Pros and cons of higher education abroad

Going abroad for higher studies post Bachelor’s is a very popular trend among Indian students of higher education specifically from Engineering backgrounds.

However, times have been changing and the landscape of opportunities abroad after graduating from a university abroad are also rapidly changing.

Considering these changes, it is essential for one to look at this path holistically to decide if this indeed is a suitable option for one's career.

Often students fail to do any kind of analysis before jumping on this bandwagon and get started on the journey along with their peers.

And often, they end up pursuing the journey only to realize that they have reached another crossroads where they must figure out a new path again.

Higher education abroad is not an incorrect option, however, if pursued without clarity, will reap more financial liability and lost opportunity time and set you back in your professional growth path.

If you are in such a situation where you must make a case or decision for pursuit of higher education abroad, start with the why.

Follow the principle of Golden circle as illustrated by Simon Sinek and apply the same analysis to your situation to answer why.

This exercise alone if done sincerely will answer several questions and help you in choosing a right path. Once you know why, you will be able to estimate what you intend to achieve as yield and how much of time and money can be spent for this yield.

Assuming you have done these two analyses, here are some benefits of this option which are to be considered further to your career planning process.

Global Exposure
One obvious benefit of pursuing a higher education abroad is the culture exposure it provides to the students. A completely different lifestyle, values and an opportunity to work with the most diverse crowd possibly from several countries will broaden the horizons of your thought system. Along with the campus life, you are also part of that country's economy which allows you to become a part of many systems, processes and operations. Maneuvering through these, you will evolve with a matured outlook towards managing self, others and developing processes which will take you a long way in your career.

International career opportunities
It is a very common occurrence for students who go abroad for higher education to pursue career opportunities in the same country and settle there for an extended period. In most developed countries, the job market opens doors in a more flexible manner for immigrants who are already inside the country versus people who want to come on a work visa from outside of their country. Especially United States encourages graduates to join workforce with programs like Optional Practical training extendable up to 29 months after a student finishes his or her master's program.

Better research opportunities
For students who are interested in pursuing a doctoral program post their graduation, admission into one such program becomes relatively easier with post graduate degree from their country as there is an inherent validation of one's merit of students who have graduated with a master's degree. Along with the reputation of the school from where you will graduate, recommendations from your professors will also help in advancing your application at a good university which otherwise is not possible to pursue.

Personal growth
For many students, this will be the first time they will be living independently on their own away from their families. You will be managing your finances, making lot of household decisions and living within the means of your allowances, scholarships and incomes from the part time jobs. Managing your life on your own terms and within your own constraints will make you a mature adult. While these are the benefits of a higher education abroad, there are several cons too which may not be visible on the surface but must be seriously considered and analyzed for your situation before you make your choice.

Uncertainty in career opportunities
One should never blindly assume that a degree from a foreign university will automatically fetch a job abroad. Dwindling world economy in the last few years has certainly tightened job opportunities in many countries for foreign students. Especially, companies always prefer local talent to immigrant pool when there is a choice. This is because of the visa sponsorship overheads that a company must bear if they hire an immigrant. Irrespective of your merit and talent, your immigrant status will be the biggest challenge when it comes to finding a job.

Financial Liabilities
Very few students will end up with a scholarship and a full tuition wavier and rest should bear the tuition expenses from their own pockets. Especially when there is no aid granted from the school, one should carefully assess the financial expenditure and the intended outcome from this ordeal and proceed only if the expenditure is justified.

Loss of professional experience
This is often overlooked by the shortsighted view of the students and is especially true for many who choose to move back to India after their Master's program. The time spent abroad for education is never counted towards your work experience and depending on the time spent, which is typically 18-24 months for a post graduate program, is the full-time work experience window deducted from your otherwise possible career age. Unfortunately, in the Indian market, your title, grade and pay all depend on the years of experience and a degree from abroad is ignored. This will put you below your peers from your undergraduate college who chose to start working right after college.

To summarize, always assess this option of higher education abroad holistically and not focus just on going abroad immediately. And owning this decision-making journey end to end and making choices on your own at every stage will allow you to assess the merits of each option and make a better judgement.

By: Sharat Konatham

(The writer is an entrepreneur and ISB alumni who runs Thoughtwise, a career counselling service. He can be reached at [email protected])