International students work hard online but are still labeled as classy

Many international students have to work hard to earn money to cover the expensive cost of living in a foreign country.

Don't want to "show off" hardship

Phan My Linh (27 years old, former student of Kookmin University, Korea) shared that her family is normal, she wanted to study abroad to find new opportunities. To have the cost for her to study abroad, her parents had to empty all the money in the house with the hope that she would go there to study and work, sending money back to her family.

However, when she came to Korea, she was shocked to find that life here was too expensive compared to Vietnam, and it was not easy to find a job due to limited communication.

With a 4-day/week school schedule, Linh spends time working part-time on the remaining days. She said that her schedule is fine on normal days, but during exam season she often lacks sleep, leading to illness and stomach pain due to having to work and study at the same time.

Despite all the hardships, Linh still cannot avoid gossip when she returns home that she is living a lavish life while her parents work hard at home. However, she says she doesn't care because as long as her family understands, that's enough.

Looking at the luxurious check-in photos and regular gym workouts, Nguyen Thien Nhan (24 years old) - studying at Auckland University (New Zealand) - is considered by everyone around him to be a rich kid with a happy life abroad.

However, few people know that Nhan's parents only pay for his tuition, and he has to manage the rest himself. Nhan said he often works as a TA (technical person for the project - PV) for the school, running errands at coffee shops or bars to earn extra income.

He just wants to share positive moments on social media revolving around studying, playing, and entertaining with friends. Perhaps that makes people mistakenly think that he only studies and plays when he goes abroad.

Nhan confided: "All activities like going out, eating out, and traveling are all money I saved from working, and I want to reward myself."

Studying abroad still can work part-time maximum hours

Majoring in evolutionary biology and individualism at Oberlin College in the US, Trinh Ngoc My (21 years old) said that students here enjoy good treatment, but other expenses are very high.

Tuition at the school is $80,000 (about 2 billion VND)/year. Thanks to financial aid and scholarships, My only pays about $20,000 (about 505 million VND)/year.

To ease the financial burden on her family, My took advantage of her limited time outside of school to do many extra jobs. "Students are only allowed to work 20 hours a week, so I made the most of those 20 hours to do 5 jobs," My said.

In addition to her main job as a teaching assistant, My does a number of other jobs related to school work, so the hardest part is arranging her study schedule so that it doesn't overlap with her part-time job schedule.

"These jobs are time-consuming but bring in high income, positively affecting my spirit and social relationships," My is satisfied even though she has to struggle with work and study every day.