Last year the world had to take a few steps back as the Covid-19 virus created chaos everywhere. Everyday lives took a beating due to the disorder. Even the education system had to witness a few massive changes due to the global pandemic.
Worldwide lockdowns, and restrictions in going out of the house, made lives miserable. Even students had to dance to the tune of the pandemic. Their freedom of going out to the schools and colleges was restricted to online classes. Such large scale adjustments almost overnight were too much to bear.
The question here arises as to how much the pandemic has impacted the present education system. It also creates doubt in the minds of aspiring students who wish to study abroad in 2021-22.
The global pandemic has indeed made countries introduce travel restrictions. Many had to change their laws about the entry of global travelers. Things did look bleak for students willing to go abroad to study, along with lockdowns and several other restrictions.
The Intent Is Still There
Although the recent global pandemic was successful in creating chaos worldwide, it did fail to demoralize the students who wish to study abroad. There was a recent survey according to which barely 14.5% of students said that they would give up on their dreams of a foreign degree.
Out of the remaining, some said that they would like to study abroad despite the care of the pandemic. On the other hand, some said they would wait a year before opting for foreign education.
It is true that Indian students with dreams of a foreign degree still wish to fulfil their ambitions—all of this despite the online learning challenges, travel restrictions, and visa hurdles.
Admission in Institutes Made Simpler
When it comes to acquiring admissions in any foreign university, the process involves tons of credentials. Students also have to secure suitable test scores to get consideration for admission.
Due to the pandemic, most of the offices are operating at varying capacities. Thus, trying to get all the necessary documents and attempting the proper tests may be asking too much.
This fact is known to the various global institutes. Therefore, most of them came up with the idea of waiving off their test requirements. These include tests like SAT, GRE, TOEFL, GMAT, and IELTS. Some academies have also made an offer of waiving off course application fees.
To Study In India or Abroad That Is the Question
Indian students with a dream of studying further now have two options in their hands; study in India or go abroad. Many students prefer to stick to their country of origin to study further. However, these students are aware of the dark cloud of uncertainty surrounding the Indian colleges.
Authorities are yet to declare the results of several crucial exams. Due to this, there is a halt in progress for a student.
Preferred Foreign Destination for Pursuing Further Studies
Indian students prefer several higher education destinations to pursue further studies. These include the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, and the UK. According to a recent survey, almost 42.6% of students said they prefer to go to the US for further education.
Close to 16% said that they prefer Canada and some chose the UK. The latter has come up with some excellent immigration and stay back policies for global students.
Many students also prefer to go to Australia and New Zealand mainly due to their high-quality education and minimal Covid-19 cases.
Students’ Agitation and Changes to Expect In 2021
Several students decided to take a gap year and shift their focus from 2019 to 2020. Their hope was a better situation in 2020. However, destiny had different plans for these students. As the problem continues to be the same, students realize that deferring their goals is not the solution.
According to a survey, more than 42% of students did online classes remotely. Another 16.8% of students said that they wish universities to develop an idea of starting face-to-face education. This proves that students want to get back to studying on campus.
Although universities are on a constant mission of finding safer ways to bring back their students on campus, the danger of the pandemic is still prevalent. This is making things quite uncertain.
Indeed, a complete on-campus education may not be possible yet. Nonetheless, worldwide universities are trying to implement a hybrid learning representation. In other words, certain parts of a course will be online, and specific details will be in classrooms.
Some of the top destinations are opening borders for international students and have started taking visa appointments.
If you are planning to fly to any of these destinations and have purchased your tickets, you need to remember that you will have to follow quarantine protocols.