Tips to Consider While Choosing a Country for Overseas Education

Studying abroad is the goal for many students who aspire to study past their graduation. Now more than ever, the number who want to study abroad is higher than ever. According to various international sources, the applications for Indian students for the 2022 fall batch at foreign universities have doubled from that for the year 2021. Considering 2020 was the year that the pandemic hit.

The thing people seem to wonder is why are so many people interested in studying abroad. While the following are reasons as to why people generally study abroad, they can also be a guiding factor for those who are confused about what country they want to study in:

· Quality education

Although the standard of education in India is increasing and evolving at a stable pace, the courses available here almost solely cover the theoretical aspect of the curriculum with a major deprivation of practical application of the same syllabus. Since the practical knowledge of topics is something that is absent pretty much in every educational institute, even after graduating with good grades, the students lack the skills required in the professional environment, making them ill-equipped if looking for job opportunities abroad. In a certain way, it even hampers students’ careers within the country as despite good grades you start in the professional front with no practical experience. Considering this, foreign universities and colleges provide their students with a balance of theory and practicality, along with both on-campus and off-campus experience to give their students the opportunity to use their knowledge in the real world and apply them in study matters as well. An attractive feature of the education system abroad is the freedom that the students have when it comes to choosing courses based on their interest with a flexibility of the courses while allowing them to work part-time in order to earn while still studying.

Even the Alumni from foreign universities are a part of a very strong and active Alumni network, which comprises great scholars as well as global company owners. These networks assist the students in getting job offers and eventually employment after their graduation. Foreign countries have a strong culture of innovation and technology, encouraging students to develop and experiment with different ideas to sharpen their skill sets and challenge themselves. Universities abroad also provide their students scholarship opportunities and financial aid assistance to those who need it in order to help them make the most of their courses.

· Immigration

When it comes to countries like the USA and UK, students apply with the intention of immigration to that country after they finish their education. Once foreign students secure employment in a foreign country, they are presented with the opportunity to apply for a Permanent Residency. Canada gives its foreign students a three-year period to stay back during which they can apply for a work visa following a permanent residency. Similarly, the US has a two-year stay-back policy during which the students can convert their visas to work visas. Meanwhile, if you wish to study in the UK has brought back its 2 years stay back work visa for international students to assist them when they look for employment in the UK. Immigration plays a crucial role in deciding the country for study at the postgraduate level. This is because students pursuing a postgraduate degree are focused on the return on investment (ROI) on their degrees as we know that education abroad is expensive, as well as work opportunities after completing their program. This has proven to be a motivating as well as a deciding factor for Indian students planning on studying abroad.

Other factors that influence the decision to study abroad are the multicultural student environment that provides the student with a diverse student base, short and quick programs when it comes to studying for Master’s degrees, the wide range of programs available in English even in countries like Germany and France, the hygenic and clean surroundings and comfortable climatic conditions, low education fees, research opportunities as well as the lifestyle.

· Employment prospects

One of the simplest yet integral reasons why the decision to study abroad happens to be is taken keeping the next step of their lives in mind- Employment. Students normally prefer studying abroad and getting international qualifications to boost their career prospects. Apart from just international qualifications, graduates also receive higher salaries and more job opportunities. To pile on to the advantages, international qualifications are also valued a lot more than domestic degrees in India. Companies naturally and understandable prefer applicants with advanced as they have a higher skill set and this is where international degree holders have the upper hand because employees with more advanced degrees compared to their peers usually also hold higher posts in companies. Another added bonus to studying abroad is that countries now offer an option to stay back on student visas which lets international students stay back and look for employment opportunities after the completion of their course. The salaries that you would receive abroad are also much higher as compared to the salary you would receive for the same job in India. With the ever-increasing demand for Indian as well as other ethnic employees in various foreign industries, now is the perfect time for students to study abroad.

While those mentioned above are some general things that you must keep in mind, there are some specific factors that can help you get an answer. Many people choose to avail of overseas education services at this point, but if you are determined to find your own answers to this dilemma then the following might be able to help you:

· Select your desired discipline

After you have a clue about what you want to study, you will need to find the institute that will give you the training and guidance that you are looking for. You will find places that offer some of the most interesting Bachelor’s or Master’s programs or specializations that you may not have thought about. Once you find something that piques your curiosity and interest, then look for countries that offer the same or something similar.

· Use the best sources for international degrees

Given that there are many huge as well as minor factors to consider when deciding which country and university you want to enroll in, you should carefully search through all the ideal options to find what you are looking for. The best way to manage this lengthy, tiring, and often frustrating process is to use well-informed professional platforms and sources. If you know the discipline you want to pursue, look up a country that offers the best facilities and faculties for the same. Since this process requires a lot of research and that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, some people prefer hiring overseas education consultants who can help ease this process and provide the students with the best options possible without all the hassle and frustration of dead-end searches.

· Check the International University Rankings

The best universities would always rank high on global university rankings. Keep an eye out for the best universities and check if they offer your desired course. If you already know which country you want to study in, you can look up institutes established in the specific country itself.

· Research the most affordable degrees

It’s no secret that studying abroad costs a lot, so you also need to pay attention to the overall price of the program available. Since you cannot actually look up the disciplines you want to pursue based on the tuition fees, it will be a secondary concern as education is an investment, a rather expensive one when pursuing a degree abroad, and you can only study something that your interest truly lies in.

· Find out others’ experience studying abroad

One can market and advertise as many positives as they want about themselves but the experience never lies. Talk to people who have already studied in the establishment that you aspire to go to. You might find people who have had to experience common cultural shocks, misconceptions, racism, and other challenges. They might be able to give you very specific tips and advice. You can check our student experience articles. If you are unsure about the country you want to go to, you can talk to acquaintances or anyone you know who has spent time in a particular country as a student. While they might not be able to give you insight about an institute offering the degree you want, they can familiarize you with the culture and lifestyle of the country as that is a very important factor when selecting a country- your ability to adapt to the new culture. If you believe that you would be comfortable in that country, you can look up courses keeping that in mind.

Since your main criteria happen to be a lack of a geographic specification, you should try and narrow it down using other prominent factors like career opportunities, financial options, or application requirements. For example, if you choose to study in Australia, it is very important to know everything about the country, be it about your safety, job prospects, job opportunities, lifestyle, or even the general cultural behaviour of the people who live there. Research is very important to be sure of a decision this important so be sure to either be thorough with your searches or choose a consultant to help you with them since their entire job is to help confused, misguided as well as determined students to make a decision that is right for them.