My journey to studying abroad is actually quite funny. Even though I had always imagined myself studying overseas, by my final year of Secondary School I had already decided to study Food Technology at a university in Lithuania.
Then, at the end of winter, everything changed. I came across a TikTok video where a student was showing what their Food Technology classes looked like at a university abroad. That single video reignited my dream of studying overseas. I immediately visited KASTU to explore my options.
There weren't many universities offering Food Technology. My choices came down to the Netherlands or the UK. Because of Brexit, the UK was no longer the right option for me, so I focused on the Netherlands. Honestly, I don't even remember exactly how I chose my university—it was probably a combination of instinct and a bit of luck.
The application process turned out to be much easier than I expected. Within a month, while still finishing Secondary School, I prepared for and passed the TOEFL English language exam before submitting my application. KASTU handled the rest of the process, making everything incredibly straightforward. Whenever I had questions or uncertainties, they were always there to help, so the whole application process was surprisingly stress-free.
My first months at university have been amazing. Looking back, choosing to study abroad was definitely the right decision, especially because my programme focuses heavily on practical learning. Instead of spending all my time in lecture halls, I get plenty of laboratory work and hands-on experience, which is exactly what I was looking for.
Another thing I love is the international environment. My classmates come from every corner of the world. There are only a few students from the same country, alongside a handful of Dutch students. Everyone else comes from places such as Mexico, Tanzania, Mongolia, Cyprus, Latvia, Ukraine, Italy, and several African countries. Meeting people with such different backgrounds has become one of the most valuable parts of my university experience.
For anyone still deciding whether to study abroad, I would first ask yourself one question: Do you prefer practical learning or mainly theoretical studies? From my experience, Dutch universities place a strong emphasis on practical work, while universities in Lithuania tend to focus more on theory.
Studying abroad also gives you something that is difficult to measure—an international network of friends and future professionals from all over the world. And if you realise it's not the right choice, you can always return home. But if you never try, you'll always wonder what could have been.
