Learning in a foreign land
Getting used to education patterns overseas can be a trying phase. How do you turn it into a rewarding experience?
When Delhi-based Kirtirupa first started attending classes at the University of Sheffield in Sheffield, U.K., the first block she faced was understanding the accent of the lecturers.
“I have attended an English-medium school, but it took me some time to get used to the lecturers’ thick accent along with understanding the basic concepts of a new course. I took to recording the lectures and would go home and listen to it and make notes. Not only was this time-consuming, I also had to put double the effort to keep up with the class. This phase lasted for almost two months,” Kirtirupa, who did a B.Sc in biomedical science, says.
Every year, countless Indian students go to foreign shores to earn their degrees and are faced with several stumbling blocks as they start settling into a new environment. From adjusting to a new educational system to learning how to cope alone, the initial phase of studying abroad can be a trying phase for many.
“It is a totally different environment, and the educational system is unlike the Indian one. There is less of direct communication with the teachers and more of mail-based communication. There is very little one-to-one interaction with our teachers, and tutorial classes would be held once or twice every term. In India, everything is spoon-fed to students. But abroad, assignments, doubts or questions have to be mailed. In a way, this is an advantage as it helped us become self-dependant,” Kirtirupa says.
Being polite
The strong dependence on mails can often result in Indian students missing deadlines, say educational counsellors.
“In the U.S. and the U.K., homework and assignments are all submitted via email. This is a new concept for Indians, who are used to getting reminders from school teachers to submit their work on time. Thus, lots of students miss deadlines as they forget to submit their assignments, resulting in their grades slipping down. Often, Indian students write a very curt mail, attach the assignment and send it to their professors. This is considered rude as they expect a very formal and polite language in their mails,” Adarsh Khandelwal, co founder of educational consulting firm Collegify, said. One of the biggest challenges that Indian students face is developing a holistic personality, says Khandelwal.
“Colleges in the U.S. and the U.K. don’t just look at an applicant’s school grades and test scores, they also look into the applicant’s extracurricular interests and the overall personality. Community service is one area which is given a lot of importance by colleges, and it is a requirement at many colleges to do at least 150 hours of community service in the last three years of school (Classes X, XI, XII). Students can’t lie about this, neither can they ghost-write their profiles since their applications are followed by a rigorous interview,” says Khandelwal.
Social projects
Internships can prove to be helpful in adding worth to a student’s resume, he says, advising students to engage in issue-based social projects. Since foreign colleges lay a lot of emphasis on the letter of intent or SOP, it is imperative to develop and sharpen writing skills.
“Indian students’ writing skills are not as developed as the U.S. students’ standards. Many students do a shoddy job of writing their cover letters. The letter of intent represents a student’s personality, strengths and weaknesses and forms an important part of their application. As educational consultants, we can only guide students on what to write but students should develop the required writing skills or attend professional writing courses to learn the U.S. style of writing,” Khandelwal suggests.
In the end, students ultimately pick up the rhythm of living and studying abroad and adjustment becomes easy.
“The transition can be difficult but students should learn to network. Connect with your teachers, the placement cell, seniors.
The seniors and research students’ assistance can be sought if students are stuck with an assignment. Many students experience culture shock but they get used to it with time. Always maintain common sense and take the best from the West,” Khandelwal advises.
Admitting that the transition can be difficult, Kirtirupa adds: “Ultimately, the self dependence paid off as it developed as a life-skill. Living alone as a student was a rewarding experience.”
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