arsa (Russia)

I went to study abroad when I was 17. I went to UK from Russia. First year was a total waste. I was away from parental control for the first time and as it happens I met plenty of Russian students in my college and we spent most of our time shopping, hanging out at cafes and clubbing. We studied sometimes but it wasn't until two years later that I realized that my English hadn't improved. I had trouble understanding my lecturers and my assignments kept coming back with poor scores. I changed my mindset entirely and started studying hard. I ended up staying in UK for 10 years, which opened a lot of doors and introduced me to great people, so I'm all for studying abroad.But Chinese students do tend to stick together which does nothing for their English, or network building - biggest reason why you'd want to go abroad in the first place, besides getting a fancy certificate.

Chinese students pose for a photo at a graduation ceremony in Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia on Feb 11, 2012.[Photo/IC]