The lifestyle you want to have and experience abroad will influence your choice of study destination. Discover what the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA have to offer!
Finding the university and course that best suits you is usually the first big challenge of your study abroad experience. However, another important consideration that is not always addressed is the type of lifestyle you want to have while living abroad. It’s easy to think about the university’s reputation, the quality of the course’s teaching and also the popularity of the city you’re interested in, but the learning environment is also equally fundamental.
This can be the difference between a rewarding and enriching study abroad experience or a disappointing one.
Each of the top five study destinations has different lifestyles to offer. Understand below and decide which is best suited for you and your goals.
The student lifestyle in the world’s top 5 destinations
1. United Kingdom
In addition to the classrooms and libraries at your British university, you will be able to experience everything the UK has to offer international students. Rich in culture and history, the country is home to some of the largest and most renowned museums and art galleries in the world, such as Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the National Gallery and the British Museum, all of them in London.
This means that your student experience and lifestyle will depend on the city where your university is located in the UK. Large institutions such as Kings College, University College London (UCL), Queen Mary University and Imperial College are located in London, therefore, they certainly provide a diversity of activities, access to incredible locations and a busy life in the capital.
London is diverse and multicultural and has repeatedly been voted the best student city in the world (QS Best Student Cities). It is not only a national center for innovation and creativity, but also globally recognized by various sectors, such as fashion and finance. And this could mean a big step for your international career.
Even so, not all students want to immerse themselves in the urban landscapes and busy streets of metropolises such as London and also Manchester, Liverpool, Southampton and Leeds. Fortunately, there are many other options for those looking for a more relaxed student lifestyle in the UK.
If you’re interested in cobbled streets, quaint pubs and renowned universities, you should consider cities like Cambridge, Oxford, Windsor or Durham. These are places with more traditional architecture, world heritage sites, lots of history and a quieter pace of life with an English charm.
Regardless of whether you like the hustle and bustle of a big city or the tranquility of a small town closer to the UK’s rural areas and natural landscapes, the good news is that the country is interconnected by an excellent train network. This way, you will be able to visit different places with relative ease and pay discounted rates for students.
Therefore, the type of lifestyle that appeals to you as a student depends on what you want during your study experience in the UK. Think about the type of environment you like to be in and what you imagine experiencing while living in the country. This will give you pointers on what to look for when searching for UK universities.
2. Canada
Recognized worldwide for its impressive mountains and lakes, Canada is an unparalleled study destination that offers many outdoor activities such as hiking, hiking, camping, lake trips, etc. Home to Niagara Falls and the Rocky Mountains, the country is famous for its scenic natural beauty.
In 2019, more than 642,000 international students chose Canada for their studies, making it one of the most popular destinations in the world, alongside the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.
Yes, rural areas and natural landscapes are some of the country’s main attractions. However, it also has major metropolises such as Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal – three cities notable for their multicultural population, security and thriving business center.
Another thing that is attractive about Canada’s lifestyle is that it is a bilingual country. Depending on the city you choose to study in, you can train in English or French, or perhaps both. And this is just further proof of the country’s multiculturalism. Canadians are recognized as a welcoming and polite people, who know how to respect differences.
Finally, Canada is interesting for those who like the cold and want to experience a harsh winter, a completely different experience from what we are used to in Brazil. The country is entirely adapted to withstand very low temperatures. Montreal, for example, even has an underground city .
Therefore, Canada is a safe, welcoming and ideal study destination for those who like living in a big city, but also want to be close to nature.
3. Australia
More than 720,000 international students flew to sunny Australia in 2019. This made it a close second to the UK as the world’s most popular study destinations.
Firstly, what we can say is that Australia has an excellent climate, so it is a destination for those who do not want to suffer from the cold and want to feel more at home with warm days and plenty of sun. Not to mention the paradisiacal beaches!
Furthermore, the country has a high quality of life, which makes it no surprise that people from all over the world are interested in studying at an Australian institution. The official language is English, the cities are safe and the economy is strong.
Australians are notoriously relaxed and friendly and have a very peaceful lifestyle. Each of Australia’s popular cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, Gold Coast and Cairns – has something to offer.
Melbourne, for example, has iconic street art, world-famous cafes and an active music scene. Perth , on the other hand, has glorious year-round weather and access to Australia’s natural landscapes, sandy beaches and wildlife.
Australia is blessed with many natural wonders, such as the stunning Great Barrier Reef, the largest living organism on earth, and the Twelve Apostles rocks in Victoria’s Port Campbell National Park. You will have the opportunity to swim with stingrays, skydive, learn to dive and surf, meet friends for barbecues on the beach or take a trip along the Great Ocean Road.
Therefore, if you are looking for a lifestyle full of adventure, constant contact with beaches and lots of time outdoors, Australia could be your ideal destination.
4. New Zealand
But there’s no way to talk about adventure without mentioning New Zealand, the world capital of extreme sports. This is another English-speaking country, with an abundance of spectacular landscapes and a lifestyle largely based on outdoor activities.
New Zealand’s natural wonders offer a variety of jaw-dropping moments, such as tranquil views of mountains and lakes, contrasted with the adrenaline rush of sports like rafting, bungee jumping, kayaking and skiing.
New Zealand is the ideal study destination for those who love wildlife, nature and the environment. One weekend you can watch whales and the next you can spot penguins on the beaches.
In fact, New Zealand is one of the countries that is most concerned about preserving its native flora and fauna. More than a third of its entire territory is made up of protected areas. So, if the environment and sustainability are important factors for you, perhaps this is your destiny.
In addition to nature, the country has a warm and moderate climate with some rainfall, perfect conditions to maintain all of the country’s landscapes green and sustain the active lifestyle of its population.
As in Canada and Australia, New Zealanders’ lives are divided between nature and large cities, such as Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown. The University of Auckland , for example, is the best ranked in the country, at 179th worldwide.
Auckland is not the capital, but it is the largest city in the country. Its inhabitants have access to bustling urban life, with theaters, cafes, restaurants of all types and shops. Wellington is another popular location for international students, particularly because of its creative sector.
The icing on the cake is that New Zealand is the second safest out of 163 countries (Global Peace Index 2020). Although it is almost the size of Japan and the United Kingdom, its population is very small, at just 4.4 million people.
Thus, New Zealand is ideal for those looking for a healthy lifestyle, with outdoor activities, and a peaceful lifestyle, with large cities, but not gigantic metropolises like London and São Paulo. And it is also ideal for those who know how to respect nature!
5. United States
With 50 states, the United States is large and diverse. Each location offers a very different lifestyle, culture and experiences. However, there are certain general characteristics. Americans work a lot, something related to the American dream idea that anything is possible if you work hard for it.
This work ethic, in combination with the reputation of being the most influential and powerful economy in the world, means that a US degree or work experience will be highly relevant to your CV. Furthermore, Americans are extremely patriotic and competitive.
Therefore, our first guess is that it would be the ideal destination for people who like to be challenged and encouraged to always do their best. People who are interested in healthy competition and are willing to wear the t-shirt of their American university.
The United States is the greatest academic power in the world and offers enormous cultural, musical, tourist, recreational, gastronomic diversity, etc. Not to mention the major hubs that set them apart from the rest of the world, such as technology, aerospace and cinema. Therefore, you need to take your field of study into consideration.
Finally, your lifestyle will influence the choice of the city in which you would like to study in the country. Places like New York are suitable for people who enjoy a more busy and independent life, with thousands of leisure options, such as Broadway shows, diverse restaurants, parks, sports attractions and countless museums and galleries. New York alone attracts more than 75,000 international students every year.
Los Angeles, in addition to being a big city and attracting many students from all over the world, also has a beach culture that appeals more to those who like sunbathing and practicing outdoor activities, but does not have as good a transportation system as New York.
Now some places like Texas and Alabama will offer a more relaxed country lifestyle.