Study Abroad: Personal readiness to study abroad

One of the great advantages of studying in a country other than your own is that it gives you an opportunity to grow emotionally and intellectually in directions that you may not have grown in otherwise. So even though you may not have all the qualities listed yet, there is no reason why you cannot develop them now while you are preparing your applications.

Self-reliance

When you go and live in another country without your family then all the tasks that your family did for you will now be your responsibility. Thus going to the bank, making your bed, doing laundry, paying bills, planning your study and social time, etc., are all things you will have to manage. You could start here by taking care of your room, learning how to cook and helping with chores around the house. Whether you will eventually go to a hostel within India or live in a University abroad, self-reliance will be a great skill.

Fiscal responsibility

Ashutosh’s parents came to me with a problem: they had transferred the living expense for the year in a bank account for Ashutosh. However, he spent most of the money that was meant for a year, in a month! In this case, Ashutosh was unable to handle his temptations and exercise self-control. As a rule, we do advise parents that they should not transfer all the funds at one go to the student living abroad. These days with electronic transfer it is perfectly possible to send funds every two months or so such that the student can manage funds more easily without much temptation. However, learning how to manage peer pressure and other temptations that will come your way is your own responsibility.

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