Benefits of studying abroad in smaller EU countries

By: Joy Ananda

Do not be deceived by some smaller European countries that may not get their deserved fame as the other members of the EU, such as France or Germany. On the contrary, countries like Vatican City, Luxembourg, Monaco, to Malta are guaranteed to be jam-packed with history crammed an awful lot into their tiny borders.

If you're thinking about going abroad to a lesser-known European country and don't know how to explain it to your family and friends, this article is for you.

Culture Most times, going abroad is not just about the newfound freedom that's dangling from your fingertips. It's about going outside your comfort zone, exposing yourself to a plethora of diverse cultures and personalities that you would have never imagined crossing paths with if you stayed back home. When you decide to branch out into smaller EU countries, forget all about the European stereotypes that have been ingrained into your brain from all the movies and books because people will be different from what you expected. Different doesn't mean a bad thing. Different just means you have to be more open-minded.

Take the French and the Italians, for example; French people are known to be quiet but direct. Italians, on the other hand, are more curious and more inclined to make small talk. But, with an open-minded mind, you can approach it in a way that the French are not necessarily rude; that's just how society is typically. And Italians don't mean to be nosy; their talkativeness is a sign of friendliness!

So, with this attitude, you would have a more positive outlook on the different experiences you encounter in one of the European countries.

Travel When you have the golden ticket of a student visa in your hands, you have the chance to travel all over Europe. It is affordable and safe to travel around within Europe, thanks to many transportation and hostels. You can easily take a train, and you could be in a different country. However, with the pandemic situation, be mindful that each country does have its own travel restrictions and health protocols. It's essential to read up on them, so you are not overwhelmed when traveling from one country to the next. The key things you need to remember while traveling are:

• Bring around your vaccination card
• It is wise to take a swab before traveling into more prominent countries, especially if you're traveling by plane
• Bring around your passport (Your Indonesian KTP isn't enough)
• Bring a pen in your bag (in case you need to fill out any documents)
• Bring extra masks in your bag (in case you accidentally drop them)
• Recheck country entry rules the day before and the day of travel

Network Not only will you be able to have a first-hand learning experience with the country's foreign language, but you will be mingling with students from all over the world. Furthermore, you have a grace period to find a job within Europe - as a degree earned in an EU country is applicable for employment in any other place, whether you studied there or not. However, every country in Europe has different customs. So you have to check the countries' websites to check their prerequisite. This is your chance to break barriers and make friends with someone from a country that you may never even have heard of. It's safe to say that they have never heard of Indonesia before - and this is a great starting point to educate them more about our beautiful country. So don't lose your patience if they've only heard about Bali; they just don't know any better.

With that being said, we hope this article will help you be more confident in bringing up your cause to study in smaller countries across the EU to your family. If not, there are plenty more resources in ehef.id for your perusal. We are sure we will see you studying in the EU, though!