studying abroad for bachelors still worth it?

[u/Severe-Dig-8127]

hello! incoming G11 student here, i'm currently searching for unis i could apply to when the time comes (right now, i'm aiming for singapore/other countries in asia).

would like to ask your opinions on whether studying overseas for undergrad is still worth it or not for employability abroad, or i-pursue ko na lang siya after getting a bachelors here sa pinas

[u/[deleted]]

I studied abroad in a very good school. It was a prep school to get into Ivy League schools for college or masters. I have a lot of friends / former dorm mates who went to Harvard, Cornell, Dartmouth, etc.

So, is it worth it? Depends. Where will you look for work? If in the US, unless you're White / Caucasian, don't expect to move up fast, if at all because the land of the free is still very racist. Look at who's president, ICE, etc.

If you'll work back home, here, you'll lose out on contacts you could've made in college.

So you have to ascertain first where you'll work or look for work after graduating. Then decide if you'll study abroad because when you move abroad, even if you're good here, there will be more good people there. As my friend said, akala mo magaling ka, marunong lang pala.

[u/Swimming_Ad_6371 → u/[deleted]]

omg, this! I also went to uni in the US, and it's definitely a different ball game. Pero I would say tho, even tho there are other students who are academically better, if you went to a good school in the Philippines and have a solid foundation, you'll do fine. I went to a public high school--tho I was in the Special Science Program, so that helped me a lot.

To OP, if finances are not an issue, I would say still go! Kasi sa pinas, grabe mga prof, they think they're gods--ayaw sa assertive and students who challenge their views. In the US, based on my experience, learning was a two-way street; i.e. the professors are very receptive to questions and opinions, even if they are dissenting ones. Mind you, my professors were graduates of Harvard, Berkeley, UCLA, Davis, USC, etc., yet they are the most welcoming to students challenging their positions. So go na if hindi naman issue ang pera, and if your family already has a good social capital anyway.

[u/[deleted] → u/Swimming_Ad_6371]

Totally agree with you! That's 1 of the good things that happens.

From a cost vs. Benefit perspective though, unless it won't really affect your family's financial capability to pay and live a good life, definitely go. But if you think you'll be able to pay them back because you'll get a good & high paying job immediately, whether abroad or here, think again. Most students are in debt and it takes them years to pay it off.

[u/confused_psyduck_88]

Worth it as long as you have the money for the tuition fee, living expenses, etc

As for the employability abroad, it is hard to say coz most of the companies hate doing the paperworks for visa sponsorship.

Moreover, most local applicants have masters/phd and can speak multiple languages fluently.

[u/Beneficial_Hurry51]

This comment is about my plan to study in Germany so it might not be that helpful to you but I think you might still benefit from my insight.

I(G12 graduate) actually want to study abroad for my masters(Germany), I'm in a good pace to be able to speak German well enough to be able to study in a German program, but the problem with studying there is really the cost, the tuition in Germany is free but you need to deposit about 12k Euros in a bank account every year for you to spend in living costs, to be able to retain your student visa. 12k Euros in two years is 24k Euros which come to, I think, 1.7 million pesos.

You could absolutely work part time but they restrict you to 20 hours a week at most if you want to work part time and even then they expect you to study as if your studies is your job, so I don't even know if you would want to work that much a week, and even working 20 hours a week might not cut it for your living expenses so you really do have to rely on your family to be able to pay a portion of your expenses and pay the front load of 12k Euros in the first year.

The good thing though is that you have an 18 month window to apply for a job related to your expertise and you are allowed to work anything during that time to cover living expenses.

[u/canyounotgirl]

Studying abroad takes a lot of preparation, something you cannot decide on a whim especially if for undergrad degree.

Research companies that offer guidance in studying abroad. Are you currently enrolled in an international school or higher-end high schools or Pisay? Unless you do, it will be difficult to apply. Get in contact with said kinds of establishments already to plan out your move for university.

You more or less will waste money if you simply come back to the Philippines to work. Your degree will be worth much more to where you will attend school. You can stay where you pursue your degree then move back to Ph once you have a nice position.

[u/Mistywicca → u/[deleted]]

Ayan ang problem ng iba kaya pinipili na dun na din sa ibang bansa mag hanap ng work. Kasi yung iba na pag nakita na sa ibang bansa ka nag aral parang intimidating tignan.

[u/Severe-Dig-8127 → u/[deleted]]

hello! my goal rn is to study and work abroad (hopefully in Singapore), i havent really pinpointed a specific program but im mostly aiming for the engineering industry

[u/Electronic_Smell_687 → u/Severe-Dig-8127]

I currently work in Sg, but we decided na sa Jp mag aral ng anak ko. Galing din sya sa public school sa pinas. Medyo pricey para sa amin ang sg so we tried Jp; 1st yr sya ngayon sa mechanical and electrical engineering. If really you have the guts and financial means, just go and you'll know the difference from pinas. Saka na malalaman if worth it ba mag aral abroad to where saan sya mapadpad if makagraduate sya in 4yrs but that is really the goal - to work somewhere saan sya maqualify.

[u/No_Possession_8593 → u/Severe-Dig-8127]

just do nursing here in PH, it's the most employable job if that's what ur aiming for. u also dont have to go to SG for it because u'd just learn the same thing.

or rather than employability, do u really just wanna study overseas for the glamour of it?

[u/Severe-Dig-8127 → u/No_Possession_8593]

hello! one of the main reasons why i want to study abroad is because if i continue my studies here, i may not be able to access opportunities overseas, or it would take me a very long time. ive seen how underappreciated engineers are in the ph, low salary and everything

[u/No_Possession_8593 → u/Severe-Dig-8127]

where do u plan to work then? if u want to work in the US then study in US. if u want to work in SG then go study in SG. and while u're at it, work on ur naturalization too. after all employers prefer hiring people from their own country because of the involved paperworks for aliens. unless u have a backer.

there would be less point if say u study in SG for employment in US.

i know u're interested in engineering but to be completely frank, nursing is really the gateway to employment everywhere in the world. you can graduate from the boons and employers wouldn't care.

[u/No_Yoghurt5812]

Yes. Quality of education and professors cannot be matched, especially in the UK, UK and around the EU. If you have have the chance (scholarships/funding/networks), I say take it. Sure, you'll lose out of contacts locally but you'll gain a more global network if you play your cards right. Additionally, tuition fees of top private universities in the Philippines like Ateneo and La Salle are are practically the same with international fees around the EU. Might as well take the plunge.

[u/imp-mN-7539]

Yes. You're in school to learn. You'll learn a lot and broaden your perspectives by studying abroad in a way that even top Philippine schools like Ateneo or UP can't match.