Can I still study abroad during COVID-19 outbreak?

Long story short? Yes.
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The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has disrupted lives, rocked businesses, shocked economies all over the globe, and casted doubts on students’ dreams to study abroad. Although the outlook does not look optimistic right now, remember, this too shall pass and life will always find its way to go on. You just have to focus on your goals and not give up until you reach it. If you have planned to further your education this year and finance is not an issue, just stick with it! Application process takes time and since most of it is online, you might as well get it started from the comfort of your home.

Various countries and institutions are quickly adapting to the situation by implementing steps and precautions to contain the outbreak and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their students. Many institutions have converted to online classes to reduce physical gatherings in campus and minimize disruption of students’ learning progress. This transition is seamless especially for institutions and students practicing blended learning prior to the outbreak. Additionally, helpline, online counseling and support are established to help students cope with the changes. While waiting for the green light to resume face-to-face learning, institutions conduct regular campus-wide cleaning and disinfection to improve the hygiene standard.
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Hence, most of the institutions are still welcoming applications, although you might have to start the first few semesters with online classes. Better to start and progress online than to be sorry! Once the dust is settled, you can jump right back to the physical classes. 

Instead of waiting for the outbreak to blow over, you should take this opportunity of less competitors aiming for limited seats to enroll into your ideal institutions. Instead of waiting for the outbreak to blow over (we do not know for sure when that would be), take this opportunity to secure your seat in your ideal institution while there is less competition.

There are many students who want to play it safe by postponing their plans to next year. However, most fail to realize that they will be competing with next year batch of students for those limited seats. If you fall in this category, you will be wasting away your precious time and putting yourself in a more competitive environment for university admission and scholarship application. On the contrary, if you start now, you’ll be ready to launch yourself into your career much earlier than your peers who waited.
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“What if I’ve applied but decide to still defer to the next intake?” you ask. Well since you have already applied and gained admission, your seat is prioritized and secured. This would be better than not applying at all. However, as each institution has their own deferral policy, it will be wise to find out the terms and conditions before you choose this option.

In a compilation of multiple online surveys, there is an average of 65% of students who originally wanted to study abroad this year decided to defer their plans due to the virus outbreak. As time goes by, this percentage decreases as more students are resuming their original plan to study abroad since the institutions have taken necessary measures to ensure intakes remain open.
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Planning to study abroad is a long and arduous process. Giving up or postponing for a long period of time after investing so much financially and mentally does not seem worth it. As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Make the most of the situation and continue on in achieving your goals!

​Are you still unsure about your options? Speak to one of our education consultants today to discuss your education pathway and how you could start with online learning.