[4 min. read]

I have two friends (well I have slightly more than that, but whatever). One of them went to the UK to do her Master’s in Psychology while the other went to Belgium to pursue his Master’s in International Relations.

At first glance, who would you envy more? Who got the ‘better deal’?

I think most people, for various colonial-legacy reasons which I won’t get into right now, would envy my friend who went to the UK more. But is that really true?

The answer is…there is no right answer.

I know, I know! That’s the most irritating thing someone can tell you but stay with me.

Instead of worrying about which country is ‘better’ the only thing you must keep in mind is to move with intentionality. Remember peer pressure? That thing your high school teachers kept warning you against? Yeah, well it wasn’t just a thing for adolescents. Anyone can fall prey to it at any time.

Instead of following the crowd. Stop and think.

It may be that the crowd’s choice is also right for you. But what if it’s not? Then find more suitable choices for yourself.

I asked my friend who went to the UK how she made that decision.

“For me, it was mainly the program I found here. When thinking of setting myself up to be accepted anywhere, the UK had great programs and a strong foundation of psychology plus most if not all degrees are accepted worldwide so work-wise I have options.”

See that? That’s what I mean by moving with intentionality. She also had several calls with the program director to understand more about the course and if it’s a fit for her. She was also conscious of the fact that she didn’t want to live in a big city and that also helped her come to a decision.

I asked my friend in Belgium the same thing. “I picked Belgium mostly because of the course it's the only one I found that had the combination of conflict and development. Compared to other countries I also found Belgium is better in terms of student jobs and pay and also the tuition fees are better. I mean it's definitely not free like Norway etc. but it's still cheaper than like Holland and the rest.”

Because he wants to stay and work there too, he also searched and found out that in Belgium, he would have the opportunity to work without paying taxes for 475 hours in a year and Belgium is just generally a cheaper country to live in.

Seeing a pattern here?

It’s all about deep thought. Just like a sculptor chipping away at a huge log of wood until it is a beautiful work of art, that too is how you should approach making your decision on where to study abroad (and probably any other major life decisions).

A few questions to ask yourself:

• Do I want to stay in this country after my degree is over?

• What type of city do I want to live in?

• What things do I value? (cheapness, tourism potential, closeness to other possible family living abroad, work prospects etc.)

• Where are the best places to study for my particular degree?

These are just to get you started but the more you think, the more you’ll find there is to think about. That’s fine. The internet is a resource you can take advantage of to find out every minute detail you can to help you make your decision.

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