Making an informed decision

With many students now seizing opportunities as they come, they are now looking to study abroad. However, before jumping on the bandwagon, it is important for students to look at the reasons as to why they want to study abroad. As overseas education is expensive, it is important that this investment is backed by proper planning and clear objectives.

The primary reason for a student to go abroad is to get quality education. To ensure this, students will need to keep the following in mind before finalising their plan:

Choose an overseas course as per aptitude and exclusivity. Unless overseas education is offering exclusivity vis-à-vis knowledge, there is no point in going for it.

Choose a university or college that is recognised by local government agencies and can accept international students. This is especially important if you are looking to study in countries like Canada, Australia and New Zealand. These countries offer a pathway to work permit, followed by permanent residency.

Choose a course that is of the right duration, that is of three years or more if it is an undergraduate degree, or two years or more if it is a postgraduate degree. Doing so can ensure that students can apply for the post-qualification work permit and subsequent permanent residency.

Take a course that looks into the future and addresses the shortages of a future job market.

Always choose a course that will have good demand and is recognised in one’s country. This is very important in situations where one is not settling down abroad.

Choose a university and course, whose credits can be easily transferable to other courses.

Select a university that offers options for an internship and practical training.

Most of the time, students do not take time to read up on their choice of study properly and as a result, feel cheated. Hence, it is important that you research judiciously about the university, its facilities and its accreditations, especially if the intention is to settle down in the destined country under an immigration programme. Such programmes will normally require local qualification for a certain duration to be eligible.

Don’t be misguided into short-term courses unless that is what one is looking for and relates to a specialisation or a skill. These certificate courses rarely carry any value.

Seeking advice

If you are planning to seek help from an overseas educational consultant, it is essential that you choose the agency very carefully. So, while interacting with them, ask the right questions so that you can choose the right destination, institution and course. Here are some tips that can help you select the right one:

Go to a known education consultant who can offer you the best advice on studying abroad. They can guide you on which university is the best for your course. An ideal consultant will have an official representation of these institutions.

Check with the consultant on his or her fee policy before starting the process. Keep in mind that some consultants get a commission from the universities to fill up a particular course’s seats.

Ensure to keep the officials of the university or college in the loop before making any payments and also clear all the queries, if any. If you have any specific queries regarding the process, it is good to contact an authorised university official directly.

In short, as studying overseas is a lifetime investment, the decision should be taken after comprehensive research. Most importantly, go only if it is offering something that the country of your origin does not.

(The author is with Abhinav Outsourcings, New Delhi)