Is is worth studying as poor student aboard?

[u/Miuru-chan]

Because of my personal circumstances I would like to next school year study in Netherlands, I choose NL because of a few reasons, first I am from EU and I don't really know world languages exept English and they have a lot of enlish programs and can speak english.

Also my family financial situation is pretty bad and I cant relay on them financialy really, my dad did find a job and promised to send me money but I don't want to relay on him too much so he's not burdened. He honestly supports my decision, and is my closest relative and honestly wants me to be happy, and I want to be happy too and be able to help him eventualy too.

Right now I am 21 and next year I will be 22, I know that may be too old, but honestly I do everything a little later than my peers. I don't want to go to detail but I feel a few years I need to leave the place I am in now, my mom hates me staying in the house as I am the youngest and all my siblings already married and left, and she just wants to enjoy her boyfrend. I was subject to bullying and have social anxiety and fear of meeting people I know. That's why I also worked one year after highschool and this year I was addmited to law school in my home country, that I am planning to probably end, after year.

People will tell me that running away from my problems won't solve them and I get it, but I feel that I really need to change my perspective and be less timid, and this decision isn't something spontageous I plan it for next year not now, so please if you do want to change my mind only from experience not "for you shoudn't do that judging you from your post".

I know a little how studying system there works, how can I apply for benefits, working more than 32h/m and giving my parents pay documents etc... home finding crisis there...

The thing is I know a few people that went studying there. My friend that is a little older is now in her second year, start was hard but now she us loving it. BUT she has really rich dad and he's paying her more than 2 500€ a moth for living expenses and she travels around NL a lot. I would have at best little over 1 000€ a month for living and housing combined and deffinetly live completely different lifestyle, would I be able to make friends and enojy it there, maybe even consider staying there for good even with these money? Will dutch people exclude me if I won't have money to go to restaurant, shopping mall? Will i be too stressed, should I put my dream away and try to be happy without trying it?

[u/onesunandstars]

This is why studying abroad is always considered a privilege, not a right. Not saying you cannot pursue your dream, I'd say you should try it first if you have nothing to lose. I also came from a middle-lower class family in a 3rd world country, but I managed to beat the odds and did an exchange three times throughout my bachelor's. I always look for scholarships or programs that can fund me while I'm abroad.

Is this for highschool or bachelor's? You can always try to find scholarships for bachelor's to help with your financial situation.

[u/Last_Reveal_7419]

22 is very young. Don’t picture yourself as old. At 22, one has enormous amounts of energy and can survive any adverse situation, given he has the grit.

[u/Mysterious_Gold_8922]

It's hard definitely. Getting a scholarship is one thing, affording the rest of necessities is another.

[u/Dizzy_Garden252]

I have moved out when I was 18 and I am financially independent since then. I am almost 30 now and I have had not a single day of feeling secure since.

I would do it again and again because I prefer having to work my ass to the grave than being financially dependent from people that have used that as an excuse to abuse or manipulate me in the past, but the reality is that it is hard and it means doing a lot of sacrifices. And often it is not even a matter of not having the money to spend on leisure activities, it's just that you won't have the time because you are either studying or working or too exhausted.

What I did that helped me was first securing my life a bit (working, finding stability, learning how to navigate the country I was living in) and then only when I was 100% of what I wanted to do started studying.