Bachelors Or Masters Abroad ?

Discussion in 'Education & Personal Growth' started by hrastro, Jan 21, 2021.

  1. hrastro

    hrastro Platinum IL'ite

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    I would like to know what you all would suggest ? I wanted this discussion, not for a specific student, but to learn and keep updated about the latest trends !

    Assume that we are looking at a Researcher profile (As opposed to a student looking for placement/job right out of bachelors)

    Asking specifically for computer science/ Engineering

    Is it better to do Bachelors (from tier 2/ private college, Not IIT/NIT) in India and go for masters to US/Europe/Singapore/etc

    Is it better to go for Bachelors abroad ? Assuming the parent cannot afford beyond 50 lakhs for 4 years.

    I am looking at Computer Science as a subject - Even India has some good industry-oriented syllabus in several independent universities like BITS, VIT, MIT, IIIT - and nowadays computer labs can be on the cloud and some Indian Universities have insane data speeds! That's why I was wondering if it makes more sense to do Bachelors in India and do Masters/Research abroad.


    My next question then would be - how can a student make India's Bachelors degree equivalent to International level
    How would a student approach these ?
    1) MOOCs suggestions
    2) Code Hackathons
    3) Certifications
    4) Internships
    5) Anything else?

    Please suggest your ideas!
    @Gauri03 @sokanasanah
     
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  2. sokanasanah

    sokanasanah IL Hall of Fame

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    Meaning what? The goal is a career in research?
    More, later.
     
  3. hrastro

    hrastro Platinum IL'ite

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    Thanx for your response, sokanasanah! Hope you're doing well.

    Actually most students who do Engineering in India are looking for a job placement from colleges - so most engineering colleges proudly show off their campus placements as a method to attract students.

    But I am looking at a researcher type of profile, the students who might want to actually learn something during engineering (apart from the 40 year old syllabus in India). These students are motivated by learning and knowledge and want to go on to find innovative solutions to problems or become a professor who motivates other students.

    These students might currently be in high school and trying for tier 1 colleges in India but you know how JEE competition is! 12 lakh students compete for 5000 seats.

    I work with high school students and guide them about education path, careers, exams and mathematics.

    Am using my downtime to find more about futuristic careers - so this is an academic question, not for a specific student.

    But I do encounter many students who are interested in research/professor/teaching, who are excellent in studies (95%+ in 12th) but don't get through tier 1 colleges and can't afford a Bachelors abroad.

    I would like to tell them their action plan for the 4 years while studying their B Tech in some good private colleges. So that when they do their Masters, they are no less than their peers.

    Keep smiling
    HR
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2021
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  4. sokanasanah

    sokanasanah IL Hall of Fame

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    OK, got it! I will follow up.
    :beer-toast1:
     
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  5. Sandhya13

    Sandhya13 Gold IL'ite

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    Our nieces and nephews are in middle school in India. I will be watching this thread to learn about the career paths for students interested to have a career in research. tagging @nuss I am sure she will provide valuable contribution to this topic
     
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  6. Laks09

    Laks09 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    I’m not as well versed as Soka or Nuss but I can give you some pointers.

    1) Have a linked in profile. It’s important to have a well polished resume and have presence on linked in. Help them with their profile. A glance at a few on linked in can help you easily figure this out.

    2) Internships: I helped a few with resumes for internship applications. In the US, kids complete it by Oct for summer internships. I helped my niece in India similarly with her resume. She posted it on job boards and got an internship in a mid tier tech company. She was really happy. She got to do a lot of good work.
    I recommend you ask your friends/family for summer internship opportunities. I hated having my interns fetch coffee or get printouts. I always gave them some tangible work that they could add to their resume. Talking to friends in the field can help.

    3) Contribute to open source. GitHub is what I’m familiar with. I’m sure there are others out there now. They can do this and add it to their linked in profile. I have only contributed to code and created projects on GitHub but recently I was researching contributions to open sources for a High Schooler and came across these tips. Do look into it. I had my niece also create a GitHub and have a repository of her projects on there. She told me that her interviewers liked the GitHub repo and her project ideas a lot.

    4) Work on soft skills. How to send emails, how to talk on the phone regarding a job, how to message people etc. Meeting etiquette, work ethics also can be touched upon. Kids send me a text or email starting with “Aunty, I want blah blah” and it’s actually for help with resume/science fair or some such thing. I also have seen moms and dads making those calls and sending those emails. These are all things that we can teach our young adults. Having them do it themselves and following proper etiquette will help them in future jobs/internships/study abroad.

    5) Study abroad is something that I’m hearing a lot about. Not sure how good it is but the summer between 1st and 2nd year of college when they don’t usually get internships, I’m seeing a lot of kids going and doing a semester abroad. I’m not sure it’s feasible from schools in India. Not sure of the usefulness in terms of helping with the future either. Some have gone to reputed schools(LSE for example).

    @Rihana will have a lot more tips, I’m sure. I only jotted down things that I know of and have helped with.
     
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  7. sokanasanah

    sokanasanah IL Hall of Fame

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    I assume this means 50 lakhs total, not 50 lakhs per year for four years. Let's ponder this question first.

    The University of Washington (Seattle) is ranked as a top state university and often tops the 'most affordable' listings. The current out-of-state tuition is $38,116 for the first year. Living expenses are on top of that. So, in the absence of financial aid, INR 50 lakhs will not get you very far in the United States.

    Small colleges are another option worth exploring. The top private colleges are just as expensive as the top universities, but many other institutions have lower tuition rates. However, I would still calculate that, without financial aid, INR 50 lakhs cannot cover tuition/books + living expenses for four years.

    Tuition at good universities in the UK, Australia, Singapore (NUS is USD $38K), and any English speaking country are comparable.

    Undergraduate education is free in Norway, even for international students. Sweden has a lot of scholarships. So, for a student who can handle a measure of social isolation, those are viable options.

    Germany is worth exploring as well. Although, there is a language requirement.

    In general, seeking undergrad education in a non-English speaking country comes with its own problems. A lot depends on the maturity of the student in question and their ability to navigate the system.

    In the past, the huge financial outlay for education in the US was rationalized on the assumption that work-study options can be found, and later, after graduation, employment would help pay off the loans or redress the expenditure. These options are getting harder with every passing year. I don't think it is a good idea for a young person to start life with so much pressure, whether it is to "pay my parents back" or "pay back the loan that my dad took on my behalf" - that is especially the case for students who wish to pursue research and not corporate jobs. After all, there's another long slog ahead with grad school. Loans come with a psychological cost that is often underestimated.

    It may still be a worthwhile exercise to apply (for admission + aid) and compete, with a light touch, but the student needs a Plan-B as well.

    To be continued.

    PS: Treat the links as arbitrary pointers. No endorsement implied!
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2021
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  8. MalStrom

    MalStrom IL Hall of Fame

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    A lot of foreign students now come for undergrad and higher at full tuition. They have become moneymakers for universities since they pay out of state rates even at state schools. Several of my Chinese friends have nephews and nieces from China come to the US even for high school, paying private tuition rates so they get an advantage to apply for college in the US.
    Scholarships for undergrad were niggardly even back in my day 25 years ago, but the masters students almost always got a decent amount of aid. Those times are changing. Well-paying jobs after graduating are also not assured.
    If finances are finite and tight then think carefully.
     
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  9. Laks09

    Laks09 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Immigration wise, I think Canada is a much better option for students who want to go the Masters/PhD/Post Doc route. Canadian unis I’ve noticed are really good and immigration is surprisingly not as hard as coming to the US. Earlier, we immigrated to the US because the job prospects are better in America. Now with the hassle of immigrating to the US, kids in my family are exploring Canada. The good thing about Canada is being able to immigrate sooner and settle down faster.

    There is a growing creed of US citizen children in India. They don’t have to worry about immigration at all. If you are mentoring some such kids then, looking at a good school for a decent MS is a good idea. They don’t need a visa and some even get instate tuition benefits after the first semester.
     
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  10. MalStrom

    MalStrom IL Hall of Fame

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    Excellent point. My parents’ former tenants have two children who were born in the US while their parents were here on H1. The kids will study in Indian schools from std 1-12 and then immediately head to the US for higher studies. They will be eligible for financial aid not available to foreign students and of course no hassles with student visa or finding jobs afterwards. This cohort will only continue to increase.
     
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