How can I explain to my family that I want to study abroad
Adriana Rosacolocho, an international student from El Salvador in Algonquin College’s Digital Marketing Communication program, shares her experience of how to explain to family about studying abroad, address their concerns, and gain their support as she prepared for a new chapter in Canada.
Studying outside of your home country is a big decision, especially when it comes to leaving everything you know behind. For me, talking to my family about studying abroad was an important part of the process. It was not just about choosing where I wanted to study, the school or the program, it was about discussing my future, my goals, and the opportunities that leaving my country and everything I knew behind would give me. It was a big family decision when I decided to move to Ottawa and study at Algonquin College.
Starting the Conversation
When I first started thinking about moving and studying abroad, I knew that my family needed to know. Their opinions mattered, and I wanted them to also understand why this opportunity was important. I wanted to explain that studying in another country would give me the opportunity to grow professionally and emotionally, gain experiences, and build a better future for myself.
This decision came with a lot of questions. We had to think about the cost of living, the school, where I would live, and how I would adjust to this new environment even if we had an idea of this but not the full picture.
My Family’s Support and Concerns
Talking to my family helped me see that studying abroad would affect more than me, it would also affect them. My family had to think about the distance, the changes and what it would me for us to not live in the same country anymore, as coming from a small country even if you did not live in the same city, it was not more than 1-3 hours away in car.
Like any family, their priority was to make sure that I would be safe, prepared and able to succeed.
Their concerns were also understandable because moving to another country is a big step. Instead of seeing their suggestions and questions as something negative, I learned to look at it as a part of a decision making progress, and as a way of them also processing the fact that I would be living in another country. Their support and advice encouraged me to think carefully about my plans and take this opportunity seriously.
Why moving abroad mattered to me?
Studying abroad would represent more than just education. It is an opportunity to become more independent, experience different cultures, to grow emotionally and professionally, meet new people and develop skills that can help me in the future. I also wanted to see what it would be like to go outside of everything that I knew and loved, to go outside of my comfort zone. I knew that it would not be an easy route, that there would be moments where I would want to go back because I would miss my family, my country, my friends, or times that I just would want to give up, but I also knew that this was a one in a lifetime opportunity, that would help me become stronger and grow.
Having the conversation with my family made me think more about my goals, and the reason for me wanting to move abroad.
Looking back on the conversation
Looking back, having the conversation was an important step towards my decision, it gave me the opportunity to share my ideas, goals, listen to their concerns, and think about the future in a more realistic way.
Studying abroad can be both exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. Having these conversations with the people who care the most about you make the process easier because at the end you don’t have to figure everything out alone.
My advice to anyone that is considering studying abroad is to have these conversations early. Be honest about your the goals that you have, listen to their concerns, and research together as like that they can help you out. You might not have every answer to their questions right away but having the conversation and a starting point is a great place to start.