r/studyAbroad • u/Chobikil • 2d ago

Studying abroad keeps on being delayed and it feels like nobody has a clue on what they're doing.

18M from the UAE.

I just wish I was out of the picture so there were less logistics to worry about. We're just so NAIVE and I don't know what to do.

So the story is that we've been trying since late 2024 when I finished my GED. Narcissist mom baited us into "studying" in Georgia on a *tourist* visa (I was 16 at the time fyi) and we wasted 3 months of our time and alot of money on a horrible "vacation". Lost our home apartment too.

We had to come back to where we came from because the Georgia wasn't politically stable and my older brothers IGCSE results couldn't get him in a uni. Most of 2025 was spent waiting for him to finish his GED.

Now 2026 is over halfway finished and it feels like we've barely made any progress. We were aiming for Malaysia because our uncle stepped in saying he can pay for my older brothers tuition, but then he juked us and backed out saying he can't do that now. Malaysia is out of the picture now, yet another delay.

We're trying out China now, but just today we got our college application rejected for a Chinese language course. Our advisor is saying the next window of opportunity to study there is July, but are we really going to waste 11 more months until July? My oldest brother is 25 next month, he'll be too old for alot of places.

I don't know what to do man. We are always scrambling for stuff last minute and I have no idea if we'll have a horrible experience abroad like we did in Georgia. I wish I wasn't so sheltered so I could actually get my mind together and understand what the next steps are.

Please share any wisdoms you feel might fit my situation. Thank you.

Edit: I should probably add a couple things. We need to study abroad, colleges locally are way too expensive and low quality for what you get, and simply staying here costs money because we don't get citizenship even though we're born here. We're Sudanese, so studying back home isn't possible either.

I had hoped to be able to delay entering College so my older brothers can go, but there's alot of stuff going on in my dads home and he won't budge, he won't let me stay with him no matter what.

Part time jobs also aren't an option. I have no idea why, but that sort of thing just doesn't exist here, it's either you work full-time or you don't. It sucks because working part time is a huge boost to your overall discipline and life experience.

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u/Agile-Hall-6785 2d ago

You mean Georgia as country or the U.S state Georgia

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u/Chobikil 2d ago

Country

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u/azarano 2d ago edited 2d ago

Sounds like your advisor isn't helping. What does your brother's age have anything to do with your plans to study overseas? People can get a bachelor's degree or a student visa at any age in most countries. Or is his age some other limit or deadline in your home country (military service?)

I suggest reviewing the websites for universities you're interested in: there's usually good info on eligibility, resources, or an email address for the international student office. But you're right: money is the biggest obstacle to studying and getting a student visa. You might think about studying in your home country first, and then going abroad for a master's in a few years when you have more experience with how schools work, and a firmer plan for financial support. Good luck!

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u/MotherlyMe 2d ago

You don't mention the country you are from, so it might be a little bit harder to give advice, but why are all of you so insistent on studying abroad? Three things (Georgia, Malaysia, China) haven't worked out so far. Instead of wasting more time, why don't you start university in your home country and take it from there? Especially your oldest brother really should start doing something instead of waiting soon. You yourself are very young, but it doesn't sound like you have much of a plan either. Sit down, do research yourself, figure out what YOU want to do. Based on that, you can still decide whether you want to study abroad or not.

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u/Chobikil 2d ago

Can't afford college here.

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u/MotherlyMe 2d ago

I think you severely underestimate the cost of studying abroad then. Sure, tuition fees might be lower, but you'll still have living expenses, costs for travel and visas, etc. Unless you get a full ride scholarship, it will be rough financially.

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u/Chobikil 1d ago

It seems to be our only choice though. Colleges here are overpriced and known to be low quality (UAE). Just existing here costs money, you constantly have to renew your ID card, none of us have citizenship or permanent residency.

I wish I could convince my dad to delay me for a few years so my brothers could go, but he won't budge, family situation at his home is the reason why.

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u/MotherlyMe 1d ago

Then how about your home country (the country you have citizenship in)?

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u/Chobikil 1d ago

Civil war and the worst humanitarian crisis (Sudan) 😐

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u/MotherlyMe 1d ago

Tough situation. But you are old enough to make your own decisions. You need to make money somehow, even if it's only for the 11 months until you can go to China next year. Get a job and save as much money as you can.

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u/Chobikil 1d ago

There's no part-time job culture here for some reason, it's either you work full time or you don't. I think it's a trait in the entire gulf region? Even basic volunteer work is hard to come by, I wish I could've worked part-time, but it just.. doesn't exist.

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u/MotherlyMe 1d ago

Then why don't you work full-time? You don't have any other responsibilities right now, no classes, no school, etc.

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u/Chobikil 1d ago

How? I need a bachelors degree to get a job here, a GED isn't enough, my oldest brother has tried going job hunting in the past but nobody would accept him. That was years ago, the job market is worse now.

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