GaramChai.com >> Indian Student Associations >> Education Abroad

There are two distinct trends shaping up: On one hand, the US and European governments are tightening visa and travel restrictions, on the other hand, demand for western education has seen a marked surge from around the globe. To cater to this demand, universities and educational institutions are offering distance education, part-time educational courses and, e-learning and online degrees.

This section of GaramChai.com presents a glimpse into the options available to global students who wish to avail of world-class education without travelling half-way across the globe.

Articles on Studying Abroad

• How to feel Desi in Pardes  For students who wish to study abroad mere securing of a good score in exams like TOEFL and GMAT is not the end of all the formalities. It is only the beginning of the grind ahead. The grind starts with the frantic search of good universities and downloading of the application material and prospectus from the Internet.

• Admission alert  The recent US Council of Graduate Schools report shows a 5% decline in international graduate student applications from 2004 to 2005. Significantly, declines are particularly notable for students from China (-13%) and India (-9%) and students in the fields of engineering (-7%) and business (-8%). So does this really mean that the US is losing its popularity as a destination for Indian students?

• Find your way to a global degree There’s never been a better time to think seriously about getting that coveted foreign degree. The prospect of a better education abroad and easy availability of loans for studying abroad has brought what was virtually unthinkable earlier within your grasp.  

Interesting Articles on Distance Education

• Distance Education: Growth and Diversity: Distance education is becoming increasingly popular as economic forces encourage, and new technologies facilitate, its spread. What advantages does it offer, and what should course providers consider before embarking on new ventures? IMF.org: World Bank Report
• Is an Online Learning Environment Right For Me?  Here is a quiz from the New School Online University which is designed to help you decide whether online learning is a good choice for you in the pursuit of your educational goals. The results of your self-assessment will be displayed for you as soon as you complete the questionnaire. Check it out: about.com
• MIT's Open Window: Putting course materials online, the university faces high expectations. The lecture notes for a software-engineering course were the draw for David Mitchell, a professional programmer. They looked terrific. Before long, Mr. Mitchell had organized a study group around the notes and other information about the course, which he found on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's OpenCourseWare Web site.... The Chronicle Also check out : US university offers free web courses
• IT eLearning will contribute significantly to the overall eLearning spending as governments across the region look to eLearning as a means to bridge the digital divide. By 2005-2006, IDC expects non-IT eLearning (vertical industry specific, function-specific and softskills) in the more matured Australian eLearning industry to be on par with IT eLearning. Punjab Technical University
• Indian students return home from US - Until not long ago, there was much ado about bright Indian students leaving the country to gain an education and pursue their careers abroad, draining India of her most productive resources. But things seem to be changing now. While the flow of students waiting to gain their higher education in the US or UK has not ebbed, there is definitely an undercurrent developing of Indian students abroad wanting to get back to India.
• Why Choose the United States of America? - There are more than 4,000 public and private colleges, universities, and community colleges in the United States, including over 600 public four-year colleges and universities and over 1,650 private four-year colleges and universities. These traditional colleges and universities enrol nearly 15 million students. In addition more than 6,250 other non-collegiate postsecondary institutions offer specialised vocational and technical training. You will find a size that fits you best, whether it is a small private institution with an enrolment of only several hundred students or a large state college or university system with tens of thousands of students.
• Links to Distance education

Interesting Articles on Part-Time Degree Courses

• An increasing number of Indians in the United States, especially those on H1 visas, are realising the value of pursuing an American degree along with their professional careers, points out the author - Express Computers
  

Interesting Articles on Online Education

• Favoured by working professionals, distance education has been a lucrative niche segment in the educational industry. American varsities are now targeting Indian students, but is an online foreign degree really worth it, asks Mohan Babu [Express Computers]
  

Links

• Ask a College : As a former international student from India, I have created a new website called AskACollege.com. Too often, our questions as prospective students get ignored because admissions officials are busy or don't have the answer to our question. Well, we are changing all that. Future students from India just need to post their question on our website and we will make sure that the admissions office replies to that question. Cool isn't it? Browse annual rankings, find your ideal school, and then get all the details you need to get in. - Harsha Raghavan
• US News: Browse annual rankings, find your ideal school, and then get all the details you need to get in.
  
• The Chronicle of Higher Education
• About.com Online MBAs - What You need to know before Going Online 
  

Online Courses from Universities

Blogs, Groups and Discussion Forums on Education and admissions

• The University Of Minnesota's Indian Student Association Yahoo Group with over 700 members
• SFSU-ISADesi San Francisco State University's Indian Student Association's Social Yahoo Group
  
• USU-ISA Group formed by the Indian Student Association @ Utah State University
  
• SIUE_ISA Indian Student Association At Southern Illinois University At Edwardsville

Recent blogs on education in the US:

• Career question: What are the job prospects for an international student attending a college in the US given the current H-1B scene?
• What do you think about the Indian student touching his American dean's feet?
• NRI Q&A and Advice: As a US citizen living in India, should I apply to college in the US for undergraduation or post graduation?

Achievements

Achievement of an Indian film student in the US
Namarata Tandon won first Place in the College Television Awards (which are populary called the Student Emmys in the US).