If you’re reading this, it’s because you want to study abroad. You might be in your comfort zone right now, but mentally, you’re enjoying a warm sunset in Barcelona or skiing in the scenic Swiss Alps.

How do we know? Because you’ve probably just closed a painful session of hours on TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat, where all you saw was: EVERYONE TRAVELING! #livingmybestlife, #couplegoals, #bucketlists… and hundreds of questions automatically pop into your mind…

The first ones usually might be: “What am I doing here…”, “How did they manage to study abroad?”, “Is it expensive to study in Europe?”, “How do they travel so much?”, “What if I move to Canada?”… . and after mentally and emotionally moving to hundreds of amazing cities, you return to square one: “I don’t know how to make it happen.” Luckily for you, in this blog post, we’ll try to give you as many answers as possible.

There are hundreds of reasons why many students decide to study in other parts of the world, both for personal and academic reasons. Starting with the fact that opportunities in the 21st century are much more accessible and varied than when our parents were in university.

You’ve probably attended university fairs, talked to friends who study abroad, and done many Google searches on your own. Yet, even with all this information, misinformation, resources, and the constant bombardment we receive on social media, it’s very difficult to know where to start, as no one tells us the steps we need to follow. They only show us the panoramic selfie and how great the final result is, but not the process, which sometimes isn’t so pretty for an Instagram feed.

This is where the need for a hero arises: The famous university study advisor. Their sole mission is to help you make the best decisions for your future.

Let’s forget for a moment about the famous “careers” (and your physics teacher who told you that you wouldn’t amount to anything in life), and go a bit deeper. Start asking yourself: “What do I really want to do with my life?”, “What do I enjoy doing?”, “What are my skills?” Exactly, the questions that no one asks us are the ones we should be asking ourselves to start this journey — the journey to finding our life’s purpose more than just a university career.

Now that we have that covered, let’s see what these legendary university advisors actually do.

A university study advisor is someone who helps you plan your study abroad experience. They make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision about your future, career, and ideal destination. They help you find the right program based on your needs and goals, choose the country, budget for the program, and provide guidance on how to get there. They work hand-in-hand with you on a timeline to ensure everything runs smoothly when it’s time for your departure. (We’ve even driven students to the airport ourselves, more on that in our next article).

When studying abroad, you’ll have to make many decisions that will impact your entire experience away from home. You’ll likely want to know everything from what to pack in your suitcase and how to get around the city you’ll be in, to how to survive the visa process, where to find that perfect apartment you saved on Pinterest, among other questions that arise as the time to leave approaches. And if it’s your first time studying in another country, you’ll probably have many other questions. This is why it’s important to have someone to guide you through the entire process.

This is where your study advisor becomes part of the family. This person can advise you on all sorts of things (you can’t imagine how many, seriously), from finding your life’s purpose, choosing undergraduate, master’s, language, and PhD courses, to preparing you for the admission exams you’ll need to take, crafting the perfect essay, etc.

Here, we share a wide variety of reasons why having a study advisor will make your life much easier and save you many headaches (believe us, the struggle is real).

Because let’s be honest, it’s not all about studying and being glued to a book. You also have to consider, besides activities that support your mental health, all the things that happen outside of class — from extracurricular activities to community service and internships — when planning your personalized study abroad plan.

Understanding how your academic goals align with what your university offers is crucial to ensuring you choose the right program for you.

Remember, as we mentioned earlier in this blog post, a study advisor not only accompanies you throughout the process but also provides valuable information on all the available opportunities for discounts, partial or full scholarships, and application deadlines that universities may have.

Navigating the application process for a study abroad program can be a confusing and stressful time. And the vast majority of our students who apply to a university in another country don’t have complete documentation, and as a result, are not admitted to the university.

Having guidance on applications and requirements helps reduce some of that stress and provides peace of mind during your admission process.

After envisioning yourself in all the countries and finally choosing one that fits your lifestyle and the program you want to pursue, the million-dollar question comes: “And how am I going to pay for this,” not to mention rent, food, transportation, and other expenses. A study advisor will always give you the best options for loans and partial scholarships that fit your needs and family budget. Regardless of your degree, major, or course duration, there is a plan for you.

When accepted into a university, you’ll be asked to provide documentation to complete your visa application. The documents you may be asked to provide include a passport, a photo, fee payments, and more. If you’ve taken an English language test like TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, etc., you may be asked to provide the test results. This is a crucial time because you’ll need to meet all the deadlines for university admission. The study advisor will ensure you have everything in order so that everything is secured and without any issues.

Many advisors have studied abroad themselves before starting to advise you. So, we’ve completed our studies in another country and understand that as students, you can often feel overwhelmed when starting university far from home.

It’s a big change, a new stage completely different from school, and it’s common to have a lot of questions and fears. Remember, advisors are also people who are passionate about international experiences, personal growth, and helping all our students succeed in their personal and professional goals.

Ensuring that everyone has the resources they need to feel confident when starting their university journey is part of their mission.

If you’re seriously thinking about going abroad, we recommend taking advantage of the benefits of a university study advisor. Remember, the best way to make this experience as stress-free as possible (which is the goal) is to be as prepared as possible when the time comes to leave.

At The U For You, our mission as university advisors is to empower all students to find their life’s purpose and passion, then help them apply to the university of their dreams.

We represent over 800 entities worldwide and accompany you through the entire process of choosing careers, admissions, language courses, and much more.

Let’s talk so you can start your journey toward your future (our services are free).