威爾斯美語高雄分校

The opportunity to be in a stimulating yet alien environment and the thrill of learning new and better things in a completely different way attracts many students to international study. It has also become a valuable addition in the CV to stay ahead in the ever increasing competition in the job market.

Studying abroad, though lucrative, more often than not proves to be expensive. As the number of students going abroad for education has been increasing over time, a number of governmental and non-governmental organisations have realised the need for providing some support in terms of finances to these aspiring scholars and hence introduced some scholarships and aids to ease their burden.

Some very common and sought-after scholarships for study abroad are the following:

Commonwealth Scholarships through British Council: Specifically made for Indian students aiming to study in the U.K. in fields such as engineering and technology, science (pure and applied) agriculture, humanities and social sciences. The scholarship covers tuition fee, travel expenses and maintenance, along with other allowances.

Eiffel Scholarships: These scholarships are offered to students aiming to study in France in fields such as engineering, management, political science and law. The scholarship covers living expenses (1200 euros/month), travel expenses, health insurance, and accommodation.

Inlaks Scholarships: Scholarships are granted to Indian students for further study in the U.S., European and U.K. institutions, for funding requirements including tuition fees. Candidates are expected to hold a recognised undergraduate degree.

Scotland Saltire Scholarships: The scholarships are offered to Indian students to support the promotion of Scotland as a learning nation and a science nation. The fields covered by this scholarship are the priority sectors of creative industries, life sciences, technology, financial services and renewable and clean energy.

Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Awards (DHPA): Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Awards (DHPA) is a U.K. scheme to attract outstanding students from India. This award covers all areas of the life and physical sciences, including engineering, but excluding clinical medicine.

Orientation

Apart from gathering finances, when going abroad, a student should be prepared for a number of things that play important roles in his/her quest for higher education overseas. Students should make sure they have done enough research on their study abroad country. Knowing about their soon-to-be home's culture, geography, history, language, etiquette and economy, students can make their study-abroad experience fruitful. Apart from cultural nuances, one important thing which most students face and forget to take cognisance of is an education shock. Different styles of teaching and education structure might leave a lot of students perplexed. It’s good to touch base with some prior students to better understand the education culture of that particular country.

Another important thing on the to-do list of students should be getting a health insurance. It is important to have reliable health and accident insurance policies while they are studying abroad as they will no longer be in the comfort of their locality and local doctor. It would be wise to invest in some travellers cheques as they are accepted at most places and are the safest forms of carrying money.

In the end, they just need to relax and let their study abroad experience transform them. They should remember to eat and sleep well no matter how much work has to be done!

The writer is head, servicing, admissions and counselling, Manya Abroad, The Princeton Review