Study Abroad

Career Tips | September 5, 2010 | Share

Have you always aspired to study abroad? Ever wondered what life would be living and studying amongst people of different nationalities, following a completely different pattern of education? Does the thought of making a life of your own excite and scare you? Well then I say suit up and start preparing yourself for the life and education you have always wanted.
There have been plenty of debates regarding why students are going abroad to study and not respecting the education they get in India itself. Well the reasons are pretty obvious and on the face but the fact that most of the people defending the country’s education are in denial of the faulty education system is what surprises me. Today Indian institutes claim to be giving world class education. Doesn’t that say enough which points out the fact that they have started copying the education systems laid down in foreign nationalities? I don’t want to be seen comparing between nations here, but the true fact remains the same that India overlooks the basic skills and talents of a student and goes more into the educational aspect to determine a student’s smartness. Foreign degrees are way more lucrative as they focus more on developing personalities and skills as a whole and not just the geek inside a person. Their main motive is not just teaching a person but also honing them as individuals. They are always in search of students who look promising so that they can develop into them into what they want. This gives the students the benefit of finding the best suit for themselves and nurture and polish it even more. Foreign system of education wont just teach that 1+1=2 but also justify the same. The fact lies in the fact that they don’t just teach you the formula but also teach a person how to apply it in practicality giving the students a bigger picture of the entire thing.
One of the most important things which is required to make yourself eligible to enter into the college of your dreams is to make sure that you have enough things going on along with excelling in your education. Things such as extracurricular activities and volunteering experience matters a lot when it comes to the selection procedure. It is extremely important to be a passionate person and show some leadership qualities. You can easily be getting a 99% and still not get through while another person with an 85% in his certificate might get through considering he has the qualities required to fit into their college. Another important thing to be kept in mind while applying for such colleges is the SOP or the statement of purpose which should mention why you want to take up the mentioned course, your interests, how you align yourself on top of the course you are taking up and how you would benefit the college thereby justifying your statement of purpose. Letters of recommendations are also an important part as they will give you more creditability. There is a GRE test which is conducted every year which just determines the basic aptitude in English and Mathematics. All these things just prove that their selection procedures are extremely multi dimensional.
Of course it is extremely important to have a big bank balance in most of the cases, but there are plenty of foundations which helps students get scholarships to study abroad based on their credibilities which could also go upto a 100% scholarship.
I say start packing for your dream education but also make sure that you have the right kinds of stuff packed up for yourself.

Aritra Poddar