Want to study abroad? Here’s something to think about

In the last episode of the Diaspora voice they handled some of the questions that plague most of us after leaving high school. Do you stay and study in Kenya? Or move and go study abroad? Though those interviewed are based in the US, I think the answers they gave are relevant even when you’re moving to Germany.

	Germany	USA
Tuition fee	Free	At least $1,000 per semester for tuition depending on your College and Major
Books	Most books can be found in the Uni library, if not you can borrow from a neighboring Uni for free or you can buy the book from websites where it’s subsidized by the Uni or your Prof sends a request and the books are bought and stocked in the library	Most students have to buy books every Semester like we used to do in school in Kenya
Working	Limited to 120 days or 240 half days.	Usually you can work full time and go to Uni part time; though nowadays they’ve made it harder for students to do that.
Visa	Your visa is reviewed severally during your time in Germany and can be withdrawn by the authorities anytime, if they feel you’re not doing what the visa stipulates. Visas are renewed internally	Your visa ensures your entry to the US, but when you’re in there you can decide to change your mind and do something else. You can continue to stay in the US but when you leave you can’t return, cause their visas are renewed externally
Longterm vs Short Term visas	Short term visas can never be converted to longterm visas e.g. a visiting visa will never allow you to join a Uni	You can move to the US on a visiting visa, and apply to get permits etc while already there; though this is being reviewed