Studying Overseas: What You Need to Know !
Every Indian student cherishes a dream to get enrolled in best of the colleges and make their career worth. While some choose to stay in India there are others who dream to study overseas and explore the unexplored. To ease their journey, these days educational loan 
availability has become flexible and universities are coming up abroad with specialized courses. This in turn has encouraged various Indian students to line up for visas now.
However, while pursuing their dreams overseas, it is essential for students to get fully equipped with the living environment chosen by them. This includes the lifestyle, culture and also the learning methodology used by these countries. In such a situation students must try to get in touch with someone from that particular country. This in turn will help them in understanding and respecting the way of life lead by them.
Students must keep in mind that studying overseas for education is a world of difference, as this might comprise an altogether different teaching process. Prakul Joshi, presently pursuing an MS course from Georgia Institute of Technology while talking to Shiksha says that in order to clear the competitive examination, GRE and TOEFL are required for an MS course, while GMAT and TOEFL are required for an MBA course.
The other side of the studying overseas is that a student must build a strong background in stream chosen by. This will surely help them in adjusting with the demands abroad. Apart from preparing thoroughly for the exams, one must try to brush up their technical skills in languages like C, C++, Java. Oracle conducts a Java programmer test, with the help of which students can get a certification. This will form a solid foundation and help as an accelerator in pursuing studies abroad.
Students can also take the expert advice of counselors, available in India who might prove highly advantageous in issues like accommodation, customs and laws of the foreign country. According to experts, confirmed accommodation is one of the most important thing, which any student going overseas must check before leaving the country. Be it college, university or a friend, you must know somebody who can pick you up at the airport.
After one reaches the destination students must be prepared for immense adjustment demanded by that country. Back home, one has plenty of moral support, while at the foreign front it is a different story all together. From cleaning clothes to running between bus stops, one must be mentally prepared minimum three months before venturing abroad.
Today studying overseas has more in its kitty than simply an independent way of life. The quality of time invested while learning abroad gives the students a global approach, as they are introduced to a cosmopolitan culture. Students will also encounter a variety of people and thus it is important that they maintain a flexible personality. They must be open to interaction as this in turn will help them in learning the way of life there. The best part of this exposure will be that students will learn new skills and widen their horizon. Therefore, in order to make a mark abroad, it is essential to become approachable.
According to Uday Mishra, currently pursuing an MA in Political Science from the University of Sheffield, UK, it is simply great to study in a foreign nation. Initial adjustments are a part and parcel of studying overseas but at the same time it becomes a learning experience. Uday is also of the opinion that students must be prepared to overcome the difficulties of information.
So here we are. To explore an unknown destination is not an easy task. Therefore, one's personality must be like a sponge which can absorb as much as possible. Most importantly it is only when one study abroad that they learn to appreciate values back home and inculcate tolerance for other cultures. Thus if our students are all set to take a plunge in the foreign oceans and transform themselves then all the above tips must be kept in mind.
Source: Prachi Srivastava (Shiksha Team)
Date: 29th June, 2011
