Nowadays, more and more students opt for studying abroad or far from their families. While some might claim that this teaches crucial skills such as independence, others might argue that the benefits come with some drawbacks such as limited family support. From my perspective, I firmly believe that the skillfulness offered by such opportunities far outweigh the potential disadvantages.
By studying in universities distant from their families, students learn independence. This is because the solidarity teaches these young learners self-sufficiency, which leads to personal growth as it is an invaluable life skill. In addition to this, by living solely, they are able to master essential time management as well as problem-solving skills, hence allowing for more adaptability to various demanding life situations. To illustrate, students who enlisted in overseas or far universities from their hometowns are more likely to adapt well to new unfamiliar situations, which undoubtedly face us all.
While learners gain considerable benefits such as independence, distance from family support is one of the main drawbacks of living far from home during college years. Besides from the financial strain that separate living arrangements impose, this distance can cause homesickness and feelings of isolation as these individuals attempt to cope with their new environment and foreign culture. Furthermore, these students find themselves carrying an increased responsibility that would otherwise be carried by their parents. Therefore, this rising responsibility can lead to feelings of uncertainty and could add more stress to the present learning stresses. For example, should a student study abroad, he would be responsible for various house chores, such as grocery shopping and cooking, in addition to keeping up with their courses.
In conclusion, it is true that living away from family can lead to less support during the challenging years of tertiary education especially when students are expected to see through different duties previously fulfilled by their guardians. However, in my opinion, situations like these present a dramatic learning experience that could result in significant personal growth, with paramount life lessons such as self-sufficiency.