Deep into special subject

 Indian education gives students a wider bandwidth of knowledge, giving them the freedom to choose and enrol in specialised postgraduate courses offered abroad, says Swathy Arya.

I Studied MSc in Drug Design and Biomedical Science here at Edinburgh Napier and this course is research-intensive. In this course, students are given enough time to learn on their own and the skeletal frame of topics covered in the course are listed. The Professors are very amicable and give valuable insights on concepts and suggest references too for deeper learning. This mode of education is refreshingly different in its own right. Amount of knowledge you imbibe in this given learning period is your true wealth and strength.

 In India, we are introduced to a tonne of concepts and we are given just enough time to learn them and deliver the same in the exams. Some manage to get the concepts in the given time frame others may not be that lucky. Having mentioned that, Indian education is still very good as it gives us (students) a wider bandwidth of knowledge, giving us the freedom to choose and enrol in specialised post graduate courses offered abroad.

When I joined Edinburgh Napier University, I moved into University managed- accommodation. Here you get to meet students from other countries. The flats are located close to the campus.  Personally, I feel it is better to take a flat on rent, like private residences that are let out for students.

Staying in Edinburgh, you get to meet many international students and overall, you get a good global perspective, be it at the lifestyle or work -front.

Many students go abroad every year for higher education with different objectives in mind. Some of the common reasons are listed below:

* Students go abroad , for higher education to get an international perspective and then they return home to share their experience and knowledge gained abroad to improve the business standards back home.

* Some go for higher education with the want of not only getting a good degree but the opportunity to work and settle abroad.

* Some go abroad for higher education to get good experience which will help them in building their career either at the current or prospective company.

Considering that post-study work Visa has been withdrawn in 2012, students coming under Case 2 should have done their fair share of homework before applying to universities, to understand the course, college and  the value of the degree for the chosen course, the leverage they will get in their field when they kick start their career.

Science sector

Edinburgh is one of the fastest growing science communities in Europe. The life science scenario at Edinburgh can be accessed on this link:

http://www.edinburghsciencetriangle.com/life_sciences.aspx

Keeping in mind that the Tier 1 Visa (post study work visa) is off the list and chances of getting a Tier2 Visa once you complete your post graduate education are limited, and the amount spent for the education is quite high (International students pay nearly 2-3 times the amount a Scottish/EU student pays) and in most cases, you will be working part-time too, it is very important that you invest in the right course and university.

While selecting your course focus on the universities that give you a good scholarship (on tuition fees or you work at the university and waiver off some part of your tuition fees) or have good collaborations with other research communities (organisations, universities, companies etc) and give you the opportunity to intern there during your post graduate education (you get a good global perspective at the research front).
Please note: Just studying abroad is not going to fetch you a great career.

The course, the university from where you study this course will be of importance. Generally, most universities have top- global rating for particular courses and not for all. For example, a university having an excellent global rating for electronic/computer course may necessarily not have very good research facilities for medical/genetic courses.

For all the young aspirants, wishing to study abroad and make a great career, remember, education is one of the most important investments you will make in your lifetime, so do your research!