Now that you have decided that you want to study abroad, here are five things that you should take into account:
The Destination
After deciding to go for International education, the destination is the most important decision that would decide the direction that your career could take to a very large extent. There is no “best place to study abroad” as such – all countries have some positives and some negatives, and what may be good for one may not be so good for the other.
Thus it is extremely important that you select the country based on your own requirements, and not because a friend or relative or neighbour went to that country.
Some key questions that you should consider when selecting a study abroad destination could be to see if its an English-speaking country, whether the Universities and colleges there are recognised and offer good education, whether it offers a stay back option after the course, what are the work opportunities after completion of the course, whether the course is affordable and within your budget, and finally if you have funds that will be enough to secure the visa of that country.
You should decide on the study abroad location only after considering these points very carefully.
The Course
Once the destination is decided, it is then important to shortlist the course that you want to study. There is a very wide variety of study abroad programs available, and while you would definitely have a broad idea of your area of study, you should now look at the exact course that you need to pursue.
For example, you might want to do a Masters in IT, but depending on your interest area and also on the work opportunities offered by a country, you could then decide on the exact specialisation like Data Analytics, Cyber Security, Cloud Computing, Information Systems, etc.
Similarly for other areas like Management, Biosciences, Engineering, etc, one can look at all the different types of study abroad courses available, and then make the right choice.
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The University
The University selection is also a very important decision. While University rankings are important, given the high quality of education in most Universities in developed countries, the University name and ranking should not be the sole criteria for selection, as there are also other factors to be considered.
The exact course available would vary depending on the University or college. One should spend a lot of time seeing the exact course structure, and the entire syllabus.
The course being pursued is extremely important, so one should place a higher importance to confirm that the syllabus is according to the requirement, and not just go by the University ranking.
The Budget
One should carefully budget for the international program to ensure there are no financial problems later on.
One should have full access to both the University tuition fee and living expenses upfront and not depend on part-time work, as part-time jobs may not always be available.
If you have a discussion with your family in advance and have complete clarity on the amount that you can spend on your education, you can select the University accordingly.
If opting for partial funding thru’ Bank loan, you should initiate first-level discussions with your bankers and check the amount of loan that you would qualify for, as the loan amount would depend on your family income and collateral security that might be required.
Some Universities are more expensive than others, whereas some offer better scholarships, so consider these factors as well.
Also, a 1-year Master’s program would be almost half the cost of a 2-year program, so that is another factor that can be taken into account.
Visa Possibility
And finally, you should also consider your visa possibility right at the time of starting the process, as otherwise, the whole effort will go waste.
Different countries have different requirements, but the most important factor considered for the visa is the availability of finances.
However, the paperwork required is different depending on the country, so it would be a good idea to have a detailed discussion with your study abroad consultant on the same, share with him your financial position and then take his advice on whether you would have a good visa possibility or not.
Final Thoughts
So once you have decided that you want to study abroad, it is important that you look at the best places to study abroad and select one that meets your objectives, and then go ahead and select the best program and University according to your requirement.
A good study abroad consultant makes the entire process much easier.
We at Newstrides have very experienced counsellors with tens of years of experience who help you with the entire process, right from helping you identify your requirements to selection of the right course and University, helping you with the application process and scholarships, and also assisting with the entire visa process.