For those leaving high school, the issue of personal freedom is undoubtedly a big factor when deciding whether to go to work or embark on a university education.
Escaping your parents' watchful eye by several thousand kilometres, and an ocean or two, can make studying overseas an attractive option. However, freedom is about much, much more than the ability to come and go from your dorm as you please.
For probably the first time in your life, you, and you alone, are in charge of your education and lifestyle. You decide the courses you pick, the timetable you build your life around, and even whether you choose to attend or skip lectures (although I am in no way liable for any sudden drop in readers' grades).
Classes will often be too big for the professor to notice your absence. But before you scramble back to your room to wax your skis, you should bear in mind the consequences of skipping lectures. These will range from minor annoyances, such as having to fill in the blanks in the notes your professor posts online, to, depending on the leniency of your professor, losing your participation grade through missing tutorials and discussions.
The absence of the combined nagging of parents and teachers may also prove a serious setback because you will now be solely responsible for keeping tabs on the deadlines of the various papers and quizzes that you will be swamped with. Professors will not remind you constantly of the work that must be done in preparation for the next lecture. Instead, students are handed a schedule that details every deadline for the entire duration of the course.
The terrifying monster that is absolute freedom will also begin to invade your personal life. Unheard-of tasks such as cooking and organising a personal fitness regime, which were once the responsibility of your mother, maid or gym teacher, are now thrust into your hands.
