7 Things That Will Happen When You Study Abroad (And None of Them Involve Studying)

It’s one of the most exciting things you’ll ever do – packing up your life and heading off to another country, all in the name of education. But guess what? Studying abroad isn’t just about attending classes, acing assignments, and wearing your university’s hoodie. In fact, everything except studying will be the stuff you remember for years.

So, what will happen when you leave the comfort of home and head to some distant land (probably after the usual struggle with getting a visa, like those strenuous UK study visa requirements)? It turns out that a lot more than your grades will change.

Here are 7 things that will definitely happen when studying abroad, and no, none of them will involve cracking open a textbook. Spoiler alert: It’s all about the real-life chaos and bizarre situations you’ll find yourself in.

1. Homesickness & Loneliness

Pack your bags, say goodbye to your family, and get ready to absolutely miss them. It’s almost as if the second you leave the country, a switch flips in your brain, and suddenly you miss everything – your mom’s food, your dad’s bad jokes, your friend’s incessant Instagram stories.

Even though the promise of adventure and freedom is very tempting, the first month (sometimes more) will feel like an endless episode of “Where’s my bed? Why does it feel like no one really gets me here?”

• Reality Check: You’re not going to feel completely settled the moment you step off that plane, no matter how prepared you think you are.
• Solution: Learn to vibe solo. Call home, stalk your friends on social media, and drink too much coffee while your homesickness slowly fades away. Eventually, you’ll get used to it.

2. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) on Not Feeling Fully Settled

So, you’re in a new country. You’ve enrolled in university, you’ve gotten the whole study abroad visa thing sorted (thank you, Empire Visa), and now you’re expected to just feel at home.

Spoiler alert: You won’t.

Here’s the thing: You’re going to experience a full-on case of FOMO (the real one, not the made-up drama your friends in Pakistan are living). You’ll be scrolling through Instagram, watching your friends back home live their “normal” lives, and realizing that you’re… kind of stuck in a new city, eating weird food, not understanding the local language, and possibly failing miserably at navigating public transport.

• Expectations vs. Reality: You’ll be homesick, but also stuck between feeling like you’re missing out back home and not being fully “settled” in your new place.
• Solution: Remember that everyone feels like this when they first land in a new country. Take a deep breath, give yourself a break, and don’t feel guilty about feeling out of place.

3. Unrealistic Expectations Sorry, It’s Not Going to Be Perfect

Before the plane takes off, you probably had a vision in your head of what studying abroad would be like. Maybe it involved meeting new friends, sitting in cafés sipping overpriced lattes while reading philosophical books, or perhaps, going on weekend trips to Paris. Whatever the dream was, reality will slap you across the face when you realize how much it actually costs to go on those weekend trips, and that not every class will be about the stuff you’re interested in.

The harsh truth:

• The university you picked based on Instagram photos is probably nothing like you imagined.
• Public transportation will confuse the life out of you.
• Cafés won’t always have the ideal Instagram aesthetic.
• Most importantly, you might spend more time figuring out how to survive than actually studying.

Solution: Forget perfection. Life abroad is messy. Accept it. Not every day will be Instagram-worthy, but you’ll still make great memories in the process.

4. Caffeine Dependency: You’ll Live on Coffee (and Maybe Tea)

Let’s talk about the best part of living abroad: the coffee. Yes, it’s expensive, yes, it’s strong enough to make you jittery, but it’s the lifeblood of your entire existence. When you’re exploring unfamiliar places, struggling with your visa issues (because it’s never as smooth as it sounds), and trying to fit in with people who don’t get your sense of humor, you’ll need something to keep you going. Say hello to your new obsession.

• Reality Check: You’ll need to drink coffee just to stay awake during class.
• Warning: The caffeine withdrawal will hit you like a truck once you get back home.

So, stock up on those fancy coffee beans. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

5. You’ll Get Lost. A Lot.

One of the greatest joys of studying abroad is realizing that no matter how much you try to “Google Maps” your way around, you’ll still manage to get lost. It’s almost like the universe has conspired against you to teach you a life lesson.

• You’ll miss trains, walk in the wrong direction, or accidentally end up in a completely different part of town.
• Public transport? A nightmare. You’ll probably end up on the wrong bus at least once.

But hey, at least it gives you a chance to accidentally stumble across cool places.

• Solution: Download the Maps.me app and get used to asking strangers for directions. Eventually, you’ll learn the city better than some locals.

6. The Wildly Misunderstood Compliment

If you’re not used to speaking a foreign language, or even if you are, be ready for some awkward moments.

Let’s say you’ve just made a new friend and they tell you, “Oh, you speak English so well!” You’ll smile and nod, but deep down you’ll wonder if you should feel insulted. Sure, you do speak English well, but is it that surprising to them?

The thing is, when studying abroad, people might give you compliments that seem kind of… off. You’ll be told you “don’t look Pakistani,” or that you’re “different from the rest of your people.” You’ll want to scream, but instead, you just awkwardly laugh it off.

• Solution: Take it with a grain of salt. People don’t mean to offend, but cultural differences mean everything will be interpreted differently.

7. Visa Issues and Restrictions

So, you’ve done the research, contacted Empire Visa consultants for the best advice, filled out the application, and maybe even secured a study abroad scholarship. But when it comes to getting that elusive study visa for Italy or Germany study visa… let’s just say, it’s not as easy as clicking “apply.”

• Visa applications will haunt your dreams.
• Documents will be lost in translation (literally).
• There will be delays. There will be confusion.

It’s almost as if the process is designed to make you feel completely lost. But, hey, it’s all part of the fun.

• Solution: Get help from professional consultants like Empire Visa. They know the ropes and can help you handle visa applications with less stress (and more success).

Go Ahead, Get Lost – But In the Best Way Possible

We’ve all seen the glossy pictures online – charming cafés, scenic streets, and Instagrammable moments. But studying abroad? Not all of it will be as picture-perfect as you imagine. From missed trains to unexpected visa issues, there will be days when nothing goes according to plan.

But hey, that’s part of the charm! You’ve seen the chaos, the confusion, and the oh-no-I-might-not-survive moments, but you’re still here, reading. Why? Because, deep down, you know something extraordinary awaits. But before you cross that border and start living the dream, one thing’s for sure: you don’t have to go through all the hassle alone.

Trust Empire Visa to get you there. We’ll guide you through every step of the process, so you can avoid the stress and focus on living your best life abroad. We’ll also help you cut through the red tape with ease, making sure that you get your visa in hand without all the headaches.