1 thing that all parents have grappled with, at some point of time, is their child’s education.
In larger cities, the challenge starts with nursery admissions! By & large there are some common milestones which everyone faces & these need careful consideration – Subject choice in Class 11 / Course to be pursued in College…
As Career Counsellors, we also get parents looking for these answers, but we’re going to address another popular query: Should we send our child to study outside India – after class 12 or after completing graduation?
While a final decision depends on many individual factors, we’re sharing a perspective, which is sure to help you reach a decision that’s correct for you.
- Type of course (subject): for some streams of study, universities outside India offer far greater exposure and subsequent work-opportunities. eg: Tech-related or even Business & Finance.
- it may also be worth considering your own Learning-style. As a result of many reasons, overseas education offers more hands-on learning, thus allowing student’s to gain valuable practical exposure – which is particularly important for job prospects.
- Regulatory requirements: this becomes important for courses such as Law & Medicine, where India has statutory bodies dealing with Higher-Education.
- In Law, for example, you need to have studied a 5-year programme (after class 12) to be eligible to practise as a Lawyer. So, if you’re keen to pursue law in India, you’ll need to choose wisely ( the BCI does recognise specific universities / courses, and maintains a list of these universities)
- Career Prospects: unfortunately, many courses do not offer the type of career opportunities (they should) in India. Think Psychology , Sports Management , or even a popular course like Business Management. The curriculum in a majority of Indian Universities is not able to expose the students to the latest practices / techniques in the corporate sector. As a result, students do not understand the true extent of the skill-se they possess and settle for jobs / opportunities which are not up to the mark.
- 1 thing that has changed in recent years is the boom in Start-up’s in India – thus making Entrepreneurship an acceptable choice for many college graduates.
- a related point – for Engineering streams : in India you don’t get to choose your stream of engineering. It’s given to you, basis your merit position in an entrance exam. So, whether you’re keen to study a particular subject or not – it’s doesn’t matter!
These, and some other factors will help you decide what’s best for you (and your child) . ( and we’ve not even spoken of the costs – because that’s obviously a crucial factor)
There is 1 more major point to consider if you’re thinking of pursuing a PG degree outside India.
Each university (and there are over 1,000 in India) has a different curriculum for the same field of study ; think B.Com or Computer Engineering. The subjects , and their contents vary widely – whether it’s a Public University ( Delhi University , Mumbai University , a top ranked Engineering college) or a Private University. This makes it difficult for Overseas Universities to share a simple criterion for establishing eligibility to apply for the course and to determine your calibre/ competence in a particular subject. So they assess each university differently ( NAAC Grading / Institute of Eminence / Public or Private University etc etc ) Thus, it is highly likely that while you think you meet the eligibility criteria for a course, the University may need additional proof of your competence in that subject ( how do you do that ?) or may even offer you another course instead. Added to this is the fact that during a Bachelor’s degree in Indian Universities, there is hardly any weightage given to Projects / Thesis / Dissertations – all of which are an important criterion for foreign universities.
The end result – a university where you’d have a good chance of getting in after class 12, may end up being a bridge too far, if you apply after completing your Bachelor’s degree from an Indian University.
So, if we were to make a recommendation, it will be to pursue your Bachelor’s Degree outside India , as well as your PG studies. The combination of this exposure to a different education system, work-ethic and networking with students of (50 to a 100) different nationalities will definitely hold you in good stead.
Please also view this video: Studying outside India – UG or PG ?
If you’re thinking about applying to the best universities in the world, we’ll be happy to partner you on this journey. Connect with us today !
