Alan Lakein rightly said “failing to plan is planning to fail”. If you are looking forward to living a rewarding study abroad experience, planning is that one crucial factor that will see you through. Earlier the better for you! While deciding to go for an overseas higher education you need to take clear stock of things and prudently consider all aspects including your academic credentials, career aspirations. program requirements, and financial capability of your sponsors along with ascertaining suitability of the university location.
The below listed points will help you in effective preparation of your higher education abroad:
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- Academic planning: Planning the course and program you want to undertake is of utmost importance. While it is important to clearly identify your preferred programs which requires a comprehensive review of your academic profile and career goals . This neccesiates you to sign up with an well-known consultancy can help you to zero in on appropriate course. Clearly laid out academic plan will help you make a clear blueprint for future and the more your understand yourself and your needs, more enriching your higher education experience will turn out to be.
Once you have your academic plan in place, take out sufficient time to exhaustively reseach on the requirements of the course you want to take up. Completing your applications early and applying early is not only a safe bet but also saves yoy from the anxiety of missing your application deadlines. Schools such as Syracruse and UIC require you to spend a significant amount of time in filling up application form and you must be mentally prepared to invest long hours filling up these cumbersome forms.
- Know the program requirements: It is imperative that you are fully aware of the demands and commitments of the chosen program. It is also important to understand the broader picture of the future it assures. Knowing every specific of the program ranging from number of credits required to graduate, expected code of conducts, study commitments, scholarship, RA opportunities and financial aids.
- Rope in a Reliable Overseas consultancy to enjoy a seamless and enhanced educational experience you must not only be aware of academic realities but should also be prepared for cultural transitions. In addition You also need a through understanding of entire application process and advantages of applying early .A well written SOP, a nicely documented letter of recommendations neat resume makes for an impressive profile which will decidedly put you in an advantageous position. An overseas expert can not only help you in making a glowing profile but can also help you in easing out the much dreaded cumbersome application process.
- Learn more about the host country: While the thought of being on your own excites you to no end, also anticipate the challenges of staying away from a comfortable and familiar setting. Your are accustomed to a particular life style and environment, getting yourself acquainted with new culture will not only help you in settling down easily but also aid you in building nurturing and sustaining relationships. The best way to start is to know more about your soon-to-be host country. Try and gather information on its culture, language, political setting up to begin with. Also brush up your knowledge on health and safety considerations. One sure shot way to brighten your study experience is to know your host country well in advance.
For example: If you are going to USA for MS you should learn more about it.
- Learn about the university life: Be unerringly sure of the academic setting you would be entering into. Will you be able to adjust to a college located in countryside or you necessarily need an urban locale as your study destination. You want to stay in near the city center and enjoy a thriving night life or you want a quiet picturesque setting with occassional getaways? Are you ready to lead a self-reliant life cooking on your own and doing your own laundry? Self-sufficiency comes to your aid if you are game with living off-campus but if you would want to play it safe you might want to consider settling with university dorm. Along with selecting the location also consider the tuitionfee and most importantly living expenses.
- Take Standarized Tests: Most of the sought after higher study destinations require international students to take some standardized tests like GRE, TOEF, and IELTS that demonstrates their proficiency in English language. Please do not take these tests lightly as these scores go a long way in determining your chances of making it to the schools of your choice. These tests are designed to evaluate candidates potential to understand international curriculum
- Plan your Finances: Overseas education is an expensive proposition and one needs to plan finances well in advance. In order to get I-20 you need to demonstrate your financial capability. In case you don’t have sufficient fund at disposal to fund your education you need to look into other viable options such as educational loans. Try and explore all avenues and possibilities including financial assistance from the school in question that includes Scholarship/fellowships, assistantship and Tuition fee waiver . When you are working on the financial requirement do not forgert to calculate living expenses along with tuition fees.
