With university fees at their highest ever level, many potential students are looking for ways to cut the cost or at the very least get more value for money from their time in higher education. An increasingly popular option is to consider studying overseas.

If you’re heading to university in order to study a foreign language, it’s easy to see the benefits of doing so in another country. However, no matter what subject you plan to study, there are a huge range of other benefits to be had from carrying out your studies outside the UK.

Being unfamiliar with both the language and your surroundings, you’ll have to work out new ways of getting around and doing all the things you take for granted. You’ll also find yourself having to make new friends and develop a whole new social network to prevent yourself becoming isolated. All this can lead to an enormous boost to your self-confidence and leave you feeling able to accomplish anything by the time you return home.

If you’re concerned about struggling with a new language, there are still plenty of options you can choose from. Studying in New Zealand, Canada or Hong Kong provides all the same benefits of studying overseas but in an English-speaking environment. Studying in these particular locations can also often work out significantly cheaper than studying the same course in the UK.

Regardless of the local language, the chance to experience and interact with new cultures, to spend extended amount of time with people whose background is very different from you own, to experience completely different attitudes towards religion, politics and other aspects of life can truly broaden your mind.

If you plan to travel during your holidays, studying abroad provides you with a much richer experience. Rather than seeing a country as a tourist, you get to know it the way that locals do. You’ll also have the chance strike up new friendships that can endure for many years to come.

Not everyone knows exactly what they want to do with their life from an early age. Even if you have chosen a particular university path to follow, you may still be at a loss as to what career you ultimately want to pursue. Most people find the best ideas come from the world around them. By stepping out of your comfort zone and into a new environment, you’ll broaden your horizons and improve your chances of finding your true calling.

In an increasingly competitive job market where more and more graduates are chasing after fewer and fewer positions, anything that makes your application stand out from the crowd is going to be of enormous benefit.

A CV that shows times spend studying abroad speaks volumes about your personality. It shows that you are not afraid of change and willing to take on new challenges. In professional environments, where interpersonal skills are key, such experience can be invaluable.

The Internet means the working world is becoming increasingly global and showing that you have the necessary skills to work closely alongside those from other cultures will increasingly ensure your name goes to the top of the list of potential interviewees.