If you're moving abroad for UG studies...

Indian students aspire to study abroad to broaden their academic horizons and experience new social and cultural environments. Earlier, they would pursue their post-graduate degree abroad, but over the last two decades, an increasing number of students are moving abroad for their undergraduate (UG) courses.

Students going to study their UG abroad, generally are leaving home for the first time and are usually in their teens. So, it’s crucial for the students and their parents to keep a few pointers in mind.

Availability of a sandwich year

Not many students consider the availability of a sandwich year, a key factor when deciding on their university abroad. The availability of a sandwich year provides a plethora of advantages including hands-on training, adding to the student’s overall experience. This is a golden period between the 2nd and 3rd years of the UG programme for a student to gain excellent industry exposure.

Students generally see the sandwich year as a year-long unpaid internship and tend to prefer internships of one or two months. It should be looked at as an opportunity that facilitates rigorous industry training with better exposure and deep practical knowledge, which helps the chances of placement for the student.

Identifying with the university

Matching one’s personality to the university of choice is often overlooked and tends to be a major issue for students later. Students do not pay much attention to aligning who they are and where they intend to study. Careful consideration of your aspirations and growth story is key to making the right decision. The university you choose to study abroad is your home till you graduate and it should feel like home.

If a student with athletic interests ends up in a college where music prevails or vice versa, the student faces a challenge — to either fit in or give up on innate interests, which affects the mental health and well-being. Conduct thorough research and choose the course and city.

Choosing the city

Students are global citizens with significant awareness of various countries, cities and towns, with a drive to travel the world in search of experiences. However, travel and leisure shouldn’t be the only consideration when choosing a city to study. Tourist cities don’t always make for an ideal education destination. Problems of these big cities include scattered facilities, high cost of living and socialising, accommodations are comparatively expensive and away from the campus and more. The cost of living should be a major consideration as this affects comfort and social life. Students must choose the destination wisely and not get blindly drawn to specific cities, rather than the courses or colleges that suit them. A tried and tested approach would be to make a list of pros and cons about the study destination and be very clear about the choice. This helps the student leave home with realistic expectations.

Proximity to an airport

International travel might have picked up the pace but there will always be a lingering thought in the minds of parents sending their 18-year-old child abroad of ‘what if?’. There could be another pandemic or war-like situation or another outbreak of the still ongoing pandemic or some emergency where the student might have to evacuate the country. Proximity to an international airport plays a major role in such a scenario, considering the fact that this would be their first experience living far from home. Easy access to international airports enables students and parents to go in and out of the country with ease in case of emergencies.

Study the legal procedure

It is important for a young student going to study abroad, to understand what is legal and illegal in the new destination — the law of their land. The visa required to enter the country, steps for renewal, religious laws, basic civil code, traffic rules and the like should be looked into. Students should be mindful of their paperwork as it might be tough to seek help in a new country. If something untoward happens, it might cause unnecessary delays or even deportation in some cases.

Finding a match that suits the student is possible with the right guidance. So, the most important advice to students would be: to seek counsel, internalise their decision and then make the most of the opportunity.

(The author is the CEO of an international higher education consultancy.)