Hello everyone,
I’m a 21-year-old from Austria, and I’ve found myself in a bit of a dilemma. I’ve been passionate about Japan for as long as I can remember – the culture, language, and lifestyle all resonate with me deeply. Moving there, even for a year or more, has always been a dream of mine. But here’s the twist: I’ve also just started a well-paying job, and my parents are considering financially helping me buy my first home with the assistance of a housing subsidy here in Europe.
I’m currently in the early stages of signing the necessary documents for the home, but nothing is finalized. While buying property is a huge opportunity, I keep thinking about whether now might be the perfect time to explore my dream of Japan, even if it’s just for study. However, I don’t have a Matura (Austria’s secondary school leaving qualification), although I do have two diplomas from an HTL in Informatics, which might affect my eligibility for an IT degree in Japan.
So, my questions to this community are:
1. Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did you decide between staying and settling in your home country versus following your dream to Japan?
2. Any advice on how Japanese universities view diplomas from European countries, specifically Austria? And, if anyone has insight into housing subsidies and financial implications of studying abroad, I’d love to hear it.
Thank you for reading, and I’d appreciate any advice or perspectives on making this life decision. It’s a big one, and I feel stuck between two meaningful paths!
by MaikeruDev