What one should know and care about when desiring to study Abroad
How to be astute and well prepared when one is headed to study overseas
It is a dream for many young adults to pursue education overseas and earn ones credentials from a alma mater in a foreign country.
“ The benefits of studying abroad are almost endless”
— Michelle Obama
Is studying abroad beneficial and why ?
When aspiring to study abroad, the counter arguments one is most often asked or quizzed are :
“ Why cant you study in here (in your home country)? There are so many good (& acclaimed) institutions here in your own country.”
“ The costs of studying abroad are prohibitive. Have you considered the costs vs benefits? “
“Are you assured that you will be able to earn back the costs incurred ?”
“What are the prospects of employment , to land a job post graduation ?”
The above are only a sampling of rhetoric's that get thrown as an argument to dissuade one from the prospects of studying abroad. This is unless one is being family or angel funded (covered in more detail in section on Finances below) and then the costs and assured returns are not such a large consideration or a stumbling block towards one’s decision.
So in brief the study abroad situation can be summarized to be beneficial if meeting these points (but of course no one size/solution fits all) :
- It is in an area of study that one desires
- the long term prospects and benefits outweigh current expenditure
- Its going to be some serious study and some serious fun!
Given these
Is study abroad challenging ?
When aspiring to study abroad ones dreams it would be a breeze- that it would be all study and loads of fun; one would make new friends, that one would discover a new country , that the new study system would be keenly interesting and that one would somehow crack the courses and exams. And eventually on the road to jobs , life stages and settlement.
While this can be very close to the truth, it can also boomerang if not planned for keeping in mind the top essential attributes of this endeavor.
Also living ones dream requires one to err on the side of caution, as the dream can come shattering down if all denominations of what can be expected are not thought about- and unpleasant surprises could cast a dark cloud on what could have been a glorious path for you.
What are the top factors one has to consider to study abroad ?
So here's a round up of what are the essential skills, tasks and needs to be planned for before heading overseas to gain education.
Because at the end of the day you are not only going there to study and earn a degree, but also shape what's to come in your life thereafter.
- Course(s) of Study/Electives:
One of the main draws of any university /institution is the programs they offer and the courses in an area of one’s interest. For e.g. one might be passionate to become a lawyer and want to target the Ivy league Law schools in the world — including Harvard university , Chicago , Cambridge university, National Law School of India etc. And depending on whether one is keen on Corporate law Vs Human rights law, the choice would be limited to a handful schools.
- Location :
One of the important factors one would want to consider is the location of the university or school. As one might want a school that is situated overseas but probably a quick flight or drive to home .( E.g. if one’s family is in England , then a school in Paris is a short drive or Ferry away).
- Program Fees and Finances:
It can be said that this is one of the vital of all factors and the most ignored when aspiring to study overseas.
Because lets be practical- the financial aspect is what will assure you are comfortable wherever you are and that you can stay focused on the study program and enjoy your stint!
Firstly one would have to determine the program fees based on the course of study you have chosen and how much it will add up to depending on length of program. Most universities mention the costs per semester or year and don't include other components such as the living expenses, travel (as these are all varying on a case to case/personal basis) . These additional costs add up to the study program costs. Once you have the total costs including the different buckets then you would have to consider the source of the funds :
* Self funded : Will the funds for the program come from your own /self funds. Given their plans some aspirants soon after graduating spend a year or two saving up funds towards doing a Masters program overseas etc. Some spend few years towards saving for the entire program fees . So potentially these savings can act as a source of the funds or at least partially contribute.
*Funded by Family/Friends This is one of the oft and most dependable sources. Family savings and friends contributing towards your study fund can be one of the most common sources that one can dip into for funding your study program . Later on you can arrange to pay them back once you gain employment post the program or a similar arrangement. But just be sure you are not putting their safety and comfort at stake in the bargain- that your family have sufficient funds in interim for their contingencies and needs etc. Oft seen scenarios is where the family pledges home/property in order to obtain the funds.
* Sponsored by University : This is the best case scenario where the Study institution is funding a part of the complete program for you in terms of offering a scholarship or in some countries a.k.a United States this is termed as a Assistantship. In these cases the students at the university get the program sponsorship in return for assisting professors in teaching/grading or in the Lab work & research.
*Funded by a Student loan This is also the most commonplace scenario but also the most burdensome . Here the bank or financial institution provides a loan towards the study program fee. And then one has to pay back the bank over a ‘N” year period as soon as you complete the study program. Given the obligation to pay back to the bank or financial institution on time, this option requires that one should start having some kind of financial inflow post completing the study program to be able to cater to the outflow/commitment of payment.
- Living arrangements , living expenses and Study arrangements
Living arrangements and expenses is another overlooked but important area. Are you :
- going to be sharing space, rent and spending your spare time with room mates ? Or
- you rather live in the campus dorm with your dorm room?
- Your privacy and how you would like to share vs have your own private space to be able to focus on your tasks at hand.
Based on this it could decide a lot of factors such as
- Living expenses that you have to account for — which could include a number of components (not limited to)
> Shared room expenses (often referred to as Off campus accommodation) in US Universities OR University dorm housing costs
> Costs of meals on an average
> Costs of communication(including mobile phones, calling family/home)
> Cost of social events and personal travel (if required to be factored in)
> Cost of Study material , books, stationery , reads etc.
> Miscellaneous costs based on a study program , geography etc. (e.g. One time Enrollment fees, Graduation ceremony fees etc.)
- Supplementary /On campus jobs :
Based on the section on Living expenses, to be able to at least earn the part of Living expenses during the course of the study program, there are several on campus jobs that one can and is lawfully permitted to engage in esp. in the US University campuses.
These jobs pay a decent pay usually in hourly rates to allow for being able to work during non program hours , generally a stipulated maximum per week . Therefore these jobs allow to earn and pay towards the headers as covered under Living expenses.
Also the jobs could be in the computer labs of universities, notetaking for other students in classes etc.
- Visa requirements , limitations and future immigration prospects :
Another crucial factor in order to be complaint to visa requirements etc. for going to pursue a study/undergraduate/graduate program in an overseas location.
One needs to be aware of :
- the type of visa required to pursue program
- Time required to factor in to obtain visa in order to apply for visa in time and obtain it time for the study program
Once the study program is complete other immigration requirements in terms of :
- Does the system allow for extended time beyond graduation to stay on and seek employment (e.g. Optional Practical training (OPT) in United States, work study visa in United kingdom etc.)
Also post the extended study phase what are the prospects if one is interested to stay on and seek to become a permanent resident or naturalize in the country
- what are the work visa procedures to covert from study to work visa status
- What is the process to become a permanent resident or naturalize (E.g. LPR process in United kingdom, H1B visa program towards Permanent residence in United States etc.)
- Internship opportunities & Job prospects post graduation :
In line with the many considerations thrown one’s way when looking to study overseas , the job or employment prospects post completing the program/graduating is the prime emphasis for many a aspirants and their families.
True enough landing the right employment after the study program is crucial and given the market is highly competitive( depending on where you choose to study — e.g. Could be easier to find roles in Western European countries as compared to the United Kingdom, United States etc.).
The employment prospects could begin with brief internships that can be taken up during summer break etc., to even designated internship programs during the study program.
The internships allow to earn pocket money and even pay for a few semesters of the study program, while adding to the experience for a full time role.
- Finally — what is the Plan B (or Plan C!) if things don't pan out :
Also while the prospects are very exciting and definitely beneficial , if things weren't to turn out the way envisaged or planned , then what is your Plan B /Backup plan ?
- In case the program you chose is not meeting your interest after spending some time in the program, what are your plans in terms of finding another suitable program etc.
- If you find living away from family (a first time for many wanting to study abroad), then how do you plan to bridge this gap ?
- If the program expenses are exceeding the planned budget , then how does one plan to cater to the additional expenses and impact on the other areas like living costs etc. ?
In summary
— planning a study abroad is both exciting and tricky. Given the fine balance of the challenges and benefits, what can tip things in your favor is the right amount of planning and groundwork before heading out!
So Good luck to all ya- throw your Hats high enough!
