“You’re going to have the time of your life.”

“It’ll be an adventure!”

“You’re so lucky!”

These are the things you hear when you tell people you’re studying abroad. Of course, there’s enthusiasm, but nobody talks about the real struggles of that experience, the quiet struggles, the frenetic pace, and the loneliness that hides behind the Instagram photos. So let’s be realistic. Is studying abroad worth it in 2025?

The Glamour and the Grit

Yes, overseas education remains one of the most life-changing decisions that you can ever make. But it also comes at a price that is greater than monetary.

The pamphlets don’t show you the home rides from the bus stop in the evening, alone, with grocery bags, looking over your shoulder because you need to worry about your own safety. They don’t show you waiting up at 1 AM, preparing rice and curry with swollen legs after your waitressing part-time jobs, and don’t forget the 2,000-word essay is due next week.

Yes, it’s a beautiful experience. But not necessarily as others mightmake you think.

Home Feels Even More Distant During Festivals

Diwali, Eid, Pongal, Holi, Christmas, Onam. Any holiday which used to bring joy and family into your home now makes you remember what you are missing. You are in school when you should be getting ready. You are munching on frozen pizza when you really crave your mother’s cooking. Time zones separate you, and so do emotions.

Video calls are easy, but they can never replace sitting beside your grandmother during a puja or listening to your cousins squabble over firecrackers. During those times, you question whether pursuing a dream so far away from home is worth the isolation that festivals bring.

More Than Just Learning

Living abroad is not all about school. You wake up at 6 AM to cook, go through 8 hours of school, dash to your part-time job, come home late, and yet still stay up late doing all your homework. And do it again. Every. Single. Day.

You become your own parent, cooking, cleaning, budgeting, and taking care of yourself in ways you never knew you could. You learn to fix broken things, pay bills, do taxes, read e-mails properly, and ride buses. You miss the indulgence of being able to rely on someone. But this independence thrust upon you also becomes your strength.

It’s not just parties and enjoyment

Social media presents only one aspect of life as an international student: snowy mountains, weekend getaways, cozy cafes, and group selfies. Behind each photo, however, is a sleep-deprived student wondering how many hours they can work legally this week to afford rent, or how long they can put off visiting the doctor because the insurance does not cover all.

Not every weekend is a good one. Most weekends are used to retake classes, to clean your room, to cook for the week, or to cry from stress. These are not things people can typically post on Instagram; however, they are real and necessary.

The Silent Language Barrier

Everybody says, “But you can speak English, right?” Yes, you do. But you weren’t ready for the accent.

The first couple of weeks, you bob your head even when you don’t get it, just so you don’t feel embarrassed. Lectures are quick. Professors speak slang you’ve never encountered. Locals talk in a cadence that’s difficult to follow. You doubt yourself before you can talk in class. It’s embarrassing.

You learn as the years go by. But that first silence, that hesitation to speak, is something nobody tells you.

The Pressure to Succeed

You didn’t come this far to merely survive. You came to thrive. You want that internship. That dream job. That permanent status. That respect in the family. To obtain all this, you need to be above average.

You attend all the classes, pose good questions, and study hard. There is no room for mediocrity where so much is on the line. You’re constantly judging yourself, to your peers, to who you were previously, to who your family back home perceives you to be. The pressure is incredibly immense.

But each distinction achieved, each professor who compliments your work, each company that shortlists you, is a battle won. And it spurs you on.

Is It Worth It?

Here’s the reality: Yes, it is, if you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Study abroad isn’t a vacation. It’s a school of hard knocks to toughen up, keep your head low, and be fearless. It will test you and challenge you. You will leave your comfort zone but find your strength. You will cry because you will miss home, but also smile at your growth. You may want to give up, but you won’t.

In 2025, returning from overseas study still offers you many opportunities, world experience, world-class education, higher career prospects, and self-development like never before. But it also matures you fast. It shows you things that no classroom will ever teach you.

A Note for Anyone Thinking About It

If you are planning to pursue studies abroad, consider this:

Are you ready to be alone sometimes and just keep going?

Are you prepared to use little money, wash your own clothes, and work while in school?

Can you handle being misunderstood, not because you are incorrect, but simply because you have a different accent? Can you accept discomfort as a growth? If so, then don’t be afraid of the hard bits. Use them to prepare you. The secret truth that nobody tells is this: It’s challenging. But it’s beautiful. And yes, it’s worth it.