JEDDAH, 7 March 2005 — The next time you hear a college student complain about their Saudi school, tell him or her that there are thousands of students abroad who would love to swap places, Al-Watan daily reported.
Earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree is the dream of many young Saudi men and women. In the past, people wanted to earn certificates for social status. Nowadays, higher degrees are important to be competitive in the job market.
Every year, thousands of Saudis who can’t gain admission to Saudi universities travel abroad to study at international universities and complete their higher education.
Al-Watan met with male and female Saudi students in Jordan and learned a lesson about the price of education.
“I had to go to Jordan because I wasn’t accepted at the Saudi universities,” said Muhammad Al-Outaiwi. “I applied to the teachers college and to medical college. I was approved by the Geology Department, but I wasn’t interested. Why study geology when it isn’t needed in the job market?”
For women students, cultures requiring greater independence can be challenging.
M.N., a Saudi student in Jordan, said that she and her colleagues suffer from many problems when studying abroad. She claims that Saudi female students do not have unified housing supervised by the Education Department at the Saudi Embassy. She urged the foreign service to pay more attention to women students.
Completing your education can require determination. How much determination is required may vary, but at least one man teaches his own students through the week and then commutes to Jordan on weekends to continue his own studies.
“My problem was that I couldn’t get an open vacation from the Education Ministry to continue my higher studies,” said Sulaiman M. “I am a teacher in Tabuk, in the north of Saudi Arabia. Every weekend, I travel more than 400 kilometers to Jordan to attend weekend classes. I wonder how I can study properly when I have to travel 400 kilometers before the class starts? I wish the ministry would consider the situation of teachers in border areas. They should have a special program for teachers who want to continue their higher education and provide a perfect environment for them.”
For many of the younger students, the price of studying abroad is leaving loved ones behind. “The worst thing about studying abroad is being far away from home and family,” said Hashim Muhammad. “We have to overcome this problem to earn a degree, so we can go back home and get proper jobs.”
