It's very essential for each and every person to step out of their comfort zone and face the harsh realities of life. By giving exposure to yourself, to will know how much you can grow and how far you can go.
Getting the opportunity of studying abroad can be extremely rewarding and even life changing. Also, choosing to study abroad will give you a huge opportunity to see other parts of the world.
Higher education statistics in India:
According to Dr. Education analysis, an estimated 26.5 million students enrolled in Indian higher education in 2014-2015 and 9 million graduates (Master's/Doctoral/Bachelor's).
With a presence of 700+ universities and 35,000+ affiliated colleges and private institutions in India, there doesn't seem to have a dearth of institutions to deliver higher education.
However, the thought is short lived as every year, around 3 lakhs Indian students leave India to study abroad, where some students cited their leaving to limited availability of their choice of course, or limited seats/openings in top institutions.
This revelation makes educationists question if the quality and standards haven't been up to the mark as much as the increase in the quantity of higher education institutes.
So, how do you address the growing demand for quality education that is of international standard?
What we fail to understand is that, India is not just in need of multiple institutes (private or public) but rather, in need of an efficient mechanism of education supply; a certain system that educates a student on 'how' to think rather than 'what' to think.
How is studying abroad more beneficial?
Now, let's look down to the big question, what does an overseas education offer that education in India does not?
1. Application based education: From 'What' to think to 'How' to think
In most cases, in India, we follow the textbook culture that is exam oriented.
Students mug up content from a textbook curriculum that has been taught for decades and write that in the exam. Students are then evaluated based on that.
By doing so, the schools, knowingly or unknowingly, condition students to think linear instead of lateral; teaching what to think rather than how to think. These types of methods can result in a narrow perspective and lack of awareness, whether emotional, social, spiritual, financial or scientific.
On the contrary, the teaching methods overseas are intensifying where students are taught based on live case studies, practical and analytical assignments.
Students are judged on their ability to analyse a situation and work in a team, not just on how much textual information has been written in the exam. It is not just the theory, but also practicality and aptitude that matters.
2. Global exposure
More than the valuable content or academics that an overseas education endows, it is the exposure that a student gets from different value systems, cultures, and people that makes an overseas education important.
The exposures that students get from world-class universities are the opportunities to interact with students from diverse backgrounds (with diverse perspectives) in an incredibly innovative and exciting learning environment.
It is also the invaluable perspective one gets from interacting with students who are ambitious and driven to explore the world, counter challenges and become the global leaders and realise the full potential.
Thus, this helps student to stay at pace with the changing socio economic technological environment.
3. Interactive student-teacher relationships
The teaching status is also worth mentioning because, in India, teachers and students are always poles apart, at least when it comes to interaction. In most cases, the interaction between a student and a professor does not go beyond the classroom and working hours. The imparting of knowledge starts from the textbook and ends with the exam paper, which, of course, needs to be addressed and changed from the school level.
Now, when we put that against the level of interaction between professors and students in international universities, there is a world of difference.
The professors are not just your classroom instructor, but available for the students for any kind of doubt or discussion where the interaction is not restricted to the textual topics but open to anything.
This not only results in a healthy student-teacher relationship, but it instills confidence in the student and gives him the space to understand and apply his knowledge; from a 'what' to 'how'.
Focus on intangible benefits rather than tangible ones
Although we have to admit that studying overseas is above 'affordable', the stakes for going abroad are much higher. In short, the setbacks for not studying abroad are the absence of exposure, perspective, diversity and thinking that one gets in an international learning environment.
When we talk about why it is advantageous for Indian students to study abroad, we are talking about the intangible benefits rather than the tangible ones.
It is the personal growth, the intercultural development, the invaluable exposure to the international learning and working environment, and the exposure to great ideas and perspectives that matters.
In the end, it is the exposure to these intangible elements that consequently shape how a person positively think, view and envision the future.