Education is very important for any individual. In today’s world, one must strive to be better than the best to be successful. Stories of Ambani’s success are great but, one needs to realize that he was one successful person amongst the thousand people who tried. Don’t hedge your bets on a probability of success. Make it happen. Exchange programs between universities who are affiliated to each other are a great way of doing that.
Today, most top universities have affiliations with foreign universities. Most Indian colleges do not give you the opportunity to pursue a lot of courses which are available abroad. Applying for a foreign exchange program is a very good way to spend a semester abroad and learn something that you would not be able to learn in India.
These exchange programs are the icing on the cake when you present your resume to your future employees. It shows your commitment to your field of study. It also shows that you took the extra effort to make yourself better. This can be the extra push that is needed to land you the job of your dreams.
Spending a semester abroad is also a great way for you to travel to a foreign country. Not only will it broaden your horizons in terms of new country you visit but, you will also learn more about a culture different from yours. You will end up making new friends, who are of a different nationality, teaching you to be more accepting and liberal in your thinking.
A semester abroad can also be your test run to see if, you would like to go back for a post graduate degree. The universities abroad consider applications by foreign exchange students much more kindly than the rest. This is your opportunity to plan your career in advance and help yourself get a unique resume.
Most universities have a scholarship system so, if you study well and get good grades, you may not even have to pay for your flight ticket to the foreign country. Your university will sponsor your food, stay and travel. All you have to do is keep yourself in the top percentile of your class and get good recommendations from your professors. Even if your university does not sponsor you, spending to get such an experience will definitely pay off in the long run.
You need not be in college to go spend time abroad. You can apply for these programs as early as high school. Pick an offbeat country and travel alone so that you can learn and grasp as much as you can. This will teach you independence and responsibility. This is also a good opportunity to learn how to manage your finances well, which is something a lot of adults have trouble doing as well.
All in all an exchange program abroad has been known to change people’s lives. It will help you gain perspective about a lot of things. This will also give an opportunity to work with the best minds in your industry and at the best colleges in the world.
