Study Higher education planning is a crucial decision making phase for every student. It requires immense amount of research to choose the right country, university and course. This is an extremely complex decision as you have to consider a lot of important parameters and then select the study destination to boost your academic and professional career. A part of this research includes getting in touch with different people who have gone through a similar phase earlier and today, are themselves studying/working abroad.

Avanse Financial Services, with the help of its new project ‘Infopedia’ gathers such information for helping more and more students take informed decisions in terms of their academic journey. In conversation with team Avanse, Sakshi Arora (named changed), currently pursuing her Masters in Computer Science from University of Florida, shares her experiences and advice for students like her who are planning to study abroad.

The journey begins:

Sakshi has been in Florida for almost one and half years now and is amidst her third semester. The best part of the start of her journey was that she left the country with few college friends who were also travelling to pursue their education. She had a couple of senior peers who guided her in the country and college. This helped her to easily settle down in a completely new place and environment, away from her family.

 

When asked about her course structure, she highlighted that one of the stark differences that she observed between the US and India’s study structure is that you can choose your preferred subjects from a plethora of options available as per your interest. For instance, there are four set courses that she has to take as a part of her Computer Science graduation. Along with this, there are another 30 – 40 elective courses from which you have to choose 10 courses and complete them in 2 years. Each course offers 3 credits.

Course, subjects & credit selection:

As mentioned earlier, research is extremely important. Many students value other’s experiences in this case. Experiences of senior peers have been one of the main parameters for Sakshi’s decision-making too. She reached out to a senior who did her Masters in Computer Science from University of Florida. She discussed with her about the subjects, course structure, syllabus and faculty members. She was also connected to the current students of this university via Whatsapp groups. She gathered relevant information and then finally selected the subjects and credit options. Also, the International Student Offices are extremely helpful and approachable. Every student should reach out to these offices for any assistance.

Ups and downs caused by the pandemic:

Schools, colleges and universities worldwide had to halt campus activities to curtail the spread of the virus. This majorly paved the way for faster innovations in the ecosystem. Advanced methods of digital learning rapidly increased to continue to impart knowledge to all students. Similarly, Sakshi’s in-person classes too converted into online classes. She was not completely new to this system as some of her courses were taught online prior to the pandemic as well. The major challenge she faced with some of the subjects taught in this new format was getting her doubts cleared.

The in-person classes she attended initially, gave her and other students ample opportunities to clarify their doubts on spot. But in the new format it became slightly difficult for both students and professors. Now you may ask aren’t the professors available to clear these doubts later? In that case, of course they are available and you can reach out to him/her personally for better understanding. But when you are in a face-to-face session, you also get to hear your classmates’ queries which in this case is not possible.

Another challenge Sakshi highlighted during the conversation was being reluctant to attend the online classes as she knew that the recorded version of the sessions will be available. When students used to go to college, they had to follow certain rules and decorum in class and in the campus. But the online version of the sessions have made a lot of students feel lethargic about getting ready for a class or dedicatedly attend classes as per the session time.

The silver lining to these issues are students have started getting used to this environment. Even Sakshi, who used to feel slightly lethargic in the beginning of the lockdown, have started attending classes regularly and reaches out to her professors quite often to clarify her doubts. The only thing that she misses terribly is the feel of going to college, sitting in the library and studying along with her classmates discussing about assignments, study materials, etc.

The current situation is a lot better now. The restrictions of the lockdown phase have been eased out in terms of general stores, curfews and other such restraints. The spread of the virus has also been brought under control and if things continue to progress in this pace then students might take their next semester in the campus itself.

Impact on the economy & job scenario:

The outbreak of the pandemic has impacted the overall economy of the world at large. But it is getting back on track now to some extent. Sakshi mentioned that her college hosted a virtual career fare this year where they arranged for break out rooms for corporates to interview interested candidates. So according to her, apart from shifting to a virtual platform, there were not much differences in this year’s career fare compared to last year. In fact it was well managed by the organizers. Also, she checks the job portals on a regular basis to understand the current status of the job market. She informed us that there are openings where people can apply to gain the necessary work experience.

Sakshi’s way forward plan:

After completing her course, Sakshi plans to pursue her Optional Practical Training in the US. She would like to join a Fintech company to gain in-depth knowledge about the business and understand how these companies function in the US.

Sakshi celebrating the festivals:

Sakshi loves to celebrate every festival. Every year her college hosts a Diwali Dhamaka where students participate and celebrate this festival amidst a fun filled environment. This year, due to COVID-19, this event had to be cancelled. But the negativity of the pandemic could not stop Sakshi and her friends from enjoying themselves. They arranged for a potluck and organized a get together within their closed knit friends. Even Christmas is around the corner. They will celebrate this festival too like every year with zeal and enthusiasm.

Piece of advice for all students who aspire to be where Sakshi is today:

The US is a good & supportive study abroad destination. There are innumerable growth opportunities. Research is extremely important while selecting country, course, and university as you need to match your aspirations with the college offerings. Always try to figure out if you know some seniors as it has worked extremely well for her.

Team Avanse plans to bring more such experience sharing articles exclusively for you. Stay tuned for more. You can reach out to us for any query or assistance. All the best!