CO L LE GE CO RNER
Before you decide on getting a foreign degree, you’ll
need to make sure you are indeed passionate about
your chosen field of study. A future undergraduate
student should first determine which course to
undertake based on interest and ambition. This can be
easy if you already have an idea of what you’d like to
do as a career.
However, if you are indecisive, ask yourself: what
would you like to do for a living? Which subject do
you pick up speedily? Are you interested in what you
are good at? Do you want to specialise in one area or
gain general knowledge of the field? Speak to your
parents for advice and, if need be, consult education
counsellors at your school or local colleges. For
instant information, check out online education portal
easyuni.com (www.easyuni.com) which offers brilliant
course recommendation tools based on students’
personalities and interests.
Only upon picking the course should you think about
the university. Make sure you select an institution with
a reputation for the subject or programme offered,
rather than a popular ‘branded’ one your friends will
be attending.
Studying Overseas
There are basically two types
of universities: public and
private. If you choose to
attend a public university, you
would be attending lectures
at a university in the country,
possibly even close to home.
The other route is the private
universities which give you
the option of furthering your
studies locally or abroad.
Whichever route you
choose, you need to sort out
how to fund your studies.
Many education loans and
scholarships are available
but, of course, places and
opportunities for these are
very limited. Studying locally at
a public university is the most
affordable option but you
may have set your sights on a
foreign university renowned
for the programme you intend
to pursue.
Studying abroad is not going to
be economical, even without
factoring in the living expenses.
So how do you ensure that
your foreign degree is not
just a dream? There are three
options: obtain a foreign
degree locally, complete a
twinning programme, or even
earn a degree online.
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easyuni Guide 2014
Issue 2
Option 1: Obtaining Foreign Degrees Locally
You can obtain a foreign degree by studying in a local off-shore campus
(also known as branch campus or satellite campus) of the university. Curtin
University, for example, has an overseas campus each in Singapore and Malaysia. Other
UK, Australian and Chinese universities, such as Nottingham University and Xiamen
University, have similar off-shore campuses to ease the financial burden of locals while
providing opportunities for local students to better their studying experience.
Instead of being charged the fees of an international student in a foreign campus, you
will be paying your fees as a local student in the local currency when you study in a
branch campus. This will translate into a huge amount of savings than if you had to
fork out three to five times more, depending on the currency exchange rate, if you were
to study in the main campus. You will also save on the living expenses incurred when
studying abroad.
You may doubt the quality of the education offered by the
branch campuses. Rest assured that branch universities are
as good as its main campus. Branch campuses share the
same resources as the main campus abroad, so libraries
are often well-stocked with internal
and external textbooks.
Well-equipped resource centres
also ease students’ effort in
finding secondary resources for
research, a must when writing
a thesis, apart from providing
a conducive environment for
completing assignments
and learning. As such,
branch campuses
are attentive to its
students’ voices when
it comes to improvising
their campuses
facilities and
academic qualities.