A recent visit to a study-abroad fair in Kochi, India was an eye opener for me. The first shock was that out of the fifty or so vendors, all were recruitment centers. Very few, if any, were actual overseas colleges with representatives from abroad. The second shock was the wide variety of countries and academic programs showcased.

No longer are engineering, computer science or medicine the main pulling factors towards studying abroad. Management studies abroad have been on the rise among Indian students over the past few years. This is especially true as more and more MBA programs are springing up all over India and to gain ‘credibility’ they pair themselves with a college abroad to create ‘twinning programs’ (first year in India, second abroad where the degree is granted). Besides these subjects, nursing, social work, graphic design, hotel management, cooking (chef studies) and other arts, humanities and creative degrees seem to be advertised heavily.

It is also important to note that out of the fifty or so vendors, less than half heavily advertised placements in America. Countries such as UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada were no surprises, while other countries like China, Malaysia, Singapore, Germany, Ireland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Czech Republic, Mauritius, France and other European nations also were represented.

Why are Indian students choosing other destinations? Here are a few of my impressions after coaching Indian students and living in Kochi for almost one year:

Head rules over Heart

Though many Indians may long for the American Dream, many opt for a cheaper way out that continues to deliver a quality education. As more colleges in the US limit funding and scholarships to Indian students, many Indians entering the US as undergrads and grads alike have taken the big burden of student loans on their head. They want to assure they will be able to pay these loans back. Since the US economy has weakened, and finding jobs after graduation is not so easy anymore, we are seeing Indians return to India not out of want at times, but need. No job in the US means they must return to India and repay these debts from rupee salaries. This is not a good situation for many, so they get lured by the programs that promise “Study, Work, and Migrate.” Ads like this one from the Philippines shown in this article are common in India and seen almost everyday I step outside the house in Kochi.

Heart Rules Over Head

There is a subset of younger Indians who wants to use Study Abroad not to permanently move abroad (as their previous generations did), but as a stepping stone to getting a good education, getting access to better facilities and racking up experience to come back home and work and live in India. This means that choosing a destination that is either offering more scholarships or charging less fees, allowing the freedom to come back home to India with no strings attached, is certainly an attractive option.

Been There, Done That

There are many families in India that already have at least one if not more than one relative living, studying or settled in the USA. Having heard a lot about the US, or even having had visited there has taken away the mystery of it. Some younger Indians want to explore territories not yet so popular among Indians.

Keeping some of these factors in mind, it is more easily understood why the numbers of Indians coming to study in the USA have reduced by 1% or about 1,000 students between 2009-2010 academic years according to a recent Open Doors Surveys. Though the numbers have reduced, Indians will without a doubt still continue to come to America.

One way to assure success and overcome the hurdle of unemployment is to be prepared cross-culturally before even leaving India for the US. Understanding the mindset and culture from an insider’s perspective can help you get a leg up on really understanding how to get good grades, interact and make friends, and the most important aspects of how to network and gain skills for career development.

(This article is written by Jennifer Kumar.)

Image Courtesy : www.freedigitalphotos.net

Contributor : digitalart

(Author, Jennifer Kumar, is a cross-cultural coach, helping people plan for their moves between India and America. You can reach her for personalized or small-group coaching services at authenticjourneys@gmail.com)

Visit her Blog: http://authenticjourneys.info/

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