Pushpinder Bhatia
Alumni Said Business School, University of Oxford, UK
The cool and intelligent student that you are, have finally made a decision to broaden your scope, get a passport full of cities you can't even pronounce (yet). You are all set to make that life- changing decision to go out there and put your family and friends in awe of you and in turn become the apple of their eyes with that student visa passport that you have successfully achieved.
Amidst all that excitement of finally getting a chance to study in abroad, you find not everyone who are close to you seem to be equally ready and delighted as you are. Initially, you may find even your friends not being very sure about your choice, which clearly indicates how tedious a task it would be to convince your parents to let you study in abroad.
After having “the talk” with your parents regarding your plans, you will find yourself being attacked by all sorts of questions and concerns that you might need to deal with once you are in abroad.
Scenarios to handle immediately after the discussion would be - your safety, the realities of finance for studying abroad, and quite importantly missing you!
Despite all these concerns which are quite obvious for you to think about deeply, you feel ready to just go wild and explore, expand your imagination, language skills, and go as far as possible from the cultural barriers. Amidst all these emotions, you would still have to figure out a way to convince your parents to actually let you go and live your life, study in abroad and come back as a successful warrior!
Convincing your parents could be a hell of a task, as you know your mother would prefer you to stay at home, and avoid the potential dangers that can be caused to you if you navigate to unfamiliar places. Your father, would probably want to keep an eye on you all the time and so suggest you to take up a job nearby to your home. All their lives they would do everything to keep you out of any sort of dangers and keep you safe from the “big bad world”, make you as delicate as possible, and then they’ll tell you that you are not mature enough to go and study overseas!
Whatever may be the situation, you know that you are up for it, you know you are confident enough, and can very well face the challenges that you might have to confront while studying in abroad. You have got to make your parents understand that you have got a good head on your shoulders, you are determined and yes, you know all about the value of cash.
The three most important areas on which you need to focus to make your parents be confident about your study abroad plans is- your safety, your money managing skills, a well knitted connection with family and friends back home.
Your safety is of utmost importance to your near and dear ones. Find out the emergency phone codes, the nearest locations of hospitals and police stations. Once you are done with your research, make sure you have relayed the information to your parents for their peace of mind.
Secondly, you know money matters, you might study abroad on a scholarship, or you are spending all your teenage savings, or probably taking a loan from “Bank of Parents”. Whatever may be the case, your parents want to see you being smart with your money, more so when it comes to spending it in a different country.
Finally, as you very well know no parent would want their babies to leave their nest and cut off all contacts with them, you need to make sure that you are well connected with your family and friends.
Whether it is through phone calls, emails or skype, make sure you take out time for your loved ones from your busy and exciting stay in abroad. It would in turn let you and your parents be in peace of mind that their decision of letting you go is right one. As long as they have confidence in you that you are safe and smart in the foreign world, they won’t whine on trying to convince you to come back instead!
Right after taking all the “precautions”, sit with your parents and discuss your study abroad options like mature adults. You would be surprised to see your parents patting your back. The transformation in you, just by doing a little research, showing that you are as concerned as they are, to be able to justify why study abroad is right for you, will prove to shock you ( certainly, in a good way) as a person as well as your family and friends. Get yourself organized, do your research and show your seriousness, it shall be worth the effort!
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