DOES BEING AN EXPAT IMPACT YOUR LIFE AND EDUCATION?
Expat is a short form of expatriate which refers to any individual who lives in another country whether temporarily or permanently other than his or her native country.
Some people think that expat and immigrant is the same thing. But there is a fine line between being an expatriate and an immigrant.
Immigrant moves to another country with the intention to stay in the country. There is no defined time for which the immigrant intends to stay in the country. Labor forces, professionals, and businesspeople who have established their business in a foreign country are the example of an immigrant.
On the other hand, expat living in other countries for a defined period of times. Ambassadors from foreign office from different nations who are living in another country for the period of four years are an example of an expatriate.
One of the most significant concerns for expat residing in other countries is the education of their children, but international school following the standardized curriculum such as American curriculum in Sharjah can be the solution to this concern.
Education of an Expat:
Expats tend to move from one country to another more than they want. They do not plan to settle in one state and more like temporary stay.
Given the situation, they still have to attain the education and jobs in the country they will reside. Parents are concerned because it is a tough task to move and find a new school for their children which will provide them the right kind of education.
Having a good education is vital for accomplishments in life, and the education is the baseline for all the other aspects of life.
Adapting to a new city, new location, making friends every few years and a new culture can be challenging for so many people and especially children.
Change might not be desirable and seem hard at the start, but it is good and gives you know-how for life.
Choosing the school:
One of the things you can do to lessen change and adaptation process is to enroll your child in an international school. There are a large number of international schools available around the world.
International schools follow the standardized curriculum and have a similar environment to other international schools present in different countries. To exemplify, American curriculum schools in Sharjah follow the standard similar to the other school branches.
It will give a chance to the expat to adapt quickly.
Setting in will take time:
As it is rightly said, change is inevitable except vending machine.
But change is not easy for anyone, especially for the children. A little change in the daily routine can be really hard so changing the whole lifestyle can take whole a lot time to adjust and settle in.
Do not rush or panic. Let your child take their time to settle in.
If you panic it will impact the lifestyle, educational growth and daily life of the child.
Your child might be irritated and angry because of changing and shifting to a new city every few years, but down the line, they are going to be grateful for the once in a lifetime experience they are having.
New life new learning:
When children are admitted to a new school, they will experience a unique array of skills and challenge. The challenges might be tough in the beginning, but they will be worth it.
These challenges at the new school, adapting to a new curriculum which might be similar to international standards such as American curriculum schools in Sharjah or education center might put in a difficult situation for a while. But it will prepare them for the life-long challenges, changes and make their resume strong for the job educations later on.
The vast experience of various cultures and knowledge will set these children apart from all the other children. The experience will make them stand out from the lot. For them, each day is a new adventure and a gateway to the new discoveries and vision.
In other words, a life of an expat can be easier said than done but it has encompassed more knowledge and more adventures.