Third of School Leavers Interested in Studying Abroad
The number one reason for a third of school leavers wanting to study abroad is to experience life far away from home.
But despite 34 Per cent expressing an interest in studying abroad, only 11 per cent would take firm steps to try and do so.
The study, conducted by www.GlobalVisas.com, polled 1,140 UK school leavers aged 16 or over as part of research into the appeal of studying abroad.
Just over a third of respondents said yes they were interested in studying abroad, while 42 per cent said no to the idea and 24 per cent remained unsure.
Living abroad can do wonders to boost your self-confidence and expand your horizons, so it’s something that I would advise all school leavers to seriously consider.
For 54 per cent the top reason for wanting to study abroad was to experience life far away from home; 51 per cent wanted to experience other cultures; while 48 per cent wanted to broaden their horizons; a keen 38 per cent wanted the opportunity to learn a new language; and 27 per cent wanted to boost their long-term job prospects.
Gary Smith of GlobalVisas.com said: “Economic gloom seems to permanently embrace Britain at the moment, so it’s no great surprise that school leavers are eyeing up the opportunity to get away from it all.
“There’s no better time to travel or experience a different culture than when you’re young. And if you can do so within the security of an international student programme, with all the support that that brings, then that’s all the better.”
Those that said they wouldn’t be interested in working abroad were also asked for their thinking behind this opinion, and for 59 per cent it was language barriers that led to a no; 57 per cent would feel too homesick; while half of respondents consider the big move too much of a hassle; for 49 per cent it was cost issues and a concerned 38 per cent said they worried about integrating into another culture.
The poll also revealed the top 10 countries young people would be most interested in studying abroad, with USA taking the top spot, closely followed by France, Australia, Germany and Netherlands.
Rounding off the top t10 was Canada, Sweden, Spain, China and Switzerland.
When the results were split between the sexes, the study suggested that girls would be the most keen to go abroad to learn, with 41 per cent displaying an interest, compared to only 27 per cent of boys. The U.S was the top destination for females, but males considered Australia to be the most exciting prospect.
Gary added: "Living abroad can do wonders to boost your self-confidence and expand your horizons, so it’s something that I would advise all school leavers to seriously consider.
“Visa applications need not be a difficult process and should definitely never be a barrier to experiencing new countries and cultures.”
Despite the positive interest in working abroad, when asked if they would seriously take steps to study abroad, only 11 per cent said a firm yes, with a fifth stating ‘probably not’ and 59 per cent responding with a firm no.
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