Top Reasons to Study Abroad

 

“Don’t be afraid of new beginnings, from new people, new energy, new surroundings, and new challenges. Embrace new chances at happiness.” Jay Shetty

When it comes to a study abroad experience, we understand that the thought can be daunting for many reasons. A new culture with different approaches to everything from food to education may seem like an overwhelming challenge. However, the pros far outweigh the cons. Taking a chance while you are a student and investing in your future by opting for a study abroad experience or agraduate internship programin another country can be a springboard for your career and overall success. Let us show you why you should invest in this dream and make it count towards your overalldevelopment.

Increased career opportunities

The Erasmus Student Network has found that applicants with international experience were found to be more desirable candidates by 64% of employers. Thus, perhaps one of the most crucial benefits, is that studying abroad gives you a higher chance of finding a career abroad and increasing your employability across the world. It could even be aninternational research internshipor acorporate internshipin a foreign country. Thus, geographical and career mobility is always a big plus, making you employable across a larger swathe of the world.

Making new friends and networks

Confidence is a key factor to success. A University of Maryland study found that 96% of students with international experience felt much more confident in themselves.

And making new friends is a way to become a more self-assured, outgoing person with the ability to connect and work with numerous kinds of people. This gives you a chance to grow your innate potential as you add value to other people’s lives. In addition, studying in a new country can also lead to precious opportunities to network with a new pool of people, a kind ofresearch based learning, which can enhance the chances of career opportunities coming your way. It may sound challenging, but transforming yourself into someone who is comfortable in all contexts and can make friends and work with a variety of people will always serve you excellently whether in your personal or professional life.

Learn how to be adaptable

A phenomenal study abroad program will emphasise learning aproblem solvingmethodology. A large fraction of Indian students is not used to this, given the learn by rote systems in place across the country. This is why taking advantage of suchaninternational opportunity where learning by doing and human centred thinking is at the core, will make you step up and challenge yourself. The change in cultures as well as learning how to function in a new environment, both social and educational, will enhance your adaptability. In this way you will be shaped into a global citizen who is ready to take on the world withgusto.

Meeting new people from different walks of life and diverse cultural contexts, empathizing and understanding these different backgrounds is a skill that is a valuable asset in the workplace, where knowing what motivates different people is an obvious plus to forming successful work relationships. A flexible individual is also more geared towards innovative thinking. While innovation has become a buzzword in recent times, its implementation in the education sphere in India is not as widespread as in variousstudy abroad and international summer internships. This experience will work towards helping you challenge the status quo and raise the bar for yourself.

The best opportunity for personal growth

Underneath the excitement and the novelty of studying in a new country are some very valid concerns. The curriculum and ways of studying are probably not at all the same, the language and culture are new and everything from the currency to the people around you will be entirely different. It is completely understandable that this can seem daunting to you; so daunting, in fact, that you might not want to pursue such avenues. However, looking at these same factors with a seeking spirit and taking them head on as challenges will help you build a new sense of self and forge a path to a shining future. Firstly, you can have your pick of courses from emerging fields such asIOT ProgrammingandNUS short term courses,adding value to your pool of knowledge.

Further, living, studying and working in India, we often have support systems in place that we may use as a crutch. Being forced to rebuild everything from friend circles to mental maps of bus routes in a new country will help you forge your mettle and an invincible independent spirit. While these are the hallmarks of a great entrepreneur, these qualities will also serve you well in all spheres of life.

Seize the chance to travel internationally

If you are well-travelled, you are often a more accepting and curious person, given toexperiential learningsince this is what travel inculcates in people. These are important traits in a student as well as a professional. If you have been exposed to international travel, you will tend to also be a life-long learner, always looking for ways to upskill yourself and add to your pool of talents. This will make you a highly employable individual as well as someone who will naturally better yourself through the course of your life.

Learn to understand cultural nuances

Whether it is asummer internship programmeor a short term course, creating a holistic educational experience can be hard, which is why we want to ensure thatyouhave the right tools for you overall development when you are a student. One important aspect of this is an exposure to different cultures and experiences with diverse people. This will help you understand new learning environments, helping you grow into a better person with an all-round understanding of the world. If you can function across various cultures and environments, you will be more open-minded and welcoming of new possibilities. This, in turn, can lead to greater occupational mobility.

Learn a new language

In addition to being exposed to new cultures, a study abroad program would give you the opportunity to learn new languages. Let’s say you’re pursuingshort term coursesin Singapore;you would immediately be exposed to a variety of languages from Mandarin and Malay to Tamil. Being multi-lingual is a passport that opens up new doors and also a kind ofhands-on learning. You can access fresh concepts, communicate with people and learn about ways of life they may not have encountered before. This would lead to dynamic personal growth and further enhance your understanding of various cultural and linguistic contexts; you will grow into a well-rounded individual who has the potential to be a nuanced professional.

Additionally, learning a new language can help you in brain development and exercising new cognitive abilities that can lead to new avenues and improved intellectual abilities. Some studies also say that other benefits of learning a new language include improved concentration, better attention and keeping your brain younger longer. All in all, it can turn you into an inquisitive, thriving individual who can make an impact in more than one language!

Embracing new perspectives

A big component of top quality education is finding a way to incorporate new perspectives and think from various points of view. This will help energise your young mind, influencing you to stretch boundaries and go beyond what you grew up with to mould yourself into a global citizen. For example,design thinking coursesteach problem solving methodologies to tackle real world issues. While this is not as prevalent across the Indian education system, choosing the right study abroad program can expose you to this system of thinking. In turn, this will help you evolved into a young professional who can move fromcampus to corporatewith ease.

Another point of note is that living in a new environment will force you outside your comfort zone and offer new glimpses of and insight into life. Furthermore, viewing your own culture from a third person’s perspective can also offer new insights into your country and perhaps even lead to solutions for problems you may have encountered in your life. All of this will enrich you, contributing to overall personal development, which will further shape you into a compassionate and empathetic professional.

As you can see, while the idea of studying abroad or even doing asummerinternshipaway from home may be daunting, the challenges will transform you into someone who is enriched by varied experiences and who possesses a flexibility and insight into various contexts. Students who have studied abroad are better equipped to take on problems, find ways to make their experiences count and add value to every situation. So, go on, take the world by storm! You’ll ultimately emerge a winner, come what may.