Choosing a country is one of the most important and the first decision to make when one decides to study abroad. This is because moving to a country has an impact on the quality of education you receive, the university you go to, your job opportunities, etc. Before even choosing the universities, choosing a country has to take precedence.
Your choice of country mainly depends on your goals. Different people have different goals, such as going to the university for exposure, going abroad to enjoy, going abroad to settle down, going abroad to work for a few years, etc. If either of these points resonate with you, then read on!
Let's tackle the easy bits. Moving abroad for exposure and to enjoy doesn’t necessarily require a lot of thought in terms of country options. You can very easily prioritize a university, enjoy the duration of the program and come back. This gives you the access to an independent life for a short duration, and once the program is done, these students choose to come back to their home countries either to work or to handle a business. Socializing, shopping, and traveling are certain things that a lot of people do when they go for the exposure and to enjoy.
People who want to work abroad for a few years or people who wish to settle abroad need to put in more thought into the choice of the country. One needs to consider the stay back policies of the country that you are going to, the language barriers, the cultural barriers, the scope of the program in that country, university rankings for your program, etc.
Let’s break this down:
Stayback policies: One of the most important things that one needs to understand while choosing a country is its stayback policies. It needs to be sufficient enough to give you the time to stay there and find a job. Without this, it would be very difficult to stay in a country for a short or long term. While every country’s stayback policy is going to be a bit restrictive, one needs to weigh the pros and cons of going to a particular country and the opportunities to earn back their return on investment (ROI). Choosing a country just because you have friends/ relatives there is the worst thing that you can do, financially and from a career point of view.
Universities: Next research to do is whether the universities in a particular country offer the program and if they do, what does the program look like? How well are the universities ranked? It need not be the number 1 university in the country, however, it is important to go to a good university. For example, say there is a fabulous university in the Netherlands for your program, however, if it is just that one university that is popular for your course in that country, then what return is that university going to get you? It is important to consider the global reputation of the university because there is never a guarantee that one is always going to get a chance to stay back in a particular country. If you have to return to your home country at some point in time, then will the degree of a not so globally renowned university actually add value to your profile? Ponder over it!
Course:In certain countries there are programs that have always been popular such as tech programs in the US, Management and Psychology programs in the UK, Tech programs in Germany, etc. Whether a program actually has job opportunities in the country that you move to is something that needs to be given a serious thought. Going for a management program for a fresher in the US is futile because there are very limited opportunities there. Similarly, opting for a management or a design program is futile in Germany because one would find it extremely difficult to find a job in these domains. Italy and Spain have very poor employability outcomes for international students, so would it be worth your investment? It is important to consider where your program is available and the scope of the program in that particular country.
Budget: This is another very important consideration while making a decision on a country. Certain countries are predominantly expensive in terms of education, such as the US and Australia. There are certain countries that are mid ranked in terms of expenditure, such as the UK, Ireland, etc. Similarly there are also countries that offer programs without even charging tuition fees! Budget is a very important consideration to keep in mind because if a person has a budget of 30 lakhs, then looking at Australia is fruitless, considering the hefty course fee charged by most universities there.
Language barrier: This is something that not a lot of people stress on but it needs to be given more importance than it is given. In European countries, predominantly their local language is used. Truth be told, for non-EU students, finding a job without being proficient in the local language of a European country can be a challenge. If a person pursues a management program in such non-English speaking countries, one would struggle in a client facing role without knowing the language fluently. In fact, in most organisations in Europe, their first assessment question is if you know the language fluently. Only then are you hired. This is because in a client facing role, there is a level of comfort in speaking to the service provider in the local language. So if you don't know a particular language fluently, then it would be important to consider the language barrier.
Cultural barrier: Have you guys heard of Paris syndrome? It's a real thing where people find it depressing to live in Paris because of the extreme cultural shock. European culture is extremely different from ours. Another added disadvantage is that you wouldn't find a lot of Indians moving to these countries. So definitely, it is difficult to settle in when you don't see a single familiar face or someone from home. A lot of people eventually come back from European countries because they are not able to fit in there and it tends to get lonely after a point. When you already live away from family and friends while moving abroad, living in a country where you don’t fit in is going to be harder to handle, leading to more serious mental issues. This is another very important factor to consider.
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