Telling Your Parents You're Studying Abroad

By Kaitlin Hurtado on October 12, 2018

It is no secret that studying abroad is on the top of many college student’s bucket lists when it is one of the most talked about (and most praised) college experiences. What may be somewhat more of a secret is everything leading up to that “perfect” studying abroad experience can be just as stressful as taking an academic class. There’s the decision of where you want to study abroad, when you want to study abroad, how long you want to study abroad, and there are plenty of factors that will go into your final decision.

When you are committed to studying abroad, you have committed to a big decision. Like many big decisions, there a few people you are going to want to consult or make aware of your decision, and your parents will most likely be one of them. As excited as you are to leave for your study abroad experience, your parents will see it as the second time they are sending you off for college, so it is important to give them enough time before you actually leave.

If you are wondering how to go about telling your parents about your future study abroad experience, here are some tips on telling your parents about your decision:

people talking at table

Image via unsplash.com

Supply the hard facts 

For many students, one of the biggest reason they are pushing off telling their parents about their study abroad experience is because they are worried their parents won’t approve. Their lack of approval can come from a variety of reasons: safety concerns, financial worries, and much more. The easiest way to tackle these concerns is to show the thought and work that you have put into shaping your own study abroad experience.

Pull out all the brochures and paperwork you have been collecting while researching for your study abroad experience. This can be from living arrangements to any financial plans you will have for your study abroad. The hard facts you give will help your parents rethink your possible approach to study abroad. They will see that you genuinely want the experience by the amount of work you have put into planning it instead of thinking you are planning on flying to another country with no concrete plans.

Anticipate their concerns and be ready to address them 

Depending on your parents, the list of their possible concerns can be very small, or drastically long. As annoying as it may be for your parents to have seemingly endless worry over you and your well-being, just remember that they are your parents and that to them, the idea of studying abroad can sound very scary.

While moving out to college may have been a big deal, there usually isn’t that big of a time difference and distance is often not that big of a factor. Your parents feel like they can still easily reach you or get to you if need be. However, when it comes to studying abroad, you’ll be in another country with a larger time difference and trips to visit you can become near impossible.

Safety can be a major concern. Have you ever seen Taken? It’s a parent’s worst nightmare. To combat this concern, talk about the living arrangements you have planned, or the safety reports on the city you are going to be studying in to give them peace of mind.

Explain why you want to study abroad

This is especially important if your parents did not have their own study abroad experiences and aren’t going to be understanding your reasons for studying abroad right off the bat. This doesn’t mean having a full presentation about why they should let you study abroad, but it does mean that it is a good idea to spend time talking with them about why you really want to have your own studying abroad experience.

Maybe the program you are planning to take part in offers vital job experience that you would not be able to get at your current college. Maybe the chance to study abroad makes traveling much more affordable than it would be otherwise. Whatever the case is, letting your parents know that you want to study abroad because you genuinely think it would be an enriching experience for yourself and your future will never hurt you.

The more that your parents see that you want it, the more likely they are to feel comfortable with your decision as something other than an impulse decision brought on by your college peers.

Studying abroad can be the experience of a lifetime, and having your parent’s support throughout your study abroad experience can make it much easier. The support doesn’t have to come in the form of financial support, but even having them sending you off at the airport with wishes to get the most of your experience will have your study abroad experience off to a great start.

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