ABSTRACT
Recent studies have shown that choosing to study overseas is a complex and multifaceted process that extends beyond simply regurgitating the traditional push-and-pull factors of student mobility (Carlson, 2013; Mosneaga and Winther, 2013; Raghuram, 2013). Prospective students are influenced by the perception not only of an often ‘better’ degree than that which they would obtain at home (Gribble, 2008; Guth and Gill, 2008) but also of an overseas experience that will lead to self-development (Jindal-Snape and Ingram, 2013). Indeed international students believe that by participating in a multicultural community and/or spending a period of time living independently from family and friends they will develop a range of social and cultural capital. If and when they return home, they anticipate that they will be different from those who chose to remain behind, having experienced a personal transformation as a direct result of their time spent abroad (see Brown, 2009; Crow, 2002; Hudson and Inkson, 2006; Waters and Brooks, 2011). Many international students view this potential self-development positively, believing that the social and cultural capital achieved are likely to enhance their career prospects as employers seek out individuals with language and intercultural communication capabilities in a more globalised world. An international education is, therefore, about not only the qualification obtained but the ability to access new forms of capital (Findlay, King, Smith, Geddes, and Skeldon, 2012; Holloway, O’Hara, and Pimlott-Wilson, 2012; see also Chapter 6).
