10 Things to Consider Before Studying Abroad

Many people would readily agree with me that studying abroad has both short time and long term benefits. If you read my previous article, you will just conclude that there is no substitute to studying abroad.

But before anyone makes the decision of studying abroad, the following things should be seriously considered.

1.      Why are studying abroad? If you are planning to study abroad, have you taken time to ask yourself why you are going abroad? Are you just going abroad for pleasure? Or is it that you just want to get a foreign certificate? As you know, studying abroad is not cheap. It costs a lot of money. Some parents put their lives’ savings to send their children or ward to study abroad. Others sell properties worth millions of dollars to make this a reality. Because studying abroad isn’t just cheap, you need to consider seriously why you are going abroad to study. If I may ask you, “Is the programme or course you are going to study abroad offered in your home country?” If yes, I mean if you are satisfied with the ‘quality’ in terms of the educational facilities, qualified lecturers and the competitive certificate offered in the university/college, then you need not go abroad. Going abroad if you are satisfied with the ‘education quality’ offered in your home country is tantamount to carrying coals to Newcastle except you are planning to go abroad for a change of environment.

2.      What do you want to study? The second question to consider is the course you want to study. Is it engineering? Medicine? Marketing? International Relations or Geology? Determining your course/ programme of study will make you determine where you want to study because some courses are best offered in a particular country. Take for example, if you are planning to go for Information Technology (IT), you might consider going to USA or India, India is becoming the leader in IT now. Ukraine is good in some specialised courses like Engineering. You may consider USA or Canada if you are planning to go for Medicine or Nursing.

3.      Your proposed choice of country:  You need to consider seriously where you are planning to study. Some people make the mistake in the choice of the country the want to study. Not all countries are good to study a particular course or programme although they may have institutions there. It really doesn’t matter the number of universities/college they have there, but what really matters is how good these institutions are in terms of the quality of lectures are the graduates they have churned out. What if after completing your programme, you cannot work with your certificate because it is not tenable? In the USA College Board for example, all accredited universities and colleges are listed there with their ratings. Before you choose a school, you may contact the diplomatic section of the country that you are planning to study if they issue visa for such programme or else your application will be rejected.

4.      What is the course/programme requirement? Most universities/college requires prospective international students coming to their school to study to have taken some foreign exams like: SAT, TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, IELTS, IGCSE, ACT, etc. This could vary from country to country. Countries that consider an applicant as part of the English speaking countries in most cases will not require the TOEFL test from the applicant (although you may need IELTS if you are going for your graduate programme).  If you are still confused, all you need to do is just to check-up the requirement on the school’s website (or the department you are applying to if you are going for your graduate programme). Besides, you need to meet up with the score’s requirement for any of these exams as required by the school. You may need to get a good score in SAT, TOEFL, GRE or GMAT. But the school will always state this on the website.

5.       How much will the programme costs?  Do you know how much the programme costs? Only few people consider how much it will cost them to go for their programme. While doing this, you need to put everything into consideration: the school fee, the accommodation, the books, medical, insurance, upkeep and some other miscellaneous expenses.

6.      How much do I have? Another thing to consider after knowing what the programme will cost you is how much you have for your study. Can you boast of hundred per cent of the fee for your programme’ duration or just fifty per cent of the fee? Please bear in mind that if you are studying medicine, you might spend up to five years. That means you have to budget for five years, or at least one year in case you are able to get a job. If you have part of the fee, how do plan to raise the other fee? Don’t just assume that when you get abroad, you will get work and this will help you to augment your fee and other expenses. What if you were not given a job or you did not get one? In planning to study abroad, you have to plan for the worse.

7.      The Climate/weather: Before planning to study abroad, you need to give consideration to the weather or the atmospheric condition in that country. Most school state this on their website or in the brochure or you will be told during the pre-departure briefing or when attending a school’s presentation. Some people cannot cope with harsh weather while some people can. Some others are allergic to cold. If you are the type that is used to hot weather/sunshine, going to a cold region like: Australia, Iceland Russia, Canada etc. will not be an advisable decision because of your health  except you say you can cope or acclimatize.

8.       Your documents: I am sure that you know that you will need some documents when you are travelling. Your international passport is number one; your admission letter/offer is number two; then you will need to get your insurance, yellow fever vaccination (this may not be required by some other countries), health or medical record, traveller’s cheque, credentials and visa. Remember, the immigration will check these at the airport!

9.      Who is your recruitment agent: Knowing who to consult when making the all-important decision of studying abroad is very important. By the way, “Who is processing your admission for you?” If you meet experienced recruitment agent, s/he may take the stress off your neck. But if you consult with quack, s/he will multiply and complicate your problem. Some people believe that they can process their admission themselves. Yes, you can. But it will take you weeks or months. But if you meet with experienced agent, it is just in a matter of days or a week at most (if you submit all the required documents).

10.   Booking and Ticket: When you have got your admission letter/offer, the next thing to do is to start booking your ticket without delay. If you waste time about this, you may not get a seat for your flight and this may affect your resumption or probable your ‘Orientation’ if care is not taken.

So if you have everything ready, start your booking and be ready to travel.

11 Reasons Why You Need to Study Abroad

 

When you discuss with some people on why they need to study abroad, they will just look at you in a scornful way and may ask you, “Just give me one important reason why I need to study abroad. “To these crop of people, they do not see any good in studying abroad and I wouldn’t blame them because they don’t know the importance of studying abroad or they are not equipped with the information some of those who have made the choice of studying abroad are exposed to. Perhaps you fall into the category of these people. Why should anybody study abroad anyway? You may still want to ask. Studying abroad has numerous advantages but I will just give you ten reason why need to consider studying abroad if you have the wherewithal and the will to so.

1.      An Opportunity to study outside your home country: If you have had the opportunity to travel out of your own country, you are likely to see an entirely different environment from the country of your nativity – different people, different weather, different food, different culture and so on. Some people hardly leave their home country because they do not count it as a big deal. In short going abroad for anything doesn’t freak them. They are comfortable with their home country and would their status quo that they do not want plan to go abroad for anything. But the fact is that travelling is really a wonderful experience because it broadens your horizon and your world view. If you have been looking for opportunity to go outside your home country, consider studying abroad. One good advantage is that getting a student’s visa is very easy than getting a visiting or tourist visa. Although this might not be so in some country. My point is, when you are going abroad to study, the immigration people respect your passport because you are going to study and as such they may not scrutinize you as someone going to visit a relative or work in another country.

2.      An opportunity to learn foreign language and culture: The world is becoming a global village, so the need to learn other people’s culture and way of life would be a great advantage because you will be able to relate with people from other culture without any cultural barrier because you know something about their culture. If you have been considering learning another language than your native language, then you need to consider studying abroad. In this global age, speaking another foreign language is a very great advantage because you will be able to fit into a multi-cultural environment. Presently, there are millions of international students studying in other countries. For example, there are many Chinese and Indian students studying in the UK. If you happen to meet any of these Chinese students as your course or roommate, you are likely to learn Chinese language faster than when you are learning the language in the language school.

3.      Opportunity to meet new friends and people from diverse culture: I don’t know if you have heard the saying, “School life is the best.” Studying abroad gives you the opportunity to meet new people from diverse culture and background and makes friends with them. Most of the friends I still keep today, I met them when I was in school. We are still friends today because something knit us together. It’s been a long time since I left school now, and my circles of friends are decreasing now. In fact as I am writing this post now, I feel like going back to school because I want to make new friends.

4.      Opportunity to learn in a world-class environment: Have seen any of the foreign brochures lately? If you have, you are likely to see the how the aesthetic and serene building of the university or college is. You feel the ambience of the conducive classroom with the state-of-the-art facilities; the well-stocked library; the erudite faculties and some of the lucky students studying in this university or college or who have graduated from the university/college giving their testimonies about the impact the university/college has had on them or their career. Imagine yourself studying in any of the prestigious universities like: Yale, MIT, or Harvard? I guess you will feel really great. That is exactly what studying abroad will do for you. You carry the air around you that you an alumnus of the university when you have the opportunity to meet with anyone who cares to listen to you.

5.      You have opportunity to work abroad: Some people have been looking for the opportunity to work abroad, but they do not know how.  If you happen to study abroad as an international student, you will be given work permit to work for a specified number of hours and days. In almost all countries except in India, international student can work abroad. It is legal for all international to work while studying abroad and thus augment some expenses like accommodation, feeding or eke a living. Many students studying abroad are able to live independently on their own without any support from their parents or sponsor because they work.

6.      Opportunity to get permanent residency or green card: If you happen to find yourself studying in Canada, Australia and New Zealand or some European countries that need immigrants, you are likely to get the opportunity to get your permanent residency or green card without much hassle. For example in Canada, if you have completed your undergraduate programme or your post-graduate programme, you are likely to be given a permanent residency after two years. Canada is thinly populated country with good economy. It has an oil-rig, and since year 2000 or thereabout, many people from Africa and other countries are migrating to Canada to seek greener pasture. New Zealand is another good country to live in. Apart from these countries, some other countries like Sweden, Denmark and Finland usually give opportunity to graduate students to either study free or study on scholarship.

7.      Opportunity to study all-expense paid: The United States government has a programme called the Fulbright programme. This is a scholarship programme for young scholars to come to the United States to study for a short duration and have the opportunity of meeting other students from other countries. The United States sponsors this programme free all-expense paid including your air-ticket. But to get this opportunity, you should be a distinguished scholar, who has distinguished yourself in your chosen field. Apart from this, you must be young too. If you are above a particular age, you will not be eligible.

8.      Opportunity to get scholarship: One of the advantages of studying abroad is that you can get either full or partial scholarship to fund your fees. If you take some foreign exams like the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Graduate Records Exams (GRE) or Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT), you might get either a partial or full scholarship. In the US for example, you can get a ‘Presidential Scholarship’ which will take care of your full school fees or probably some other expenses if you have a good score in SAT and TOEFL. Some smart students prefer taking these foreign exams because they know the benefits inherent there. Apart from getting study scholarships through these exams, there are many foundations and organization giving scholarships to eligible students. Organizations like: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA; McCarthy Foundation, UK; TATA, Pepsi, Ford Foundation; Rockefeller Foundation and others have scholarship in place for students. .  But thy usually look for students who are academically sound and indigent (i.e. those who cannot fund their fees). You can even obtain study loan. As I am writing this post, there are some universities in USA with free-tuition

9.      Opportunity to get the best job: We are living in a knowledge driven economy. As such many companies and organizations are in search of the best brains to fill vacant positions. Gone are the days where organizations just employ people based on their paper qualification alone. Now you need to match your certificate with the skill you have and how that skill will be relevant to the job market. If this is not so, then you will be a square peg in a round hole, so no company or organization will need you. Have you ever asked why most companies recruit graduates from Harvard, MIT, Oxford and other prestigious universities? The simple reason is that they believe that the best brains are groomed there. I think you will agree with me that most times, your competency has a connection with where you get your degree from. Sometimes you act unconsciously in particular maybe it is part of your school’s culture. That is why the first thing to consider if you want to study abroad is the university you are going to study. I believe you have seen many people who have left school for a long time still searching endlessly for job without getting one. The problem might be where the person did his/her degree or the class of degree the person came out with.

10.   Opportunity to get an international certificate upon graduation: I don’t know how you will feel if you have an international certificate. I guess you will be proud. If you want to really become a hot-cake and irresistible, why not go abroad to study. There is always an opportunity for your if you have to the will to go abroad to study.

11. You become irresistible: Studying abroad makes you irresistible. You become a hot-cake. If you have found out that you are not making an headway in your chosen field or career, why not consider studying abroad. If organization is to use their headhunters to recruit people to fill vacant positions, they go for the rare-breed who have the savvy rather than those who do not have the degree.

10 Reasons Why You Should Study Abroad

Some people don't really see studying abroad as a big deal. It doesn't freak them or interests them probably because they are just comfortable with their comfort zone -- their country of nationality. They ask you when you approach them about studying abroad, "Just give me one important reason why you think I should study abroad." Well, if you are in this category, this post is actually for you. i believe that you will learn one or two things about studying abroad.
Let's ask the question again. "Why should I study abroad?" Below are just some of the nuemrous reasons why you should study abroad.

1. You will have the opportunity to study outside your home country: Like I said in the foregoing, some people lack exposure. They are just comfortable with their home zone. They tell you, "What the heck is going outside my home country to study?" The reason why they say this is because they do not want to come out of their cocoon. It's just like a tortoise or snail that is so afraid of the new environment it finds itself and would not stick out it neck for fear of predators. If you study outside you home country you will have exposure and see beauty scenery and have a change of environment even if it means it would be first time you will be going out of your country.

2. You will learn new culture. Hey! the world is becoming a global village. If you have not experienced any culture outside your home country, you will soon be an endangered species when you meet people of other race and culture and you have to interact with them. Two years ago, I visited Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bombay and some other provinces in India. I was able to see an entirely different culture. How they greet, how they marry and I learned something about the caste thing. Lest I forget, I visited the Temple and some historical places. I can go on and on to tell you that India is a beautiful place and the people are wonderful.

3. You have the opportunity to learn new language: Have you been thinking of learning a new language? Why no go abroad. You will meet many students from other cultures as your course mate and you will have the opportunity to learn their language. For example, Chinese students studying in the UK. If anyone of them happens to be your room-mate, you are likely to learn Chinese.

4. You make friends: Many of the friends I keep today, I met them while in the school. That is why it is often said that school life is the most interesting. in fact as I am writing this post now, I just wish to go back to school. Why? I wanna meet new friends. I wanna increase my circles of friends and friendship is all about networking.

5. You have the opportunity to study in a world class school with the state-of-the-art facilities: I don't know if you have seen any of the brochure of some of these foreign schools. If you have, you will probably be attracted to the aesthetics of the school building and the serenity of the environment. You are likely to be whaoed by the beauty of the environment. Just take a look at some of the universities and colleges in Europe, Canada, America and tell me what you see! Now, imagine if you have the opportunity to study in one of such college/university. How will you feel? I guess you willl be proud. I am proud of my alma mata. I don't know about you. Whenever I meet new friends, after introducing myself, I tell them that I graduated from univerisity XYZ. And they'll like say, amazing. So, you finished from that university. I can see it all around you. Graduants of XYZ univeristy are distinct and non-pariel. I carry this air around me. Now imagine graduating from MIT or Havard Univeristy or Stanford! I guess you can't beat me.

6. You become a world-class student: People who finished from prestigeous school are often world class students and professional. I do not want to start mentioning names here, but I have met many people who studied abroad and now run their empires. The are often go-getters and visioneers. The way the envision things is different because they have been bred from a different environment. They hardly spend long time working for people because their vsion is larger than the oraganization they are working. If they don't run their own business, they end uup consulting for people and organization. You can do the research on your own and mention some of the big entrepreneurs in town and tell me where they finished from.

7. You can work abroad and even get permanent residency: Canada and Australia are interesting places to be. They need immigrants. Sweden is another good place to study. Norway is another good place to study. Cyprus is emerging; Brazil is also coming up. If you study in any of these countries, getting your permanent residency after graduation will be very easy.

8. You get the best job: Studying abroad gives you the opportunity to get the best job. You become a chooser and not a begger. If you see anybody who has graduated for a long time and still searching fot  job, ask where the person graduated from. If you finished from any good univeristy or colleges immediately you post your CV to any of the corporate organization, they just want to meet you if you have the savvy and you can deliver.

9. You become irresistible: One thing I have learnt about graduates who did their studies abroad is that they are powerful and irresistible. What do I mean? If you listen to anyone from any of these universities during TV programmes or talkshows or debate, you will understand what I mean. They are loaded. Why will companies and governemt agencies be looking for anybody from Havard? It not anything more than where the person finished from.

10. You get an international certificate upon graduation: Lastly, you get an international certificate upon graduation and you will be proud of it.