“I was 22, alone among my peers, and I was expected to lead a productive life and study for grad school with zero oversight. I lived in my own apartment, had to feed myself, do the laundry, keep the apartment clean, and basically just learn how to be an adult. Now, was I consistently successful at all of those things? Absolutely not. I almost set the apartment on fire while cooking one night. But I can tell you that everything I learned during that time has made me who I am today.” This description of an experience as an international student comes from Mohamed Mazloum, an Egyptian who left home to study in Saudi Arabia. Studying abroad is not a walk in the park, and it is certainly not for everyone. Uprooting your life for the sake of a degree is an expensive and exhausting process that can be isolating and emotionally draining. And yet, many Egyptians who get the chance to pursue academic opportunities outside of the country come back only to rave about their stints abroad for months and maybe even years after their return. Experiences differ, and…
