We may never understand what our parents / grandparents actually went through to complete their education in times where there were was not much information in the public domain. But having said that, it's not like our generation has it all easy. Yes, people are more educated about the importance of education than any time before in history. But too many options is not necessarily a good thing. Take for instance the whole idea of doing a master's course abroad and India's fascination with an "MBA". Every year over 100,000 students leave India and move to various parts of the world to pursue their dreams of becoming a successful professional in their field of choice. Now, this is by no means a bad thing. It's really great that students are no longer restricted to same old cliché professions that our earlier generations have idolised, namely Doctors & Engineers.
Since it's that time of the year when students are finalising their plans to make the big move of their lives, I have decided to write about some important things that these students must be aware of based on my experiences while I studied abroad.
1) One needs to UNLEARN before they can learn
It's like buying an Apple device after you have been using an Android for all your life. You will come across many thing that are different from the way you have seen it back home. Be it basic traffic sense, being independent, being courteous and yes FOLLOWING RULES!
2) Don't expect you will earn all your education expenses in the short team
Studying abroad does not mean you are going to find a treasure chest and your income will suddenly rise 4 times. Education will help you gain knowledge and give you the ability to take on challenging roles not necessarily in the immediate future. You still need to work hard, in fact harder than you would work in your home country to make your way into the industry abroad.
3) Part time work experience is not counted for your professional
job
Now I know many of you will want to take
up part time jobs while you are studying abroad. For people who genuinely need
the money, there is no option. But if you can afford to take care of your
expenses without working while you are studying, then DO NOT do a part time
job. Part time jobs can only get you little money immediately but if you use
that time in an internship or building contacts in your specific industry, that
will actually benefit you in the long run.
4) Studying does not mean Mugging up
Our education system back home told us
studying always meant mugging up as much as you can. Thankfully, the education
system abroad is much more practical. At every stage the course will challenge
you to showcase practical solutions. Mugging up the books is not going to help,
instead spend time in understanding the basics and it should be a cake walk then.
5) Don't underestimate your self
Even when I was about to move to the UK
for my master's degree, I used to wonder if I will be able to compete with the
other students who come from different parts of the world. But don't forget, we
come from a culture where we are taught to
compete from day 1 and we all are extremely hard working people. If you put
your heart and mind into it, you can definitely be one of the most promising
students of your class.
Finally, have fun! This is going to be one
of the best experiences of your life and another opportunity like this may never
come your way. So make it count.
1 comment:
Thank You for this, it was very helpful. Would be great if you can write more about things that students need to be prepared before they go abroad.
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