MARIA FERNANDES | NT
With studying abroad remaining a popular aspiration for Indian students, Shaista Baljee, the founder of Ivy Aspire, a boutique college and career counseling firm with a presence in India and a global clientele was the guest on The Navhind Times talk show, ‘Talk from the Heart’.
With over 18 years of experience, Baljee, who has mentored students into top universities across the U.S., U.K., Canada, and beyond, spoke about the changing scenario of overseas education.
Today, with more opportunities, it is not always easy for students and parents to decide about their career paths and subsequently the colleges to opt for. The best way to help children in this area, said Baljee, is for parents to start having conversations with their children. “Parents should start talking to their fifth-graders about what excites them; ask their sixth or seventh-graders what problems they want to solve and then by piecing together what they love and what they are passionate about, parents can get a fair idea how to proceed,” she said. “Don’t start asking children what they want to do, instead ask them what they feel they are good at. Exposure to different careers too is important!”
Most parents and those aspiring to study abroad are of the opinion that to study overseas, academics is the only criteria. Debunking this misconception, Baljee explained, “Academic rigour is important but what matters is who you really are. There are several intangible factors like character, handling setbacks or failures, how kind or thoughtful you are, what you do in your free time and other such elements.”
Despite good academics and ticking all the boxes with regard to what top schools/colleges want, not all are fortunate to get admission and this leads to severe disappointment both for the child and the parents. “I understand how the student feels but this in no way means he/she is inferior or inadequate as each school/college is looking for different things each year. Hence, basing your self-worth on a particular school/college’s acceptance is also wrong,” she stressed.
With the availability of financial aid, scholarships and the changing perspectives of Indian parents with regard to global education, the number of students moving abroad for education is increasing every year. Besides U.S.A., U.K., Canada and Australia, other destinations too are becoming popular among students. “It all depends on what you want to study. Certain countries may give you a better ecosystem than others. So Hongkong, Singapore, U.A.E., and Ireland are good options. I think the Netherlands is another country in Europe that is slightly underexplored but very friendly and very easy for a child especially who’s younger to be able to go there, adjust and make their set of friends,” she explained.
