Any course doesn’t matter. Can you get PR (permanent residence permit) in Canada?’ A question I saw in an Instagram Live discussion about studying abroad last month. ‘Can I do any job, can I get a visa?’ This is a continuation of the previous generation’s question. But learning is not like work. Especially when studying at a huge expense.
Be careful before you go
It’s not just about ranking
There is no proper system in our country to provide correct information about which course to choose in which country. Just because you check university rankings doesn’t matter; Know the economic conditions and stayback conditions of the destination country. Even if you study in good universities in Poland, you won’t get a well-paid job. There is no post-study stayback in Switzerland; But if you get a job, the salary is good.
When asked in the Manorama survey how they find information, 40.14% said ‘foreign university websites’. However, it should be taken into account that one-third of those surveyed are abroad, and it may be a little easier for them to find information and analyze it themselves. Meanwhile, most of the 26.38% who say they rely on private consultancies are from Kerala.
Here is a 4 point test
Peer-influenced desire to study abroad; But there is a lack of precise guidelines. If this is the case, care should be taken. Here’s a 4-point test on how to choose which country to visit:
> A country’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR – an index of population growth or decline) is less than 2.1 percent, so the population is declining; Many of them may encourage immigration. Figures from UN Population Fund (2022) and World Bank (2020) can be checked online. And we must use our discretion. For example, TFR in China is 1.7; In Canada it is 1.4–1.5. There are two situations in both places.
> If the per capita income of the destination country is more than 20,000 dollars, people from Kerala can reach the middle class life.
> If there is a stayback of two years, it is easier to get there and find a job. Please note that the stayback period varies depending on the length of the course. Information can be found from official websites. For example, study-uk.britishcouncil.org for UK information. This is how you can know the information of countries like Canada and Australia.
> If the country you are going to is not English speaking, you must become proficient in that language.
After coming abroad
Need, basic understanding
∙ Difference in academic methods
Here’s what Ernakulam native Jyothis Jain, a Bachelor of Computer Engineering (BCS) student at Nova Scotia, Canada, says about the new learning experience: ”Nobody forces you to study here. However, we are convinced that we can learn. We are not assessed through an end-of-semester exam like in Kerala, but through continuous online quizzes, online tests and different assignments for each student. We can decide which subjects to study and which professors to teach in each semester. There will be healthy competition among teachers as children can choose teachers who teach well.
∙ Know the rules
2 Malayali students were arrested in UK last February and March. Chats with minor girls with sexual interest and subsequent moves caught both of them. Neither of them knew that they were fake profiles created by the UK Police and Child Protection Team as part of a sting operation.
There is always a possibility that Malayali students who grow up without a proper understanding of sex education, healthy male-female relationship and gender pluralism will go headlong into such problems. The experience shared by a professional who left his job and went to study in the US: Once there was no signal but the road was empty, so the car moved forward like back home. The punishment was heavy fines and mandatory traffic awareness classes.
∙ Cultural differences:
The stares many people are used to at home can be offensive abroad. It can even cause a fight.
∙ Racism
Sometimes we may face such problems but strong laws in western countries help us in this regard. We should also be careful that our behavior towards others does not become racist.
Listen to the Manorama survey on challenges after moving abroad. The main issue cited by readers was the cost of living. I will tell you about it tomorrow. And there is another topic to discuss – education loan.
Three views of Ukraine
The second instruction of the Indian Embassy that the Indian students in Ukraine should return home as soon as possible came the other day. Almost 8 months after the start of the war, the suffering of Indian students has not ended. to their words
∙ Gokul Sreekumar
(6th year medical student at Harkeev, native of Palakkad)
He has been in the country for 8 months. Being in the final year, transferring to a college in another country is not easy. It costs more than 10 lakh rupees. Anyway try to reach Ukraine by train/bus after reaching Moldova or Slovakia. Otherwise the visa will be cancelled. Our university is located in eastern Ukraine, where attacks are common. Now shifting to west and working. Has a loan of Rs.20 lakhs. Due to the depreciation of the rupee, there was an additional cost every year. If at least 80 percent of the course fee is met from loans, you are lucky.
∙ R.S. Merlin
(Native of Thiruvananthapuram Trikannapuram)
When the war started, he was going home with some goods. Hope to return soon. When he realized that it would not happen, he bought a transfer to Armenia. Couldn’t take the risk as the course was 3 years away. If you look at Ukraine, there are many shortcomings here. It also cost more money. I want to go to Ukraine and pick up the rest of the things lying there, but since the visa has been canceled, I have to get a new one. There is no way to think about it because the war is going on.
∙ Gino Vince
(Sixth year medical student in Vinnytsia, native of Neyyatinkara)
Returned via Dubai-Moldova in June. Now we have a warning from the embassy but we have no other option. It is a ‘life or death’ situation. Many parents have been converted to thinking that somehow we hold back. Despite the war, life is almost normal. The missile will go underground when the warning siren is heard. There is no problem with food.
Coordination: Sanil P. Jason
Reports: Pinky Baby, Giku Varghese Jacob, Ashwin Nair
Murali Thummarukudi with the Manorama team
Content Highlight: Overseas Education