Universities are generally well-prepared to face illnesses

Hello Madam,

Since monkeypox is breaking out in many countries, what do you think students aspiring to go abroad do, as there's no vaccine yet? Are there restrictions? How should one be prepared?

Niveditha

Dear Niveditha,

Life must go on irrespective of monkeypox or any other new disease that we hear about. So don’t worry too much about what we have no control over and focus on the bigger picture of getting an education from a world-class university. As of now, there are no vaccines to be taken. Each country has its own set of medical tests that are required of international students at the time of visa application. These are very easily done. Be enthusiastic and positive about experiencing a new country, meeting students from different parts of the world and sharing your rich culture and traditions with them while learning about theirs. As far as being prepared for any illness, your health insurance which is required for all students going abroad will cover these diseases. Universities are well-prepared, especially after the Covid lockdown. They are doing everything possible to put the safety and health of the students as a top priority. If and when vaccines need to be taken, they will make them available to all students.

Hello Madam,

I completed mechanical engineering three years ago. My CGPA is 87.5%, and I'm working in a software company. Now I feel like changing to a better company. Kindly suggest short-term courses in India or abroad that can be completed within a year.

Vishukumar

Dear Vishukumar,

I suggest you do your Master’s in a field you want to pursue at work. All Master’s programmes in the UK and New Zealand are for a duration of one year. Both countries are very affordable and they let you work part-time with your student visa and allow a stay back for two to three years on a post-study work visa.

Dear Ma'am,

I'm a parent aspiring to send my child abroad, to study science stream, preferably medicine. I have not decided on the country, as I don't have a good idea. She is in Class 10 now. I would like to know what would work out cheaper and more beneficial to the child in long term - going abroad for Class 11, or degree, or postgraduation? Also please help me with which country I should choose and for which class.

Ashwin

Dear Ashwin,

Send your child abroad after grade 12. Let her turn 18 before she gets out of her comfort zone to explore new opportunities. If you are moving to another country for work, then it is okay to move her to grade 11. Completing high school in India would be cheaper. If it is medicine she wants to pursue, then the UK would be a good option. In the UK, MBBS is a 5-year programme whereas in the US, it is a minimum of seven years.

To study medicine in the UK, she would have to take the UKCAT exam and the IELTS academic test. Apart from Cambridge and Oxford, Imperial College London, Lancaster, Liverpool, Leeds, Anglia Ruskin University, Bristol, Sheffield, etc. are some of the leading institutions for Medicine.

Hello Madam,

I'm finishing my degree this year, and want to go abroad to take up MSc in AI/ML. Would you know which country provides earning and learning opportunities together? And what are the rules to earn while learning?

Simran

Dear Simran,

Coop programs in Canada and US, and Sandwich programs in the UK are where your course integrates paid work along with study. If your Master’s programme is for four terms, your third term will be your paid-work term.

While choosing a course, pick one with an option of a placement year. This increases the duration of the course by one year and hence a longer study visa, you get a paid placement and there is no tuition fee (or in some cases a small nominal amount charged) for the placement year. This option not only gives you a hands-on work experience in a global environment but also allows you additional time to network with potential employers.

Alternatively, in the UK and New Zealand, if you want to work part-time while you are a student, you can do so for 20 hours a week on working days and 40 hours a week during holidays.

Dear Ma'am,

My daughter has completed her CBSE grade 10 in 2021-22 with 98%. Now she has opted for PCMIP in a college for her 1st PU in CBSE. As she wants to study abroad, please suggest and guide her to select the country as well as the courses.

Sanjeev

Dear Sanjeev,

Let her pick a course that she is passionate about. If she enjoys what she studies, she will certainly excel at it. Since she has opted for pure sciences now, I am guessing that’s what she is interested in. By the time she comes to 2nd PUC, she will be a lot clearer on what she wants to pursue. With Physics, Chemistry and Math as her primary subjects now, she can pursue any stream of engineering like software, mechanical, electrical etc. If she chooses to study something totally unrelated to these subjects, that’s fine too! Universities accept students with pure science backgrounds into any stream.

As far as the country goes, as a family, pick one that suits your budget. Undergraduate programmes in the UK, New Zealand and Australia are generally for a duration of three years while in all other countries it is for four years. Ask her to enrol at the Goethe Institute and learn German during the next two years of high school. This will help her get into a good German University which will not only offer high-quality education but will also be free of tuition fees.

The author is a career counsellor based in Bengaluru.

(Send in your queries to us at: [e-mail] with ‘Study Abroad’ in the subject line)