I was surprised to see no first hand reviews on studying abroad, considering that India is the second largest provider of international students, its only just that I write this review. I have been studying here for six months now, and I wrote a business report on “problems faced by international students” for the subject “communications.” I think that qualifies me to write a review about studying in New Zealand.
My report
I did a survey for my report, asking international students to give me their views. Apparently, financial aid and adjusting to society are the major problems students face. This is understandable as the fees are in the range of $ 13, 500-17, 500( Rs 4, 05, 000-5, 25, 000) per year. New Zealand does provide to be a culture shock, I will discuss in more detail as I go on.
Illusions – kya socha tha re maine!…
Due to my unique upbringing I had quite a few illusions of how living here would be like. Let’s compare, when I went to India to do my (+2) or A’ level from abroad, you can imagine what happened. People were all over me in school. In India, if your different, your interesting and people want to know you. Guess what, nobody here cares! Here it’s like, someone is from china, someone’s from Korea…aahhh, who cares?! Another illusion I had was that I’d get a job without trying. You have to make an effort to apply everywhere, and not just in your neighbourhood.
First impressions – spick and spam
New Zealand is very clean, much like Singapore. The difference is its not all urban, you will have a city, alongside you will have long sloping hills and sheep grazing. It is an expensive place for everyday goods. Things like clothes, bread, newspapers etc.. However, clothes do often go on sale where they become amazingly cheap, you just have to wait for a sale. There are good drivers who follow rules, no honking allowed! There’s Hardly any motorbikes.
Transport – car enthusiast’s paradise
Car’s are amazingly cheap. For example…a Honda accord 1996 will cost you $300, which is Rs 1 lakh. You can get a good , trouble-free car for $2000(Rs 60, 000). A Mercedes E class, 1996 will only cost Rs 3, 60, 000. Tickets for buses and trains usually cost RS 60 one way, within the same city. It is often cheaper to get a car.
Society – I’m an individual
Let me put it into perspective for you. In India I go to class and sit next to someone new, and eventually they will introduce themselves and start talking to me. Shaking hands is a common thing in India. You start class in India, on your first day you will probably have shaken hands with half the class. Shaking hands in not the norm here, so it’s a bit awkward at first. People tend to keep their hands to themselves, remember this. Guys holding hands is a strict no-no, you’ll send out the wrong signals. It’s an individualistic society. People are very friendly, but the way you approach them is different, as I said before…culture is one of the main issues students face. The Indian society often have functions on festivals or special occasions.
Quality of education
Quality is no doubt great.
Part-time Job – girls reign supreme
There are simply more part time jobs that girls can do better than boys. Some shops, such as clothe showrooms, hire girls for their superior communications skills and seductive qualities. So if you’re a girls, you’ll probably get a better job. Us guys will be lifting crates in a supermarket. Minimum wage is $12 an hour, so living expenses can be covered with a job.
Employment – laugh all the way to the bank
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, US. What do they have in common? You can easily get employment in these counties once you finish your degree from there. I am assuming, if you spend rs 16 lakh on your education, you will gets grades of A’s and B’s. I am doing Bachelor of IT. I will get a salary of Rs17 lakh per annum in New Zealand, and around 30% more in Australia. That sure is a good investment.
Conclusion – the right choice
I’ll let you in on a little secret, the value of the New Zealand dollar is expected to do a big fall this year. When this happens the fee’s will slip, so keep an eye on this. This is already one of the cheapest places to study in the developed world. Even if you decide to return to India, studying and working abroad will make you a well rounded person. Remember, work here for a year or two once you finish your degree. I will be happy to answer any question you may have…I’ll keep checking the comments from time to time, so drop some in!