My experience studying abroad in Europe

Being a Chinese student who had been studying and living in Europe for 3 years, this is my personal summary on school choices and general account on the situation and experience studying in Europe. Studying abroad in Europe can generally be divided into three main categories: the United Kingdom, Western Europe and Scandinavia.

United Kingdom possesses high academic standing with some of the world’s top universities being British. Expenses are on the par with America's top private universities, with a total expense of around 400,000 Yuan per year. Due to the high academic standards, learning pressure is relatively high. But if you wish to look for a job and pursue your career after graduation, it is rather difficult here.

As for Western and Central European countries like Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria, you will need to learn the country’s language as English is no longer relevant. To study in Germany you will need to learn German, to study in France you will need to learn French, to study in Italy you will need to learn Italian. Evidently, this has become a huge burden to many Chinese students whom English is their first foreign language. However, learning the languages of these countries can be beneficial for your future career development as it gives you an edge. Learning additional language also further enhance your way of thinking. Furthermore, due to the different national institutions, tuition fees in the Western European countries are also much lower than in the UK and the US.

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Public school education systems in the Nordic countries such as Denmark, Norway, and Sweden are very well-developed with many lectures in the public universities are now held in English. This means most Chinese students can still learn in English while starting their overseas student life at a relatively low cost in Europe.

In terms of learning aspect, my personal observations from my 3 years of studying in Germany are: In Germany, more emphases are being placed on practical learning, with every subject requiring extensive investigation and analysis. There are pretty much weekly presentations on every subject; therefore most time is spent on collecting information and continuously analysing and researching on different topics. Many international students chose to study abroad because of the differences of the European education system from their home country, but this comes at a price of high tuition fees and is becoming a burden to many students. As many European countries do not impose on tuition fee, it makes the hectic student life a lot less stressful.

I personally think there are huge advantages studying in Europe. Firstly, the European classical and cultural characteristics, as well as the more developed education system certainly lay an excellent foundation for future career progression. Furthermore, what I have learned are of close match to that of practical workplace. Secondly, every European country has its own characteristics; you get to decide where to study based on the uniqueness of each country and your favorite profession. For example, Germany will be the top choice for machinery production. As for fashion design, it has to be Italy and France, of course. With the advantages of the EU student visa, you can make the most of your holiday travelling and experiencing various cultures and environments in different countries.


Here you can find further Links about studying in Germnay:
DAAD - Ziel Deutschland (Englische Version)
DAAD - Studieren in Deutschland (Englische Version)
DAAD - Das deutsche Hochschulsystem (Englische Version)

For more information on studying abroad in Europe, visit:
edu.qq.com