No course matters. Can you get a 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 cost.
Be careful before you go
This is not just a matter of grading
There is no appropriate system in our country to provide accurate information about which course to choose in which country. The fact that you check university sites is not important; Know economic conditions and conditions of stay according to the country of destination. Even if you study in good universities in Poland, you won’t get a well-paying job. There is no staying back after studying in Switzerland; But if you get a job, the pay 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 a third of those questioned 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.
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This is a 4 point test
Peer-influenced desire to study abroad; But precise guidelines are lacking. 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 the United Nations Population Fund (2022) and the 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 a middle class life.
> If two years wait back, it’s easier to get there and find a job. Please note that the waiting period varies depending on the length of the course. Information can be found from official websites. For example, study-uk.britishcouncil.org for information about the UK. This is how you can know the information of countries like Canada and Australia.
> If the country you are going to does not speak English, you must become proficient in that language.
After coming abroad
Need, basic understanding
∙ Difference in academic methods
This is what Ernakulam native Jyothis Jain, a Bachelor of Computer Engineering (BCS) student in Nova Scotia, Canada, says about the new learning experience: ”No one 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 teachers to teach them in each semester. There will be healthy competition among teachers as children choose teachers who teach well.
∙ Know the rules
2 Malayali students were arrested in the UK last February and March. Conversations with underage girls with sexual interest and subsequent moves caught both of them. None of them knew 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 proper understanding of sex education, healthy relationship between men and women and gender pluralism will run into such problems. The experience shared by a professional who left his job and went to study in the United States: Once there was no signal but the road was empty, so the car moved on like home. The penalty 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 fights.
∙ 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.
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Listen to Manorama’s survey on challenges after moving abroad. The main issue mentioned by readers was the cost of living. I will tell you about it tomorrow. And there is another topic to discuss – an education loan.
Three views of Ukraine
The second instruction of the Indian Embassy that 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 her 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 get to Ukraine by train/bus after arriving in Moldova or Slovakia. Otherwise the visa will be cancelled. Our university is located in eastern Ukraine, where attacks are common. Now moving west and working. He 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 per cent of the course fee is paid from loans, you’re lucky.
∙ There is RS Merlin
(Native of Thiruvananthapuram Trikannapuram)
When the war started, he was going home with some goods. Hope to return soon. When he realized it wasn’t going to happen, he bought a transfer to Armenia. Can’t take the risk as the course is 3 years away. If you look at Ukraine, there are many flaws 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 was cancelled, 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)
He returned via Dubai-Moldova in June. Now we have a notice from the embassy but we have no other option. It’s a ‘life or death’ situation. Many parents have been converted to think that we are somehow holding 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: Baby Pink, Giku Varghese Jacob, Ashwin Nair
Murali Thummarukudi with Manorama team
Content highlights: Education Abroad
