Expanding academic boundaries by studying overseas is a lucrative option for many students, straight out of high school or their undergraduate programmes in the country, considering how seamless the processes are compared to a decade ago. There is support available all along the way, and students and guardians can start preparing for this academic journey well in advance. While the processes may be more accessible now, the work behind the scenes to finally arrive at the university of your dreams is still massive. But as we say, with the right kind of help and guidance, and let’s not forget hard work and determination, anything is possible. So let’s get started on the ‘study abroad checklist’ and see how you could spend your next academic year in the university of your choice.
Find your fit
You are ready to take the leap, you know that you want to head to a top university overseas for your future education. But what are your choices? What course do you wish to pursue? Are these courses niche and better pursued in universities abroad? Does India already have options that are at par with those abroad when it comes to this stream of study? Once you chalk out the answers to these questions, you will have a clear idea of the course you wish to pursue, the universities that offer these courses and the countries where these universities are based. Now that we know our target, let’s get onto the next step, identifying the best that fits.
Meet, interact, engage
Study abroad fairs and workshops are the rage in town. Each academic year, fairs are organised across the country in various cities for students to come and interact with university stakeholders from various countries, interact with them and understand their prospects better. Not just these, education counsellors also provide consultations in helping line up the right universities and course programmes based on the aspirant’s aptitude and aspirations. Also, there are various forums both virtual and offline where students meet up to meet peers and discuss opportunities, join one of these chapters that exist in your cities or hop onto a session online.
R for research
Nothing beats research. This ought to be the first step in your university search but we have jotted it down here because we want to re-instate the importance of research at various stages of your research. What is the eligibility for the programme of your choice? What is the diversity in the university you would like to be a part of? What is the fee like? What are the entrance tests or qualifying exams if any? How is the faculty of the university? What are the career prospects and how are the alumni of these courses placed now? How’s the city you are going to be inhabiting? Would you like to stay on campus or would an accommodation outside be better? These are some of the many questions you need to jot down and tick off, as you do your research for the programme.
SOP
Something that we cannot stress enough is the need to be able to draft an incredible Statement of Purpose (SOP). Every university seeks a good SOP because it allows them a view of what the student brings to the table. While talent and skills are important, so is the need to communicate it aptly and SOP becomes an important part of your application process. There are workshops by English language experts who take you through the A-Z of SOP writing and also help curate the right way to write it depending on the course and university you may wish to join.
Budgeting it
A degree from a good overseas university could be expensive but thanks to varied funding options available today, there is a way to make it as pocket-friendly as possible and in some cases, even totally free. Ensure you break down the expenses involved right from application fee to travel expenses (which should also account for your travel to your home country and back for at least one-holiday break), visa expenses, living expenses, insurance, and then the actual programme fee plus miscellaneous and emergency funds. Once you have arrived at the final funds sought, you could apply for scholarships available both at home and the university and by organisations enabling high achievers to study in universities of their choice with interest-free loans or a percentage through merit scholarships. Bank loans are also a possibility that one could explore.
Visa and travel
Once you are close to grabbing the offer and set to take the next step, it is a good time to figure out the travel tickets, book them much in advance and avoid paying higher fares. A penny saved is a penny earned. Visa rules also vary from country to country and if you are planning to work alongside your studies to gather funds or to gain experience, it is imperative to check if the visa you are applying for caters to these flexibilities. A travel advisor is a good help at this point, or you could turn to online tutorials available in plenty from students presently studying overseas. You would also need to do mandatory medical tests before your visa interviews and good medical insurance is important.
Culture
While this doesn’t get spoken of much, it is a very important part of your study abroad journey. You will be immersing yourself in a culture that’s alien to you for the next couple of years and it would be helpful to read, learn and understand the same before you step on the land. Knowledge of the customs, rules and learnings, all of them will help you accept the new culture and vice-versa.
Studying abroad is a great step to advancing your academic dreams and it also is a great way to step into the world on your own. And studying abroad doesn’t have to begin with the ‘big degree,’ experimenting with some short-term programmes during your summer breaks could actually help you gear up for what lies ahead in the future in the most practical manner.
Charting a roadmap to overseas education
Expanding academic boundaries by studying overseas is a lucrative option for many students, straight out of high school or their undergraduate programmes in the country, considering how seamless the processes are compared to a decade ago. There is support available all along the way, and students and guardians can start preparing for this academic journey well in advance. While the processes may be more accessible now, the work behind the scenes to finally arrive at the university of your dreams is still massive. But as we say, with the right kind of help and guidance, and let’s not forget hard work and determination, anything is possible. So let’s get started on the ‘study abroad checklist’ and see how you could spend your next academic year in the university of your choice.
Find your fit
You are ready to take the leap, you know that you want to head to a top university overseas for your future education. But what are your choices? What course do you wish to pursue? Are these courses niche and better pursued in universities abroad? Does India already have options that are at par with those abroad when it comes to this stream of study? Once you chalk out the answers to these questions, you will have a clear idea of the course you wish to pursue, the universities that offer these courses and the countries where these universities are based. Now that we know our target, let’s get onto the next step, identifying the best that fits.
Meet, interact, engage
Study abroad fairs and workshops are the rage in town. Each academic year, fairs are organised across the country in various cities for students to come and interact with university stakeholders from various countries, interact with them and understand their prospects better. Not just these, education counsellors also provide consultations in helping line up the right universities and course programmes based on the aspirant’s aptitude and aspirations. Also, there are various forums both virtual and offline where students meet up to meet peers and discuss opportunities, join one of these chapters that exist in your cities or hop onto a session online.
R for research
Nothing beats research. This ought to be the first step in your university search but we have jotted it down here because we want to re-instate the importance of research at various stages of your research. What is the eligibility for the programme of your choice? What is the diversity in the university you would like to be a part of? What is the fee like? What are the entrance tests or qualifying exams if any? How is the faculty of the university? What are the career prospects and how are the alumni of these courses placed now? How’s the city you are going to be inhabiting? Would you like to stay on campus or would an accommodation outside be better? These are some of the many questions you need to jot down and tick off, as you do your research for the programme.
SOP
Something that we cannot stress enough is the need to be able to draft an incredible Statement of Purpose (SOP). Every university seeks a good SOP because it allows them a view of what the student brings to the table. While talent and skills are important, so is the need to communicate it aptly and SOP becomes an important part of your application process. There are workshops by English language experts who take you through the A-Z of SOP writing and also help curate the right way to write it depending on the course and university you may wish to join.
Budgeting it
A degree from a good overseas university could be expensive but thanks to varied funding options available today, there is a way to make it as pocket-friendly as possible and in some cases, even totally free. Ensure you break down the expenses involved right from application fee to travel expenses (which should also account for your travel to your home country and back for at least one-holiday break), visa expenses, living expenses, insurance, and then the actual programme fee plus miscellaneous and emergency funds. Once you have arrived at the final funds sought, you could apply for scholarships available both at home and the university and by organisations enabling high achievers to study in universities of their choice with interest-free loans or a percentage through merit scholarships. Bank loans are also a possibility that one could explore.
Visa and travel
Once you are close to grabbing the offer and set to take the next step, it is a good time to figure out the travel tickets, book them much in advance and avoid paying higher fares. A penny saved is a penny earned. Visa rules also vary from country to country and if you are planning to work alongside your studies to gather funds or to gain experience, it is imperative to check if the visa you are applying for caters to these flexibilities. A travel advisor is a good help at this point, or you could turn to online tutorials available in plenty from students presently studying overseas. You would also need to do mandatory medical tests before your visa interviews and good medical insurance is important.
Culture
While this doesn’t get spoken of much, it is a very important part of your study abroad journey. You will be immersing yourself in a culture that’s alien to you for the next couple of years and it would be helpful to read, learn and understand the same before you step on the land. Knowledge of the customs, rules and learnings, all of them will help you accept the new culture and vice-versa.
Studying abroad is a great step to advancing your academic dreams and it also is a great way to step into the world on your own. And studying abroad doesn’t have to begin with the ‘big degree,’ experimenting with some short-term programmes during your summer breaks could actually help you gear up for what lies ahead in the future in the most practical manner.