"Spinster" women flock to study abroad to... heal

Claudia Ke (35 years old) from Shanghai (China) is studying abroad in Burgundy, France. Previously, Claudia worked at a fashion magazine, then worked for a retail group. She even started her own company but suddenly stopped everything to study abroad from August 2023.

Claudia is nearly 40 years old, in the eyes of many people, she is considered a "leftover" woman. Understanding the psychological pressures in her daughter's current life, Claudia's mother proactively advised her to continue studying, study abroad to get a master's degree to have a different feeling about life.

The wave of single middle-aged women flocking to study abroad is causing discussion on Chinese social networks (Illustration photo: 123RF).

At first, when her mother told her, Claudia thought it was a "crazy" decision because her life was stable. Studying abroad would require her to spend a lot of time preparing and spend a lot of money.

But in the end, the gloomy feeling about life made Claudia listen to her mother, stop all work to start the process of applying to some schools in Europe.

She chose to study for a Master of Business Administration at Burgundy Business School (BSB). In the summer of 2023, Claudia went to France to study.

Claudia is part of a "wave" of Chinese women in their 30s who put everything aside to study abroad.

There are many reasons for this decision, including the psychological pressure of not being married at an old age. In addition, at the age of 40, many people's careers have clearly taken shape, at this time, high expectations and aspirations are no longer there. Many people have to face the harsh reality of a period of stagnation, even regression in work.

Many women like Claudia silently go through midlife crisis, becoming confused and bewildered in work and life.

The psychological pressure from being late to get married combined with difficulties at work makes many Chinese women want to put everything on hold to study abroad (Illustration: Getty Image).

On Chinese social media, the topic of women studying abroad in their 40s is a hot topic. Currently, Claudia provides online consultations for women who want to study abroad like her.

"Many middle-aged Chinese women want to put everything aside to continue pursuing their studies, study abroad to change their perspective on work and life. When they have many worries, my advice is necessary to give them more confidence," said Claudia.

Since sharing her story on social media, Claudia has received thousands of messages from middle-aged women who want to study abroad like her, looking for advice on choosing a program and the application process.

Carrie Cai (33 years old) from Chengdu (China) also suffered a lot because of her late marriage. She was often reminded by her relatives and friends. In the end, she chose to use her savings to study abroad in Ireland, earning a master's degree in computer science .

Carrie was excited to begin her studies abroad in the summer of 2023, but quickly realized the challenges of studying abroad in her 30s. The language barrier and re-acclimating to academic activities posed many challenges for Carrie.

For many Chinese women, studying abroad is a way to change their feelings about work and life (Illustration: Go Abroad).

Carrie was not as fortunate as Claudia. Her decision to study abroad was not supported by her parents. Her parents objected to her putting off a stable career for an uncertain future. They felt that it was irresponsible for her to delay starting a family to study abroad.

In Ireland, Carrie met other women who thought and acted like her. They all had problems in work and life at the age of U40. In the end, they chose to study abroad as a way to change their perspective and feelings about life. This was also a solution for them to have the opportunity to develop themselves in a new land.

Carrie shares: "There are many things in life that we have to accept that we cannot control. But there are also many things that we can control. So why not take control of your life and do your best with what you can control?

I want to have more positive, new feelings about myself. After all, everyone only has one life, no matter what age, we need to live it meaningfully and happily."

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/phu-nu-e-chong-do-xo-di-du-hoc-de-chua-lanh-20240625205534927.htm