10 Most Common Myths About Studying Abroad

Lack of awareness has led to many myths and misconceptions influencing critical decisions and students losing opportunities. Here are some of the most common ones busted.

- Sheena Sachdeva Hema Gopalakrishnan

Several myths related to foreign education prevail, impacting students' decisions on a range of issues including choice of institution and course and sometimes, stopping them from trying at all. Based on conversations with students and experts, Careers360 compiled the following list of the most common misconceptions and has set the record straight on them.

1 Studying abroad is very expensive

There is no doubt that studying abroad is costlier than studying in India, but the cost depends on the location, university, course and its duration.

You can also offset the cost by applying for scholarships offered by governments or universities. You can also take up on-campus jobs, teaching assistance, research assistance. Harshitha G Suresh, a student of Masters in Management at University of Bath, Bath, England said, "Study abroad programmes are expensive in comparison to Indian universities. However, it depends on the course and the university. Education in India has increasingly become expensive as well. For example, B.Tech in reputed colleges or any tier-1 private institute is quite expensive at present. With scholarships offered by most universities, students receive 25-75% tuition waiver or sometimes full waiver. But the cost of going to a country like the UK or US is higher than shifting from one city to another in India."

In the case of medicine, undergraduate studies abroad are often cheaper than the cost of pursuing a medical degree at a private institution in India. Then, in countries where the tuition fee is waived, students have to pay only the living

expenses. A management course in a public university in these countries may actually cost less than a course in India where many Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) charge over Rs. 25 lakh for two years and many private institutions even more.