Studious India, Benefiting Abroad? Part 2.
The previous part of the article talks about: Why do Indians choose to go abroad? What are the possible reasons to live outside the country?, Problems faced by students in India. Visit: https://medium.com/piblitz/studious-india-benefiting-abroad-part-1-e7f0c9366a7d
What is it like for an Indian student to study abroad?
Diversity: Colleges abroad will offer you greater exposure to a multi-cultural backdrop. You’ll be part of a campus buzzing with students and professors from across countries, nationalities, and cultures. You’ll learn about various traditions and lifestyles, understand and appreciate the differences, and be able to relate with your international peers as well as realize a connection with your roots. Most alumni of foreign colleges find that international exposure has made them more sensitive towards other cultures and easily connects with people.
Self-learning: If you are planning to move abroad, be prepared to dive into a completely different style of learning and academic rigor. Several colleges abroad develop a holistic curriculum that focuses on continuous learning, interactive teaching, extensive research, self-study, collaborative enterprise, classroom presentation, excursions, and exchange programs.
Assessment and evaluation tools encompass a broad range of mediums, including pop quizzes, project work, essays, seminars, class participation, project work, etc. The curriculum strives for more student participation and initiative where professors relegate to the role of facilitators. Students must take responsibility for their own learning to be on par with the academic demand.
Academic flexibility: Your college journey abroad is quite unlike your experience at an Indian college. You can take a more significant initiative to design your course based on your learning objectives. You can change your major provided you to meet department requirements, you can complete two degrees in two separate academic areas, which is quite tough to achieve. Colleges offer Major, Minors. One can major in one area and minor in the other. Most universities offer students the freedom to explore their academic interests before deciding to specialize.
For example, at an undergraduate level in the US, you can team Anthropology with Music to gain more in-depth insight into the collective consciousness of an indigenous community or choose an elective unrelated to your principal to tap into newer fields of research.
Independence: You’ll have no help and have to do everything from making your own bed to changing a bulb, from cooking to paying bills. When it comes to handling finances, you’ll learn to become discreet in managing and planning your finances. College life abroad will offer you an incredible platform to discover your abilities to thrive independently. You’ll be self-sufficient, organized, make independent decisions, which will be quite a shift from being with parents.
If there are advantages, there has to be the other side of the coin too. Below are some problems faced by people, who have moved to the USA and other major countries, for higher studies and decided to come back to their motherland.
Problems faced by students after going abroad:
1. Homesickness: Your mother’s mollycoddling, home-cooked food, father’s words of wisdom, mischief with siblings, and hanging-out with friends at your favorite places, everything will be missed. Surely there is no place like home , even after connecting with your kin on Skype and through other channels, it can never get enough.
2. Language: At the university it would not be an issue but outside while dealing with your grocer or in the train it might. It is a big issue for Nordic countries as it is for southern/central European countries like Spain , Portugal , Italy and France.
3. Academics: Indian students are, in general, hard-working. So they are generally good at theory and score well in exams. However, practical is where we are not as good. But well, with more effort, you can get through it. If you are sincere and regular, then it should not be a concern.
4. Cultural shock: It is not really a shock. You just get used to it. Be open-minded and respect other cultures.
Source: Problems faced by a Quora user.
5. Familiarizing Yourself With Alien Brands and products: There are some products without which your day-to-day life seems meaningless. Finding them abroad may be a futile exercise, so accommodate yourself in your new habitat as soon as possible with suitable alternatives. There might be chances that you may stumble upon an even better product in your quest to find suitable alternatives.
6. Fading Social Life: Once the honeymoon phase of your journey gets over, the deficit of a good social life will start haunting you. The inner cravings to socialize might be difficult to bear with. You might even curse the decision of shifting to a foreign country. You will have to use your communication skills and make some friends in your college and locality fill the gap.
7. Adapting To A New Time Zone: Initially, getting adjusted to the new time zone may be challenging. Your biological cycle may take a severe beating, and it will take some time for your body to get used to the new lifestyle. Also, there may be a time-shift in your working hours and that of your native country. You might have to call your bank in the middle of the night to connect at their usual business hour or wait to speak to your family.
8. Extreme Climate Change: Indians are adjusted to mild weather conditions since birth, they face summers for most of the year
Source: Problems faced by, CEO of Multinational Company, now living in India.
8. Racial Discrimination: Many Indians are of different races, some fair, some dusky. USA, Germany being white countries, tend to be inclined towards the white people for secured jobs, higher pay-checks and so much more. If not in the corporate world, the social world tends to discriminate against the brown people.
Below link, is a proof of people being harassed by the government police officers. In India, it’s safer to land up with family and friends, where they can be supportive and help you save your life.
Source: George Floyd 2020
Words from the people who went abroad, but they are coming back now;
To become an Entrepreneur / Solo-preneur: Few people have said that they have been working on an idea. It is time to make it a reality and unleash their Kinetic energy to venture into path-breaking territory. Since India has great potential and a fabulous market for young entrepreneurs, they feel it is time to kick-start a new phase of life.
Look after their old aged parents: Dilemma of going abroad for them and staying in India never ends but some people also mentioned that their parents are getting old and it is time to pack back time. They would like to be with their parents when they are in need of the Caretakers.
Time for a new adventure: Some people wanted to explore the fantastic world. They have ticked America, and it is time for new countries, unique culture, and new experiences with their native markets and employments with a better mission of Make In India.
Goal Reached: Some of the students have come to the United States with a definite purpose in their minds. Save a huge amount of money in dollars and go back no matter what.
Health Care Expenses: Very few of them/their family members have an acute illness and are unable to bear the healthcare expenses. They thought it is a wise decision to go back to India for a reasonable living.
Cost of Living: As we know, the cost of living is lower in India, making it easier for comforts. Not kidding, they mentioned this as one of the critical factors — maid, carpenter, plumber, cook, movies, car, and whatnot?
SOURCE: HIGHEST COST OF LIVING
Never Ending Green card wait: People have lost hope and tired of waiting for the green-card. After Trump, they have moved on to India and depend for better opportunities. It is a never-ending cycle, and not just that, job opportunities are also going down every day.
SOURCE: Fewer JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Proximity to Local Market: When you work for a start-up, you immediately see your work results. But, when you work for a big company, the never-ending and lengthy approval process makes it more difficult.
Local Ecosystem: Working with regional companies in India makes it easier and more visible as the names are more familiar among friends and family.
Regional Leadership: Earlier, many people moved for career growth as well. More and more companies are moving towards globalization and regional leadership roles, unlike the current headquarters focused leadership roles.
According to a very popular survey by UNESCO, it’s seen that India leads the statistics, ranking second in the whole world, for students traveling abroad.
While others are thinking to climb up the ladder of quantity, Indians choose smartness as a trait to measure quality. This piece can successively, now be called as Studious India, Self-serving opportunities.
When considering a choice between colleges abroad or India, keep in mind your priorities, strengths, and objectives. Studying abroad will impact you differently from studying in your homeland. Remember, it is up to you on how you want to optimize the opportunities that each would offer you. Analyze your needs, do your homework, speak to your family and friends, and reflect thoroughly, because the problems faced by students in abroad countries are no less than Indian ones. There is no perfect country, but native country is a place where people connect better, when abroad countries get bitter.
I am grateful that I could be of assistance and if you are quite the curious being that we think you are, go on and explore more good stuff from Piblitz.
To know more about Piblitz and their work tune in to our website or connect with us on our Instagram, Twitter and Medium now!!
