Books, Dreams and a Plane Ticket Home: Tips and Insights to Studying away from Home

Published in

Voix Magazine

9 min readAug 14, 2023

For many, it is inevitable that one day you will have to leave home and study away from home. 90% of the time we spend living with our parents comes before the age of 18, which happens to be the age a lot of us leave to pursue higher education.

In my (Brian’s) case, I had to make the leap of faith quite early on, as I had to leave home at the age of 16 to complete my A-Levels in Kuala Lumpur, which is roughly 350 kilometers away from Johor Bahru (where I live). For me, it was a matter of chasing childhood dreams and paving a future that little me would have been proud about. I had always dreamt about working in the automotive industry, specifically in motorsports, as I had been a fan of motorsports and cars in general for as long as I could remember.

And one of the top countries for the automotive industry is Germany. Hence, I had decided quite early on that I wanted to pursue further education in Germany. However, it wasn’t as easy as simply completing your A-Levels and applying to any universities you were eligible to enter. One of the major barriers preventing many from studying in Germany is language. You had to have first-language proficiency in German to even be able to apply.

With that in mind, I started to do some digging and it didn’t take long for me to realize that there were no places in Johor Bahru offering German language courses and that the closest place that had any institutions offering it was Kuala Lumpur, which was halfway across the country and a much larger city. So, bearing in mind that I had to live away from home and put in a lot more effort to keep my daily life in order, I applied for college and moved here as soon as the school year started.

At time of writing, I have already been in KL for exactly one month, and this month has given me plenty of time to reflect on what has happened.

My first impressions of the new environment were mainly about how lively and bustling the surroundings were. My college happens to be a stone’s throw away from the country’s main train terminal, KL Sentral, and there is so much to take in here. There are so many people and so many buildings, making it a stark contrast from what I had been so accustomed to. These first impressions injected me with a sense of euphoria that I have never felt before. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was capable of living my own life and blossoming away from home.

However, that sense of euphoria did not take long to wear off.

As we started the school year, one thing became very apparent: I was coming from a very different background compared to the majority at the school and it was not going to be easy to fit in. Perhaps I was used to having a significantly smaller class, but I was way more reserved and less social than my classmates. While the rest were getting to know each other and having a good time, I sat by myself, observing and not muttering a word (In fact, I was so quiet some of my classmates didn’t even realize I was in their class until 2 weeks later!)

For the first two weeks, I was definitely not in a good place mentally, as homesickness and loneliness were really getting to me. My habits started to be reliant on my mental health, and that included everything from my sleep schedule to diet (I will take a deeper dive into this later) However, as time went on, I have managed to fit in better and know my classmates more. I have managed to find a few people who I knew I could call friends. I have also started playing badminton socially to know more people who I share hobbies with.

Apart from life in school, I also had to manage life outside of school. My diet was very much dependent on my mental health. During my first 2 weeks, my diet mainly consisted of roti canai and curry. While it sounds delicious, it really isn’t the most nutritionally sound meal. When I finally went home on my second weekend, my mom picked up straight away that I was losing weight due to my poor diet. Ever since that, my lifestyle has very much improved and I have been eating more nutritious meals, trying out more varieties of food and improving my nutritional intake by consuming more vegetables and fruits (eat your veggies, kids) as well as adding more proteins into my diet. Music has also been a crucial part of improving my lifestyle as it provided a way for me to clear my mind and recollect my thoughts (listening to music before sleep is also very helpful).

While living away from home certainly has its downsides, it also brings a lot onto the table that will benefit you further down the line. While it is definitely a lot less carefree and a lot more reliant on good time management (which is something I still have to work on), it allows you to develop crucial life skills and live more independently, preparing you for adulthood. Sometimes, for you to discover your true potential and fulfill dreams, the most important step is to muster up the bravery to take that first step. In life, you gain some and lose some, and this applies to studying away from home. While you lose a lot of the liberty you have at home, it helps you pave a path for a better and brighter future, letting you spread your wings and shoot for the stars, chasing your hopes and dreams.

Thus, I (Kayden) have compiled some tips to help you cope with studying or living away from home.

Prior to setting off for your new endeavor away from home (especially for international students), there are a few highly recommendable preparations to be made.

1. Book student accommodation early.

With the growing international student population, student accommodations tend to fill up quickly. Thus, it would be wise to book it as early as possible. This will also increase your chances of getting your ideal accommodation.

While picking your accommodation, enquire thoroughly to choose what is best for you. Do you want a roommate, or would you rather be in a single room? Do you want an en suite bathroom, or can you settle with shared bathrooms? You decide.

2. Get your passports and visas ready ASAP.

This will apply to you if you will be studying/ living abroad. Depending on your host country, varying visa requirements will be expected of you. Prepare beforehand as these procedures can take a while.

3. Know your city.

To prevent too much of a culture shock, you could research some of the traditions, history or cultural norms of the city you are heading to. It might even be helpful to learn the local language.

4. Create a packing list.

There are many packing checklists available online which you can add to, such as this. Remember to also take the climate into account when packing!

Essentials to pack include important documents (e.g. passport, vaccination certificates, copy of your birth certificate, etc) and an emergency kit with your prescription medication, antihistamines, etc.

5. Download local apps.

Most cities will have their own well-known apps for different services or functions. This may include food delivery or e-hailing services and navigation. For example, Citymapper may be a better alternative for navigating in many European cities. E-hailing or food delivery services like Grab or Foodpanda operate mostly in Asia only. Thus, researching local apps will be vital for integrating into the local way of life.

6. Manage your finances.

Prepare a debit or credit card that you can use abroad. Many countries are phasing out cash payments as vendors opt for cashless instead. Having a debit or credit card with you will come in handy in such scenarios.

If you intend to create a bank account overseas, research the details or ask the bank to advise on procedures and documentation needed.

Living away from home will mean you will be responsible for managing your finances. Before heading abroad, create a feasible budget plan to better manage your spending.

In addition, socializing may feel overwhelming for some of us, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! But perhaps, try this tip out!

1. Get involved in activities.

Actively participating in activities or events is a great way of meeting like-minded people and making new friends. This may seem tough for some of us at the beginning, but stepping out of your comfort zone is key to opening up new horizons. Who knows? You may discover a new hobby or talent, or welcome new friendships! But first, you will have to keep an open mind for new experiences.

Being away from home alone may foster bouts of homesickness, which is completely normal! Therefore, here are a few tips that may be worth trying out to alleviate homesickness.

2. Cook or eat comfort food.

Be it a bowl of rice, or a bowl of hot soup, enjoying your comfort food can help to make you feel more at home. So find that hole in the wall serving that bowl of rice, or learn to cook that bowl of soup!

3. Bring your favorite sentimental items.

Pack that fluffy blanket, or packets of Maggi curry (Malaysian instant noodle) to bring some familiarity to the new environment you are in.

4. Embrace the differences.

You will be bound to find differences in the culture, food, etc between your home country and the new country you will be in. Constantly comparing or reminding yourself of these contrasts may rub salt in your homesick wound.

5. Stay in touch with family

Dedicate time to spend some time “with” your family, perhaps through video calls or sharing pictures of your recent. Bear in mind the potential time zone differences when scheduling calls too!

As Brian mentioned, keeping a balanced diet while managing your finances, studying and coping with other commitments may be too much to put on your plate. Cooking your own meals is usually more economical, so here are some tips to save your wallet and time!

1. Plan meals ahead during weekends.

This allows you to purchase and prepare the ingredients needed beforehand. It can also ease the stress of having to think of dishes to cook right before cooking, to only realize you don’t have the necessary ingredients. Save the hassle. Plan ahead.

2. Look for cheaper supermarkets.

Instead of buying in convenience stores, opting for supermarkets or local farmer’s markets at the end of the day may help you save some money. Supermarkets also often have their own generic brands of your favorite products, just without the famous brand, but at a lower price! Remember, many a little makes a mickle!

3. Purchase seasonal.

Buying produce e.g. fruits or vegetables when they are in season will make them cheaper, since they don’t have to be imported from elsewhere.

4. Follow the healthy eating plate.

A simple rule of thumb to follow for a balanced diet is shown in the diagram below. But of course, bear in mind that the dietary demand of individuals will differ depending on many factors.

5. Learn a few quick recipes.

There are plenty of online tutorials or recipes offering quick and balanced meals. Familiarizing yourself with a few might speed up your meal preparation time.

Here are a few accounts on Instagram teaching simple dishes. A prompt search online can allow you to explore more recipes based on your culinary skill level!

To wrap up, studying abroad is a rare opportunity that many people don’t have the privilege to pursue. Although living by yourself in a foreign country is undoubtedly challenging, this opportunity offers the chance to achieve personal growth, welcome lifelong friendships and gain lifelong skills such as independence. But be kind to yourself; accept the fact that there will be differences and hardships, and allow yourself time to adapt.

Disclaimer: I (Kayden) have not had the experience of studying abroad, so these tips are a compilation of research done to (hopefully) benefit both you and I.

By: Brian Lo and Kayden Owee

Books, Dreams and a Plane Ticket Home: Tips and Insights to Studying away from Home

Written by Voix Magazine