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TOEIC：目安 700〜850点, IELTS：6.0〜6.5 程度の記事となります。
“The biggest barriers to study-abroad preparation are cost and safety.
66% of students take an English-proficiency test more than twice.
Delays in visa processing significantly increase anxiety.”
— Duolingo Global Study Abroad Survey 2025
This recent 2025 Duolingo survey reveals something many students secretly struggle with:
Most of the stress during study-abroad preparation comes from unclear information and unanswered questions—the ‘gray zone’ that quietly grows in your mind.
Whether you are a Japanese student preparing to study overseas or an international student already in Japan, the same patterns keep appearing:
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Costs feel unpredictable
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Visa procedures feel overwhelming
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Safety information is inconsistent
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English test results don’t go as planned
And you are definitely not alone.
A Former Student’s Story (Name Changed):
“I couldn’t sleep because of these three fears.”
A former student (name changed), who was preparing to study in Canada, told me:
“The cost, the visa, and safety…
These three fears kept me awake at night.
I thought I was the only one who didn’t understand anything.”
Like many students, she was stuck in a “gray zone”:
not enough information to move forward, but too much anxiety to stay calm.
Once she understood the order and the logic of the preparation steps, her anxiety decreased dramatically.
Below, we break down the top three concerns from the 2025 data and provide realistic solutions that students can apply immediately.
Top 3 Study-Abroad Concerns in 2025
…and How to Actually Overcome Them
① Cost — The Most Common and Heaviest Anxiety
Duolingo reports “cost” as the No.1 barrier in all regions.
What increases the anxiety is not the amount itself,
but not knowing what will cost what, and when.
✔ Practical Solution:
Break costs into 3 clear categories
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Initial Costs (first 1–3 months)
Examples: tuition, admission fee, initial rent, insurance, flights -
Monthly Fixed Costs
Rent, utilities, food, phone, transportation -
Variable Costs
Books, local trips, unexpected expenses, replacement items
Once the cost categories are separated,
Your “financial gray zone” becomes a clear map.
This reduces the emotional pressure more than people expect.
② Visa — The Fear of “One Mistake and Everything Collapses”
Many students are terrified that a small mistake will delay their entire plan.
Duolingo notes an increase in visa-related stress, especially due to delayed processing times and unclear requirements.
✔ Practical Solution:
Organize documents in “submission order,” not category
Most anxiety comes from not knowing the sequence, not the amount of paperwork.
Typical Submission Order Example:
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Passport (valid through your stay)
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Acceptance Letter / COE
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Bank Balance Certificate
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Vaccination Records
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ID Photos
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Visa Application Form
Once the order is visible,
The visa process becomes a task, not a fear.
③ Safety — Mixed Information Creates Confusion
Safety concerns are often exaggerated by social media.
What you see online is usually the worst-case scenario, not the daily reality.
✔ Practical Solution:
Research safety by “area,” not country
Safety varies dramatically within the same city.
Look at:
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Country-level safety
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City-level data
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Neighborhood-level trends
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Areas where international students commonly live
A country that seems unsafe may have very safe student districts.
And a safe country may still have certain areas to avoid at night.
The closer you look, the more accurate and calming the information becomes.
The Truth:
You are not behind. Your worries follow a global pattern.
Duolingo’s data and hundreds of student stories all say the same thing:
Your fears are not unique.
They’re predictable—and solvable.
Every year, thousands of students feel:
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“I’m the only one unprepared.”
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“Everyone else understands things better.”
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“I’m slow.”
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“I might fail before even leaving Japan.”
But the truth is:
Your anxiety is not a personal weakness.
It’s just a lack of structure.
Once the steps are visible, you will move.
Want help organizing your study-abroad plan?
EFK provides support for:
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Cost planning
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Visa preparation
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Safety research
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English test strategy
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Overall step-by-step planning
We help you turn unclear “gray zones” into clear next actions.
👉 Free Consultation 
You don’t have to prepare alone.
Let’s figure out your next step together.
