I've been seeing a lot of videos lately that show how Indian students are struggling in Canada. It's heartbreaking to think about how parents spend their life savings or even take out loans in the hopes of giving their children a bright future, only for things to not work out.
But if we put our emotions aside, we have to remember that we are responsible for our own future. It's easy to blame recruiting companies and affiliated colleges, but do we really understand what it's like to study in a foreign country? It's important to do our research and be prepared for the challenges that come with studying abroad.
Let's make sure we fully understand this topic so that everyone can benefit from this article.
Let’s talk about the UK universities. There are roughly around 143 universities in the UK as of 2022. Some of the well-known universities are University of Cambridge
, University of Oxford, University of St Andrews & Imperial College London. As a foreign student, you need to have certain qualifications before applying to these universities and some of the courses may require a separate assessment as well. It is always better to go into the website and go through it in detail before thinking about applying to these universities.
Along with these four main universities, Russel group also has another 20 more universities in the UK. The Russell Group’s 24 members are world-class, research-intensive universities. They are unique institutions, each with their own history and ethos, but they share some distinguishing characteristics.
Russell Group universities have huge social, economic and cultural impacts locally, across the UK and around the globe:
They produce more than two-thirds of the world-leading research produced in UK universities and support more than 260,000 jobs across the country.
They inject nearly £87 billion into the national economy every year.
In 2018-19, 446,450 undergraduates and 155,655 postgraduates were studying at a Russell Group university.
The remaining universities in the UK have their own admission criteria as per the course. Some Universities are famous for some courses.
Now look at the pros and cons of studying in these UK universities,
UK universities are world class universities with great facilities and outstanding buildings.
The UK is one of the best places to live in as the country provides free health services and education for children until 16 years of age.
The UK also provides a visa option which the students can use to get a job in the next 2 years after studies.
This is where it becomes interesting. All of us should know the job market before making a big decision of moving to a country for studies thinking that we will settle there and live a better life.
The UK job market is not that competitive compared to the US market.
Let’s take an example of the IT market, companies hardly recruit freshers as most of the companies operate on a services based onsite-offshore model but that doesn’t mean no one gets a job.
There are no campus recruitments in the UK.
There are no consulting companies like the US which hold your visa and try to place it as a consultant, here in the UK the home office has strict rules on consulting and companies will be audited for not employing the citizens so unless and until there is a valid reason like a specialised skill you cannot employ a visa holder.
Some of us think that we can work part time and earn a living until we get a good job then you are completely wrong. The cost of living in the UK won't entertain such huddles easily.
Considering the above facts, here is my thinking about studying in UK,
If you excel academically and are able to quickly acquire specialised skills that are in demand in the current market, the UK will welcome you with open arms..
If you have a strong financial position and are able to afford the cost of studying in the UK, and are either willing to stay and support yourself financially after completing your studies or return home after finishing your education, then the UK is also a good place to study..
If your financial situation is not ideal and you have to take out loans or sell assets to pay for your studies, it's a certainty that you and your family will face health issues due to the stress caused by the financial burden of your education, whether you ultimately choose to stay in the UK or return home after your studies..
I am confident that these points apply to any country, not just the UK.
I don’t want to sound pessimistic but just want to bring some reality before taking a big decision of moving to another country for studies.
References : https://www.ukuni.net/universities
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