as easy as it sounds, or seems. It is a huge step forward, and you cannot always be certain that you are going to find your footing.

You have to rely on yourself almost all the time. You will find yourself feeling very lost, unsure of what to do and sometimes, you want nothing more than to just give up, pack your bags and go home.

There is the peer pressure, exam stress and having to live up to your parents' and your own expectations. You might experience culture shock, you might not; it depends.

I am currently sitting in the library of my college. I look up, and I see students of every race, colour, religion and culture sitting together.

Some are revising for the upcoming A Level mock exams, some are listening to music and others are relaxing after a long day of classes. The sun is up high in the sky, clouds are nowhere to be seen and the smell of fresh-cut grass is a positive sign that spring has finally arrived.

I am an International Baccalaureate (IB) student studying in Kent, England, and am finishing up my first year of IB. This has been the first time I have been so far away from home - 10,467km and about 12 hours' flight away.

How I miss my mother's 'ayam masak merah'. Oh well, that is all part of growing up.

Although I have only been abroad for 10 months, I have changed in so many different ways. Many people have noticed the changes in me too.

One would think, "Hmm, studying abroad? Well, I doubt I would change that much, because all that will be changing is the environment and lifestyle."

My dear reader, if that is your train of thought and you have not studied abroad, you are quite mistaken.

Before I left Malaysia, I had always feared the unknown. I led a very sheltered life. I hardly ever went out with friends, I stayed at home most of the time and I dared not speak my mind for fear of offending others.

I depended on my parents for money, food, transport and I did lead a very easy life. I had great friends, a supporting family and was provided with anything I needed and wanted. Don't get me wrong; I was not spoiled. I was just very lazy.

On the way to the airport, I was excited. I could not wait to land on English soil, I could not wait to begin my new life, and I could not wait to be on my own. I had been fantasising about studying abroad and this was it. This was the turning point, the decision that will change my life.

When I landed, and arrived at my dorm, that's when it all sank in. This was going to be my new ‘home' away from home. I will be meeting people I have never seen before, studying new subjects, and I will have to be responsible for my well-being.

All about adjusting to a new environment

The first day was not too bad. There was the induction programme, meeting our teachers and classmates. The second day though, was quite traumatic for me. I spent the entire day hiding in the bathroom, crying. Looking back, it is funny but at that moment, it was hell.

It was all about adjusting to the new environment, people and being away from home. It felt so alien at first, not having my family to go home to, not seeing my childhood friends on a daily basis; it was a struggle.

It was really difficult at first. Some of the students in my batch had come for a pre-course during the summer, so they had already got to know one another. I was lonely, insecure and wanted nothing more than to go home.

But that all changed as time passed, and when I met my group of friends, a geeky Englishman, a feisty Albanian, a tranquil Brazilian and a Vietnamese with a lot of attitude, life only got better.

I have discovered parts of myself that I never thought existed. My thirst for adventure has grown so much, and I have become so much more independent. I am stronger emotionally, mentally and physically.

I learned to live and deal with other people, to set aside differences in culture and lifestyles and being in an international college has been such a good exposure, because now I gain insights, feedback and opinions from people worldwide.

Where you won't be spoon-fed

I have established an international network with them, which could be of great use to me in the future. I am now able to form my own thoughts and opinion on whatever matters thrust into my lap, and it feels amazing to be able to speak your mind.

If you have the opportunity to study abroad, seize it. There is nothing better than going overseas for your education because that is where you truly learn everything about yourself.

That is where you develop your character, where you discover things you never knew you had in you. That is where your patience will be tested. That is where your knowledge field will expand, grow and your brain, exercised.

That is where you will not be spoon-fed, and you will have to work your hardest. That is where light will be shed on your capability to achieve many things, and that is where you learn how to do your laundry, if you didn't know how to already.

In conclusion, studying abroad is a wonderful experience. If you have to, apply for financial aid, do what you have to do to study abroad. If you have rich parents, buy them chocolates, sweet-talk them into letting you go abroad as it will be a very beneficial investment for your future.

There's one thing I have always believed in, and it is living your life to your fullest. It is cliché, everyone tells you to do so, but do you really? There should be no room for the ‘What ifs?'

It is your life, your future. I guarantee you that it will be a remarkable experience. Just avoid universities and colleges no one has ever heard of.

ALLYSSA SULAIMAN is a 16-year-old student.