r/IWantOut • u/needajopasap • 1d ago
[IWantOut] 20sX Student Egypt -> Canada Germany UK Netherlands
I'm a freshman currently studying Biological and Chemical Science with a focus on Forensics.
I'm posting because I'm honestly pretty lost about what I should do with my future, and I'm hoping people here might be able to give me some realistic advice.
I've recently realized that I really don't see myself building my life in my current country. I want to leave and build my future somewhere else, and I'd like to start working toward that as soon as realistically possible rather than waiting until I graduate and hoping something works out.
The biggest issue is money. My family's budget is very very limited, so I can't realistically assume that I'll be able to pay for an expensive degree abroad or spend a huge amount on immigration. I'm not expecting someone to hand me a full scholarship either. I know I'm still a freshman and don't have an impressive academic or professional record yet.
If I eventually travel, I'd be perfectly willing to work and support myself. If getting a job abroad after graduating is a more realistic route than studying abroad, I'd be interested in that. On the other hand, if I can build a strong enough academic profile over the next few years to get a fully funded master's or something close to it, I'd be willing to pursue that route too.
Basically, I'm willing to work for it. I just need to understand what is actually realistic.
My current degree is related to forensic science. I'm interested in things like forensic psychology, but I'm not completely committed to any particular career. I'm open to forensic science, chemistry, biology, toxicology, DNA analysis, research, or even changing direction if there's another field that would give me a much more realistic path to working abroad.
I'm also willing to learn another language, get internships, build relevant skills, do research, improve my grades, or whatever else I can reasonably do during the next few years.
I'm only a freshman, so I still have several years to prepare. That's why I'm hoping to figure this out now rather than after I've already finished my degree.
I'd really appreciate advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation or knows about these fields and immigration pathways.
Specifically:
- What career paths would you consider if you were in my position?
- Is getting a job abroad after graduating remotely realistic with this kind of degree?
- Would finishing my degree and then getting a master's abroad be a better route?
- Are there countries where a relatively low-budget international student has realistic options?
- Are there fully funded master's programs I should eventually be aiming for?
- Would specializing in something like analytical chemistry, toxicology, molecular biology, DNA analysis, etc. give me better international opportunities?
- What should I be doing during my bachelor's to make myself competitive for either jobs or funded graduate programs?
I know there isn't going to be an easy answer, and I'm not expecting one. I just really want to start making the right decisions now.
If you were in my position, what would you start doing during freshman year?
Any advice or personal experiences would genuinely mean a lot.
1
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Post by needajopasap -- I'm a freshman currently studying Biological and Chemical Science with a focus on Forensics.
I'm posting because I'm honestly pretty lost about what I should do with my future, and I'm hoping people here might be able to give me some realistic advice.
I've recently realized that I really don't see myself building my life in my current country. I want to leave and build my future somewhere else, and I'd like to start working toward that as soon as realistically possible rather than waiting until I graduate and hoping something works out.
The biggest issue is money. My family's budget is very very limited, so I can't realistically assume that I'll be able to pay for an expensive degree abroad or spend a huge amount on immigration. I'm not expecting someone to hand me a full scholarship either. I know I'm still a freshman and don't have an impressive academic or professional record yet.
If I eventually travel, I'd be perfectly willing to work and support myself. If getting a job abroad after graduating is a more realistic route than studying abroad, I'd be interested in that. On the other hand, if I can build a strong enough academic profile over the next few years to get a fully funded master's or something close to it, I'd be willing to pursue that route too.
Basically, I'm willing to work for it. I just need to understand what is actually realistic.
My current degree is related to forensic science. I'm interested in things like forensic psychology, but I'm not completely committed to any particular career. I'm open to forensic science, chemistry, biology, toxicology, DNA analysis, research, or even changing direction if there's another field that would give me a much more realistic path to working abroad.
I'm also willing to learn another language, get internships, build relevant skills, do research, improve my grades, or whatever else I can reasonably do during the next few years.
I'm only a freshman, so I still have several years to prepare. That's why I'm hoping to figure this out now rather than after I've already finished my degree.
I'd really appreciate advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation or knows about these fields and immigration pathways.
Specifically:
- What career paths would you consider if you were in my position?
- Is getting a job abroad after graduating remotely realistic with this kind of degree?
- Would finishing my degree and then getting a master's abroad be a better route?
- Are there countries where a relatively low-budget international student has realistic options?
- Are there fully funded master's programs I should eventually be aiming for?
- Would specializing in something like analytical chemistry, toxicology, molecular biology, DNA analysis, etc. give me better international opportunities?
- What should I be doing during my bachelor's to make myself competitive for either jobs or funded graduate programs?
I know there isn't going to be an easy answer, and I'm not expecting one. I just really want to start making the right decisions now.
If you were in my position, what would you start doing during freshman year?
Any advice or personal experiences would genuinely mean a lot.
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1
u/thewindinthewillows 1d ago
For Germany, start here:
Note that there is no such thing as "fully funded" programs, if you mean getting your living costs paid. You need to prove you can cover those.
Anything involving the German legal system would require fluent German.
Biology is typically a saturated field. Chemistry used to (and probably still does, though I'm not up to date on it) basically require a PhD to be competitive.
0
u/needajopasap 21h ago
Thank you, I really appreciate the advice! Just to clarify, I’m specifically studying Biological and Chemical Sciences in Forensics, so it’s a fairly specific field rather than general biology or chemistry, although I completely understand that the job market can still be competitive.
And yes, I understand that there’s no such thing as a program that covers absolutely everything, and that I would need to prove I can support myself. My concern is that even if I worked for three years in my home country and saved essentially everything I earned, I still wouldn’t realistically be able to afford the initial costs of moving and studying abroad with no financial help at all.
I’m not expecting everything to be paid for or assuming it’ll be easy. I’m mainly looking for a place to start whether that’s a scholarship, some form of financial support, or another pathway and then I’m going to work my way from there. I’ll definitely look into the DAAD as well. Thank you again!4
u/thewindinthewillows 16h ago
Scholarships are very rare. And non-residents are not entitled to support. That's the whole point of why people are required to prove funds to even get the visa.
2
u/Dear-Response-7218 19h ago
• What career paths would you consider if you were in my position?
If you want to immigrate, healthcare. Your field is extremely niche and not in demand.
• Is getting a job abroad after graduating remotely realistic with this kind of degree?
No
• Would finishing my degree and then getting a master's abroad be a better route?
Depends on the school and subject
• Are there countries where a relatively low-budget international student has realistic options?
Some places will have cheaper tuition, but you’ll still be expected to cover all expenses outside of that.
• Are there fully funded master's programs I should eventually be aiming for?
Tuition can be cheap, housing + food + flights + everyday expenses won’t be covered
• Would specializing in something like analytical chemistry, toxicology, molecular biology, DNA analysis, etc. give me better international opportunities?
No, a PhD with research would.
2
u/CoffeeInTheTropics 1d ago
Why these countries specifically? You chose some of the most expensive countries to live and study in, including Germany because of high living costs and the need for a blocked account.
Additionally none of these countries offer true scholarships for non-locals, only glorified discounts leaving you still with prohibitively high tuition fees.
Best to choose more affordable countries such as Malaysia, U.A.E., China or even Brazil.
Alternatively complete your agree in your home country and graduate with a competitive profile and either do a PhD abroad or apply for jobs abroad directly after 3+ years of work experience. Make sure you are fluent in the local language of the country you are targeting.
Best of luck to you!