Textbook travellers

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The international exposure of international education has enjoyed reams of press, but exchange programmes are perhaps one aspect of education that has always been undervalued.
While it’s amazing to garner international education, to go in for an exchange with a college of similar stature not just enhances your academic intake but also the variety of cultural and interpersonal skills needed to adapt to a fast changing world. Students get an entire new perspective on education. Anusha Ganesan of a city college took up the opportunity to go to the University of Malta to complete her project. “It was an eye-opener. I got to meet so many people from diverse cultures. It also helped me learn about project skill and technique from a different perspective,” says Anusha, a student of bio-medical engineering.
Unlearning the learnt is also something students get to do when on these foreign stints. “The approach to education and the curriculum style is completely different in most of the countries abroad. We learn rather proactively and also peer mentoring is such a huge thing abroad. And I made lasting friendships whilst in Brazil,” says Azaan Mirza, a Delhi-based 17-year-old student.
Elevating the profile of a student, such brief educational trips can propel one to greater understanding of education, student life, relationships and be appreciative of a gamut of cultures. “I learnt a lot about myself and even developed my interpersonal skills. Today I can proudly say that my outlook has been partly shaped by this experience,” says Divya Pillai, who had gone to Maldives for one month.
India is not a bad option either, as many foreign students come here every year to gain something enriching. “I’ve to stay here for six months and it has been two months now and I already feel at home. The school is great and the education system is comprehensive and I get to learn a lot from here,” says Simon Rettenbacher, an exchange student from Austria. According to him his classmates are fun and he seldom misses home. “I feel a lot of youngsters here try to break the conventional norms and do what they like, which is great,” he continues.
Although the lure of exchange programmes is catching on, experts say, good scores and commitment to an area of study can win one this educative holiday.