HINESE students are clamoring to study overseas in the global downturn, but many have unrealistic expectations and need a reality check, education experts say.

A salon "Dream Chasers in Foreign Lands" was held on Sunday to help young people who aspire to study overseas, letting them hear from returning Chinese students and know that it's not just plain sailing.

Around 60 people attended the session at the foot of Wu Hill in Hangzhou, including parents and their children who want to study abroad, as well as those who gave them sobering advice about the experience.

The message: It's not enough to have high scores and language ability - maturity, solid personality and social skills are needed.

The number of students studying abroad is increasing, especially in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Business and management majors are always popular while media, architecture and electronics are getting more interest, according to Cathy Lin.

Lin is admission supervisor of Kaplan Shining Way International Pathway College. Kaplan helps students and parents prepare for college entrance and works with colleges and universities in the US, Europe and Asia.

Coco Cheng, an organizer, graduated from the University of Hertfordshire in the UK a year ago and discussed his experience.

"Studying abroad is not only studying - the social experience also can help you grow," he says.

"Once I was sweeping out school buses on a rainy day in my part-time job," he recalls. "When I got to the 40th bus, I straightened by stiff back, looked out at the rain and began to cry - I couldn't hold back the tears."

But he calmed down, became rational and continued his work. He later got better jobs because his English improved.

Cheng's experience was echoed by other speakers.

"Studying abroad requires mental preparation, language fluency and academic ability," says Michael Yu who worked in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for four years.

"If people go abroad when they are too young and immature, they may not be able to handle the experience and may have adverse reactions," Yu says.

The audience had general expectations about the "Dream Chasers" salon, but the organizer wanted to give them more grounded and rational suggestions.

"Though more and more Chinese families can afford overseas study nowadays, studying abroad means far more than getting on the plane after a language test," says Lin. "Both parents and students need to have a correct concept of studying abroad."

Some unprepared Chinese students have had serious problems and Kaplan presented a white paper about research into the situation of Chinese students abroad. Some have become depressed, some angry and some have encountered violence.

"A student abroad needs not only language and money but also strong study skills and a sound personality," it concluded.

The white paper identified major problems and misunderstandings about overseas study.

Many parents have an inadequate understanding of overseas study and know little about foreign education systems, according to the research. Most cited "security," "life" and "study" as goals for their children. But few chose "personality development," "career prospects" or "social inclusion." Thus, they don't anticipate risks or plan well.

There's also a fetish about the value of a foreign diploma and unrealistic expectations about what it can do for its holder, the paper said.

According to a survey, a quarter of the young people interviewed hoped for a starting salary of 8,000 yuan (US$1,172) per month after returning from overseas study, and almost 46 percent wanted 5,000 yuan. Around two-thirds wanted to be a manager.

Unrealistically high self-assessment and vague social orientation mean that many who return feel a keen sense of loss because they cannot quickly fulfill their dreams.

The increasingly young age at which students go abroad can also have a negative effect on the experience and outcomes.

In a survey of parents of high school students in Hangzhou, Wenzhou (Zhejiang Province) and Taizhou (Jiangsu Province), 40 percent say they want to send children under 20 years of age abroad in hopes of greater language facility - despite the fact that puberty is a difficult time for teens in terms of psychology and behavior.

The paper urged parents and young people to think carefully about their choices, including why exactly they want overseas study and what they hope to achieve.

"Only by answering these basic questions can students walk steadily and with certainty," says Cheng, a returnee. Hyatt Regency in 'Top 100'

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