When immigrants arrive in a new country, most of them have one thing on their minds: opportunities. They want to know where the jobs are, how they can advance their careers, where they can make an extra coin, and how quickly they can improve their financial positions. Some begin looking for employment even before they have unpacked their suitcases. Others start researching businesses, professional opportunities, and investment possibilities. Their enthusiasm is understandable. After all, many people leave their countries of origin because they believe that the grass is greener on the other side.
However, after interacting with a number of immigrants and observing their experiences, I have come to appreciate something that I consider equally important, if not more important, than looking for opportunities. An immigrant should begin by understanding the system of the country they have moved into. Before asking how to make money, they should ask how the people in that country live. Before looking for ways to advance their careers, they should understand how careers work in that society. Before dreaming about owning a house, they should understand the housing system. And before making assumptions about family relationships, they should appreciate how family life is organized in their new environment.
I find it misleading when someone arrives in a new country and immediately concentrates on opportunities without first understanding the environment in which those opportunities exist. Opportunities do not operate in isolation. They operate within systems, cultures, traditions, laws, and economic arrangements. What works in one country may not necessarily work in another. A strategy that brings success in your home country might become a source of frustration in your new country.
There is a saying that frustration delayed is not frustration denied. An immigrant who ignores the realities of a new environment may enjoy the excitement of arrival for several years, only to discover later that they misunderstood the very system they were trying to succeed in. By then, changing direction may be difficult because they have already invested their money, time, energy, and expectations.
Let us take an example of someone moving from Kenya to the United States. These two countries have significant differences in their economic arrangements, education systems, housing structures, and family relationships. Although both countries provide opportunities for people to improve their lives, the paths to achieving those improvements are not necessarily the same.
In Kenya, education is generally regarded as one of the most reliable routes to financial advancement. Parents invest heavily in their children's education because they believe that good academic qualifications will open doors to better employment and higher salaries. A university degree is often considered a major achievement and a stepping stone towards a respectable career. The higher one's educational qualifications, the greater the expectation that they will secure a well-paying job.
This belief has shaped the ambitions of many Kenyan families. A child who performs well in school is encouraged to pursue university education, obtain professional qualifications, and eventually secure employment in a reputable organization. Someone with a master's degree may be expected to earn considerably more than someone with a diploma or certificate.
When such a person moves to the United States, they may carry the same expectations. They assume that their academic qualifications will automatically translate into better financial opportunities. Unfortunately, the reality can be different.
In the United States, educational qualifications matter, but their financial value depends heavily on the profession, specialization, licensing requirements, experience, and demand for particular skills. Some professions reward advanced education handsomely, while others do not necessarily offer salaries that correspond to the number of years someone has spent in school.
For example, medicine, engineering, technology, and certain specialized professions can provide excellent financial opportunities. However, a university degree in a field with limited demand may not guarantee a comfortable income. One may discover that someone with a few months of vocational training is earning an income comparable to, or even higher than, that of a person with a university degree.
Consider the healthcare industry. A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) may undergo a relatively short training program before entering the workforce. Although the job is important and provides an entry point into healthcare, the salary may be modest. On the other hand, a bank teller or cashier with a degree may earn less, depending on the employer, location, and experience. This illustrates why immigrants should investigate actual wages rather than assume that the length of an educational program determines earning potential.
The important lesson is that one must understand where the money is. It is not enough to know what one studied or how many certificates one possesses. One must understand which skills are in demand, which occupations offer opportunities for advancement, and which qualifications employers actually value.
An immigrant should therefore avoid blindly pursuing additional education simply because they believe another certificate will automatically improve their financial position. Sometimes, the better investment is obtaining a professional licence, learning a practical skill, or entering an industry with greater employment opportunities. Education remains valuable, but its value must be understood within the economic environment in which one intends to use it.
Housing is another area where immigrants can misunderstand the system of their new country. In Kenya, many people grow up with the dream of building a permanent family home. A person may purchase a piece of land, develop it gradually, and eventually construct a house. Once the house is completed and the necessary legal obligations are fulfilled, it becomes part of the family's property. In many communities, such a home carries emotional significance beyond its financial value. It represents belonging, identity, security, and continuity.
A family house can be passed from one generation to another. Children may inherit the property and continue living there long after their parents are gone. Although property ownership in Kenya comes with legal obligations, including applicable land rates and taxes, many people associate owning a rural family home with freedom from the recurring financial commitments associated with mortgages and property ownership in the United States. The American housing system operates differently. A person can purchase a beautiful house and still have substantial financial obligations attached to it for many years.
Many Americans acquire homes through mortgages. A mortgage is a long-term loan, often structured over fifteen or thirty years. The buyer makes a down payment and then commits to monthly payments that include interest and principal. Depending on the arrangement, the homeowner may also pay property taxes, homeowners' insurance, and other maintenance expenses.
This means that purchasing a house does not necessarily mean that one has become financially independent. A homeowner may spend decades paying for the property. Even after completing mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and other expenses remain.
Imagine an immigrant who arrives in the United States at the age of thirty. They work hard, save money, purchase a house, and commit themselves to a thirty-year mortgage. By the time they finish paying for the house, they may be approaching retirement. Unfortunately, retirement does not mean that their housing expenses disappear. Property taxes and maintenance costs continue.
If their retirement income is insufficient, they may eventually struggle to maintain the property. Some older homeowners are forced to downsize, sell their homes, or move into more affordable accommodation. Others use the equity accumulated in their homes to finance retirement or meet other expenses.
This is an important distinction that an immigrant needs to understand. In the United States, owning a house is not simply about having enough money for a deposit. It is about having a sustainable financial plan that can support the property throughout one's lifetime.
A person should not purchase a house merely because everyone around them seems to own one. They should first understand the mortgage terms, property taxes, insurance, maintenance costs, and what happens when they stop working. The bigger lesson is that a house is both an asset and a responsibility. If one does not understand the responsibilities, what initially appears to be a lifetime achievement can become a financial burden.
When a young person gets a job, relatives may expect them to contribute towards household expenses, school fees, medical bills, or the construction of a family home. When parents become old, their children are often expected to participate in caring for them. Siblings may support one another financially, and relatives may come together during weddings, funerals, illnesses, and other family events.
The ancestral home also occupies an important place in the lives of many Kenyans. Even someone who has lived in Nairobi for several decades may still consider the rural home their permanent place of belonging. They may build a house there, visit during holidays, and eventually plan to retire there. Family, in this arrangement, is not merely a group of people sharing a surname. It is a support system.
The American family arrangement is generally more individualistic. Children are encouraged to become independent and establish their own lives. By the age of eighteen, many young adults are expected to take greater responsibility for their decisions, education, employment, and living arrangements. Some leave home to attend college, while others begin working and finding accommodation independently.
They may take student loans, rent apartments, purchase houses, establish careers, get married, and raise their own children. Their parents may love and support them, but there is a stronger cultural expectation that each individual should eventually become self-sufficient.
This arrangement has advantages and disadvantages. It encourages independence, personal responsibility, and the ability to make individual decisions. However, it can also create situations where family members live separate lives for extended periods.
It is not unusual to hear of siblings who have not spoken to one another for years or adult children who rarely visit their parents. This does not mean that Americans do not love their families. Rather, relationships and responsibilities are often organized differently, and geographical distance, work schedules, personal boundaries, and individual circumstances can affect family interactions.
One should also appreciate that the American social system provides support structures for people who encounter difficulties. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment benefits, food assistance, and other programs can help eligible individuals in different circumstances. These programs do not eliminate hardship, and not everyone qualifies for every form of assistance, but they form part of the safety net available to people who may not have relatives to depend on.
An immigrant arriving from a society where family members are expected to support one another may find this arrangement difficult to understand. They may wonder why parents do not simply move in with their children or why siblings do not automatically contribute towards one another's expenses.
At the same time, an immigrant may arrive with the expectation that their relatives back home will depend on them financially. They may find themselves supporting parents, siblings, nephews, nieces, and other relatives while simultaneously trying to establish their own household in an expensive country. This creates a delicate balancing act. The immigrant must understand the responsibilities of their new environment without abandoning the values they brought from home.
The lesson is not that one family arrangement is superior to the other. Rather, one must understand the expectations, limitations, and responsibilities that come with each arrangement.
The differences in education, housing, and family arrangements are only a few examples of what an immigrant needs to understand. There are many other areas worth exploring, including taxation, healthcare, retirement planning, credit scores, insurance, employment contracts, and the legal implications of everyday decisions.
For instance, someone arriving from Kenya may be accustomed to paying for certain services in cash. In the United States, however, credit history can influence one's ability to obtain a mortgage, purchase a vehicle, rent accommodation, or access favourable loan terms. An immigrant who does not understand how credit works may make financial decisions that affect them for years.
Healthcare is another area that requires attention. A person may assume that because they have secured employment, their medical needs are automatically covered. They may later discover that health insurance comes with premiums, deductibles, copayments, and other conditions. Without understanding these arrangements, an unexpected medical bill can become a serious financial challenge.
Even something as ordinary as employment requires a different understanding. In some countries, people may regard having one permanent job as the ultimate sign of security. In the United States, people frequently change employers to improve their earnings, acquire new skills, or pursue better opportunities. Understanding employment benefits, retirement contributions, and workplace policies is therefore important. These are not things an immigrant should wait to discover through painful experiences. They should be part of the learning process immediately after arrival.
One mistake immigrants make is measuring everything in their new country using the standards of their countries of origin. They may compare salaries without considering the cost of living. They may compare house prices without considering mortgages and property taxes. They may compare family relationships without appreciating cultural expectations. They may even compare the value of professional qualifications without understanding the local labour market. Such comparisons can create unnecessary disappointment.
For example, someone may hear that a person working in an ordinary American job earns several thousand dollars a month and conclude that they are financially comfortable. However, they may not know how much that person spends on rent, transportation, insurance, taxes, childcare, student loans, and other obligations. A salary should never be evaluated in isolation. What matters is what remains after meeting the responsibilities attached to earning it.
Similarly, an immigrant should not assume that every American homeowner is wealthy or that every person driving an expensive vehicle is financially stable. Some people have substantial debts behind the lifestyles they display. The same applies to immigrants who may appear successful because they send money home, build houses, or purchase expensive vehicles while struggling to meet their obligations abroad.
The ability to earn money is one thing. The ability to manage it within a particular economic system is another. An immigrant must therefore learn to distinguish between appearances and financial reality.
I would recommend that every immigrant become a student of their new environment before becoming an aggressive seeker of opportunities. Observe how the locals live. Ask questions. Read about the laws. Understand the tax system. Learn how people obtain employment, purchase houses, save for retirement, and educate their children. Find out what happens when someone loses a job, becomes too old to work, or encounters a financial emergency.
Do not be embarrassed to ask questions. Being educated in your home country does not automatically make you knowledgeable about the systems of another country. A person may hold a doctorate and still be a beginner when it comes to understanding how mortgages, credit scores, insurance, or retirement accounts work in the United States. There is no shame in learning. In fact, recognizing that you have entered a different environment is the beginning of wisdom.
It is also important to interact with people who have lived in the country for many years. However, one should not assume that every immigrant's experience represents the entire system. People have different educational backgrounds, financial positions, family circumstances, and immigration histories. Learn from their experiences, but verify important information through reliable sources and qualified professionals.
Above all, avoid making major decisions simply because someone else has made them. The fact that another immigrant purchased a house does not mean you are ready to purchase one. The fact that someone went back to school does not mean another qualification is your best investment. The fact that someone sends thousands of dollars home every month does not mean you should carry the same financial responsibilities. Understand your circumstances and make decisions accordingly.
Moving to another country is an enormous undertaking. It requires courage, determination, sacrifice, and a willingness to start again. For many immigrants, it represents the hope of a better future, not only for themselves but also for their children and relatives back home. However, hope must be accompanied by understanding.
It is good to look for employment, pursue education, start businesses, invest, and seek financial advancement. These are noble ambitions. But before chasing opportunities, take time to understand the environment in which you intend to pursue them.
Kenya and the United States may both provide opportunities, but they do not operate in exactly the same way. What makes financial sense in one country may be a poor decision in another. What is considered a family responsibility in one society may be treated as an individual choice in another. What appears to be a valuable educational qualification in one labour market may have a different financial value in another.
An immigrant who understands these differences is better positioned to make informed decisions. They are less likely to waste money pursuing the wrong qualifications, less likely to enter unsustainable financial commitments, and better prepared to balance their responsibilities at home with the demands of their new environment.
Remember, you are not simply moving from one geographical location to another. You are moving from one system of living to another. Do not spend all your time learning how to succeed in your new country before learning how that country works. Opportunities may help you rise, but understanding the system may prevent you from falling.
However, after interacting with a number of immigrants and observing their experiences, I have come to appreciate something that I consider equally important, if not more important, than looking for opportunities. An immigrant should begin by understanding the system of the country they have moved into. Before asking how to make money, they should ask how the people in that country live. Before looking for ways to advance their careers, they should understand how careers work in that society. Before dreaming about owning a house, they should understand the housing system. And before making assumptions about family relationships, they should appreciate how family life is organized in their new environment.
I find it misleading when someone arrives in a new country and immediately concentrates on opportunities without first understanding the environment in which those opportunities exist. Opportunities do not operate in isolation. They operate within systems, cultures, traditions, laws, and economic arrangements. What works in one country may not necessarily work in another. A strategy that brings success in your home country might become a source of frustration in your new country.
There is a saying that frustration delayed is not frustration denied. An immigrant who ignores the realities of a new environment may enjoy the excitement of arrival for several years, only to discover later that they misunderstood the very system they were trying to succeed in. By then, changing direction may be difficult because they have already invested their money, time, energy, and expectations.
Let us take an example of someone moving from Kenya to the United States. These two countries have significant differences in their economic arrangements, education systems, housing structures, and family relationships. Although both countries provide opportunities for people to improve their lives, the paths to achieving those improvements are not necessarily the same.
In Kenya, education is generally regarded as one of the most reliable routes to financial advancement. Parents invest heavily in their children's education because they believe that good academic qualifications will open doors to better employment and higher salaries. A university degree is often considered a major achievement and a stepping stone towards a respectable career. The higher one's educational qualifications, the greater the expectation that they will secure a well-paying job.
This belief has shaped the ambitions of many Kenyan families. A child who performs well in school is encouraged to pursue university education, obtain professional qualifications, and eventually secure employment in a reputable organization. Someone with a master's degree may be expected to earn considerably more than someone with a diploma or certificate.
When such a person moves to the United States, they may carry the same expectations. They assume that their academic qualifications will automatically translate into better financial opportunities. Unfortunately, the reality can be different.
In the United States, educational qualifications matter, but their financial value depends heavily on the profession, specialization, licensing requirements, experience, and demand for particular skills. Some professions reward advanced education handsomely, while others do not necessarily offer salaries that correspond to the number of years someone has spent in school.
For example, medicine, engineering, technology, and certain specialized professions can provide excellent financial opportunities. However, a university degree in a field with limited demand may not guarantee a comfortable income. One may discover that someone with a few months of vocational training is earning an income comparable to, or even higher than, that of a person with a university degree.
Consider the healthcare industry. A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) may undergo a relatively short training program before entering the workforce. Although the job is important and provides an entry point into healthcare, the salary may be modest. On the other hand, a bank teller or cashier with a degree may earn less, depending on the employer, location, and experience. This illustrates why immigrants should investigate actual wages rather than assume that the length of an educational program determines earning potential.
The important lesson is that one must understand where the money is. It is not enough to know what one studied or how many certificates one possesses. One must understand which skills are in demand, which occupations offer opportunities for advancement, and which qualifications employers actually value.
An immigrant should therefore avoid blindly pursuing additional education simply because they believe another certificate will automatically improve their financial position. Sometimes, the better investment is obtaining a professional licence, learning a practical skill, or entering an industry with greater employment opportunities. Education remains valuable, but its value must be understood within the economic environment in which one intends to use it.
Housing is another area where immigrants can misunderstand the system of their new country. In Kenya, many people grow up with the dream of building a permanent family home. A person may purchase a piece of land, develop it gradually, and eventually construct a house. Once the house is completed and the necessary legal obligations are fulfilled, it becomes part of the family's property. In many communities, such a home carries emotional significance beyond its financial value. It represents belonging, identity, security, and continuity.
A family house can be passed from one generation to another. Children may inherit the property and continue living there long after their parents are gone. Although property ownership in Kenya comes with legal obligations, including applicable land rates and taxes, many people associate owning a rural family home with freedom from the recurring financial commitments associated with mortgages and property ownership in the United States. The American housing system operates differently. A person can purchase a beautiful house and still have substantial financial obligations attached to it for many years.
Many Americans acquire homes through mortgages. A mortgage is a long-term loan, often structured over fifteen or thirty years. The buyer makes a down payment and then commits to monthly payments that include interest and principal. Depending on the arrangement, the homeowner may also pay property taxes, homeowners' insurance, and other maintenance expenses.
This means that purchasing a house does not necessarily mean that one has become financially independent. A homeowner may spend decades paying for the property. Even after completing mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and other expenses remain.
Imagine an immigrant who arrives in the United States at the age of thirty. They work hard, save money, purchase a house, and commit themselves to a thirty-year mortgage. By the time they finish paying for the house, they may be approaching retirement. Unfortunately, retirement does not mean that their housing expenses disappear. Property taxes and maintenance costs continue.
If their retirement income is insufficient, they may eventually struggle to maintain the property. Some older homeowners are forced to downsize, sell their homes, or move into more affordable accommodation. Others use the equity accumulated in their homes to finance retirement or meet other expenses.
This is an important distinction that an immigrant needs to understand. In the United States, owning a house is not simply about having enough money for a deposit. It is about having a sustainable financial plan that can support the property throughout one's lifetime.
A person should not purchase a house merely because everyone around them seems to own one. They should first understand the mortgage terms, property taxes, insurance, maintenance costs, and what happens when they stop working. The bigger lesson is that a house is both an asset and a responsibility. If one does not understand the responsibilities, what initially appears to be a lifetime achievement can become a financial burden.
Perhaps one of the most significant differences between Kenya and the United States is the way families are structured and how responsibilities are shared. In Kenya, family relationships are generally communal. Although individual families differ, many people grow up knowing that their lives are connected to the lives of their parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. A person's success is often viewed as something that should benefit the wider family.
When a young person gets a job, relatives may expect them to contribute towards household expenses, school fees, medical bills, or the construction of a family home. When parents become old, their children are often expected to participate in caring for them. Siblings may support one another financially, and relatives may come together during weddings, funerals, illnesses, and other family events.
The ancestral home also occupies an important place in the lives of many Kenyans. Even someone who has lived in Nairobi for several decades may still consider the rural home their permanent place of belonging. They may build a house there, visit during holidays, and eventually plan to retire there. Family, in this arrangement, is not merely a group of people sharing a surname. It is a support system.
The American family arrangement is generally more individualistic. Children are encouraged to become independent and establish their own lives. By the age of eighteen, many young adults are expected to take greater responsibility for their decisions, education, employment, and living arrangements. Some leave home to attend college, while others begin working and finding accommodation independently.
They may take student loans, rent apartments, purchase houses, establish careers, get married, and raise their own children. Their parents may love and support them, but there is a stronger cultural expectation that each individual should eventually become self-sufficient.
This arrangement has advantages and disadvantages. It encourages independence, personal responsibility, and the ability to make individual decisions. However, it can also create situations where family members live separate lives for extended periods.
It is not unusual to hear of siblings who have not spoken to one another for years or adult children who rarely visit their parents. This does not mean that Americans do not love their families. Rather, relationships and responsibilities are often organized differently, and geographical distance, work schedules, personal boundaries, and individual circumstances can affect family interactions.
One should also appreciate that the American social system provides support structures for people who encounter difficulties. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment benefits, food assistance, and other programs can help eligible individuals in different circumstances. These programs do not eliminate hardship, and not everyone qualifies for every form of assistance, but they form part of the safety net available to people who may not have relatives to depend on.
An immigrant arriving from a society where family members are expected to support one another may find this arrangement difficult to understand. They may wonder why parents do not simply move in with their children or why siblings do not automatically contribute towards one another's expenses.
At the same time, an immigrant may arrive with the expectation that their relatives back home will depend on them financially. They may find themselves supporting parents, siblings, nephews, nieces, and other relatives while simultaneously trying to establish their own household in an expensive country. This creates a delicate balancing act. The immigrant must understand the responsibilities of their new environment without abandoning the values they brought from home.
The lesson is not that one family arrangement is superior to the other. Rather, one must understand the expectations, limitations, and responsibilities that come with each arrangement.
The differences in education, housing, and family arrangements are only a few examples of what an immigrant needs to understand. There are many other areas worth exploring, including taxation, healthcare, retirement planning, credit scores, insurance, employment contracts, and the legal implications of everyday decisions.
For instance, someone arriving from Kenya may be accustomed to paying for certain services in cash. In the United States, however, credit history can influence one's ability to obtain a mortgage, purchase a vehicle, rent accommodation, or access favourable loan terms. An immigrant who does not understand how credit works may make financial decisions that affect them for years.
Healthcare is another area that requires attention. A person may assume that because they have secured employment, their medical needs are automatically covered. They may later discover that health insurance comes with premiums, deductibles, copayments, and other conditions. Without understanding these arrangements, an unexpected medical bill can become a serious financial challenge.
Even something as ordinary as employment requires a different understanding. In some countries, people may regard having one permanent job as the ultimate sign of security. In the United States, people frequently change employers to improve their earnings, acquire new skills, or pursue better opportunities. Understanding employment benefits, retirement contributions, and workplace policies is therefore important. These are not things an immigrant should wait to discover through painful experiences. They should be part of the learning process immediately after arrival.
One mistake immigrants make is measuring everything in their new country using the standards of their countries of origin. They may compare salaries without considering the cost of living. They may compare house prices without considering mortgages and property taxes. They may compare family relationships without appreciating cultural expectations. They may even compare the value of professional qualifications without understanding the local labour market. Such comparisons can create unnecessary disappointment.
For example, someone may hear that a person working in an ordinary American job earns several thousand dollars a month and conclude that they are financially comfortable. However, they may not know how much that person spends on rent, transportation, insurance, taxes, childcare, student loans, and other obligations. A salary should never be evaluated in isolation. What matters is what remains after meeting the responsibilities attached to earning it.
Similarly, an immigrant should not assume that every American homeowner is wealthy or that every person driving an expensive vehicle is financially stable. Some people have substantial debts behind the lifestyles they display. The same applies to immigrants who may appear successful because they send money home, build houses, or purchase expensive vehicles while struggling to meet their obligations abroad.
The ability to earn money is one thing. The ability to manage it within a particular economic system is another. An immigrant must therefore learn to distinguish between appearances and financial reality.
I would recommend that every immigrant become a student of their new environment before becoming an aggressive seeker of opportunities. Observe how the locals live. Ask questions. Read about the laws. Understand the tax system. Learn how people obtain employment, purchase houses, save for retirement, and educate their children. Find out what happens when someone loses a job, becomes too old to work, or encounters a financial emergency.
Do not be embarrassed to ask questions. Being educated in your home country does not automatically make you knowledgeable about the systems of another country. A person may hold a doctorate and still be a beginner when it comes to understanding how mortgages, credit scores, insurance, or retirement accounts work in the United States. There is no shame in learning. In fact, recognizing that you have entered a different environment is the beginning of wisdom.
It is also important to interact with people who have lived in the country for many years. However, one should not assume that every immigrant's experience represents the entire system. People have different educational backgrounds, financial positions, family circumstances, and immigration histories. Learn from their experiences, but verify important information through reliable sources and qualified professionals.
Above all, avoid making major decisions simply because someone else has made them. The fact that another immigrant purchased a house does not mean you are ready to purchase one. The fact that someone went back to school does not mean another qualification is your best investment. The fact that someone sends thousands of dollars home every month does not mean you should carry the same financial responsibilities. Understand your circumstances and make decisions accordingly.
Moving to another country is an enormous undertaking. It requires courage, determination, sacrifice, and a willingness to start again. For many immigrants, it represents the hope of a better future, not only for themselves but also for their children and relatives back home. However, hope must be accompanied by understanding.
It is good to look for employment, pursue education, start businesses, invest, and seek financial advancement. These are noble ambitions. But before chasing opportunities, take time to understand the environment in which you intend to pursue them.
Kenya and the United States may both provide opportunities, but they do not operate in exactly the same way. What makes financial sense in one country may be a poor decision in another. What is considered a family responsibility in one society may be treated as an individual choice in another. What appears to be a valuable educational qualification in one labour market may have a different financial value in another.
An immigrant who understands these differences is better positioned to make informed decisions. They are less likely to waste money pursuing the wrong qualifications, less likely to enter unsustainable financial commitments, and better prepared to balance their responsibilities at home with the demands of their new environment.
Remember, you are not simply moving from one geographical location to another. You are moving from one system of living to another. Do not spend all your time learning how to succeed in your new country before learning how that country works. Opportunities may help you rise, but understanding the system may prevent you from falling.
