A New Trend- Foreign Studies

Studying in prestigious college like Oxford University, Stanford University, Harvard University and many more is always a dream and a proud feeling for anyone. But how many of us are really able to study in that kind of universities??? Negligible.  Still we go there to study in the private and state universities.

I am not here to demotivate anyone going abroad but just trying to clear some facts which we usually don’t think.

Talking about the major reasons for going abroad to study:

• Easy availability of Green Card and PR. Nowadays migration has become somewhat difficult then before due to which going to study in abroad university can easily result you into getting the PR of that country.
• Freedom- Freedom from family pressures, freedom to live life on your own terms & do anything at anytime with no-one around to scold you.
• And the main reason due to which parents are also encouraging their child to go abroad is Money as we all have that mentality that here there can never be a proper earning done.

I am not saying that every person has the above stated reasons. There are some who really want to explore the new research which their country are not able to provide and so goes abroad just for study purpose. But the amount of that kind of students is very less.

Now jumping on to the effects of abroad studies are

• First and most important drawback is the expenses to study there and the loans that are required to be taken for that purpose. Let’s talk about it with example of studying and getting settle in Chicago:

As per the survey, a total fee of Chicago University which is amongst the top universities is 70000$ which roughly ends up at 50 Lakhs Rupees which takes around 8-12 years to clear this loan debt including its interest after completing your college. Now after 4 or 5 years when you settle yourself by buying a home there, it again adds up into your loan which regularly gets cut down from your income. So roughly we can say that by the end you clear up all your loan debts your child might have even completed their graduation.

(Above stated is just used as an example. It’s different in every case.) 

• Next is the effect on revenue. The more the students migrate abroad, the less is the revenue collected from colleges in India as a student goes abroad to study and get settle, he first pays for the university and then works for the advancement of their country. We Indians are everywhere in the top MNCs in the world but still none of them contributes in the advancement of their motherland yet we always keep complaining about India not progressing further. Also top students from the IITs, IIMS and many other top institutes of India go abroad and settle there. Think of all these brilliant minds staying in India, contributing their research for India and bringing advancement for India.

Yes corruption affects things but still the contribution can definitely bring results. And moreover corruption is just an excuse to please our mind that whatever decision we are taking are correct and we have not done anything wrong by taking this decision. When our cricket team loses, we still cheer and support because of the efforts they put to make the game interesting for the viewers. In the same way we shouldn’t just give up on our country and run away just because of small problems. Brightest Minds are born in India But as they don’t stay and run away abroad there isn’t the expected advancement of our country.

• Next effect that is seen is the loneliness that is felt both by the parents as well as the child. Even though it might be a cumulative decision of sending the child abroad for studies still it’s more difficult for parents rather than the student as a part of the parent’s Heart goes thousands of miles away from them which makes them constantly miss him but the student gets involved there in his studies and work and sets himself with the environment. So even though parents never admit but they always keep missing him and want him back with them.

But yeah, for the fact, the child’s decision to go abroad for settlement is actually a result of his parent’s upbringing only. Parents only make their child’s mind money-oriented rather than family-oriented and thus they only encourage their child to go abroad and live a life where they don’t have to think about anyone else except money.

Also children promise their parents to call them up once they get settle there, but what’s the definition of getting settled? Doesn’t it change according to the priorities of our life? And even if they call, can these parents who have lived here in India for 50-60 years will be able to set in the total different environment? And the most important question, will a money-oriented mind be able to think for family after that? Please comment your answer because I don’t have any answer for this as I have seen children enjoying the life with their wife/husband and children abroad and his father being kept in an old-age home in India.

• Next is the future effect which is seen after around 20 to 25 years of settlement where you and your partner maybe of the same nationality i.e. India so wherever you go, you will still have the Indian culture in you whereas your child will be of the foreign culture having totally opposite ideologies which might create a gap between you two and bring you to a situation where you will regret your decision of settling there but still won’t be able to admit it to anyone.

It’s a sad fact that for our comfort and freedom we take some steps thinking only about our own selves and forget that there are many things which are more important than this kind of freedom. So it’s always a request to please think broadly keeping a family-oriented mind while taking any decision and not just about the freedom that you want.