Jammu education system
Traditionally, Jammu students have been accustomed to the spoon-feeding practices, deep inside their minds, Jammu youth still imagine themselves as a silver spoon kid working for monarchy (Uss Rajhe aan).
Jammu is home to great rulers, generals, soldiers, marshals, and judges. However, to survive in this changing era, the youth must acquire the modern-day skills (and practices) as they have to support their aging parents, children, nurture the family and live a traditional family life.
Yes, the youth of Jammu are proud Dogra and should be. Yes, they should protect the Dogra heritage and Yes, they should protect the community interests, but they also need to raise their families, pay taxes to develop the region and become an obedient citizen that adds to the nation building.
“Wars are not fought on streets these days, they are fought in boardrooms, courts, cyber spaces and literature”.
The education system in Jammu is obsolete, merely degree oriented and not skill based, and a large of chunk of coaching institutes are mostly furthering the spoon feeding, cramming practices rather than promoting an independent and logical thought process (not each of them are doing the latter). In this regime, youth don’t have any say as they listen to their parents and teachers, who themselves are aware. Parents in their minds are doing best for their children. However, they are not aware of the latter and not knowingly put pressure on kids which in future leads to blame game situation.
I am not in a position to order, what they should do as this is academic in nature, but a good advice would be to ask the schools to provide extensive training to teachers, set up a mental health centre, student surveys and good staff-student ratio (email me, if you are serious about it and looking for a extensive and a detailed plan).
In lieu of the above, students after finishing bachelor’s degree get some independent choices to make in relation to career. Many of them choose to leave Jammu as well as India for a better future, to meet open minded people and a place where no one tell them what they should do and what not to do, etc. In reality, things don’t go as planned and in majority of the cases, neither students nor parents are able to achieve the milestones or add to the greater good.
Study Abroad
Consequently, there is a huge spike in students from Jammu in recent years leaving to abroad for a master’s degree. Most of them, don’t know much about the university they are going to, whether that course/ university will help their career and no idea of a Plan B. In more than of the 70% cases, these students come back from abroad, they don’t have any plans for it since they extinguished their family savings or took loans that they may not be able to pay back or sell their ancestral lands.
Possible Reasons
Bollywood: Movies and OTT recite La La land stories to kids which make them pursue unrealistic goals. NO! many of those things don’t work like that (laws are strict in UK, USA, etc).
Relatives: Some relatives go abroad and after getting settled after years of sacrificing, So don’t look at them ask their children how hard it was to settle in a world.
Peer Pressure: Social media stories / posts of friends enjoying. (they are not living that La La land, they are just trying to show off to prove they were not wrong for choosing to study abroad. They must be more worried about cooking, cleaning and assignments rather than Halloween parties).
Unemployment: The unemployment spike in Jammu is mainly due to: (1) decrease in armed forces jobs since there haven’t been many wars in the recent past, (2) Royalty mindset and unwillingness to serve, (3) unemployable graduates a creation of obsolete education system and (4) not acquiring technical/ job—oriented skills.
Education system: In relation to the above, the latter institutions does not cater all of the needs of students and the employer.
Utopia: Some peoples still have opinion that people who go abroad live an American dream life, most of them don’t. So, don’t finish your family savings or sell lands without any research.
Why Study Abroad?
Before planning your abroad studies, you must think why you need to study abroad. Is it what you need or is it want you want? If its needed, why it is so.
A good motivation of studying would be quality education of UK, USA, etc. which would lead to better career opportunities, but do you have enough savings/ funds to keep up with the latter.
Another good reason could be career growth, for which you need to obtain skilled work visa after finishing your studies. However, it has a very high criterion. Getting a Sponsorship in UK is not enough, UK has points-based visa system and need to acquire 70 points to obtain SW Visa. In relation to US, there is a H1B visa (Lottery system) which is more like a gamble, but it all depends on you risk appetite, skills, financial backing and plans back home.
Finally, you could see it as an Investment that would pay off in the future back home or overseas (only if you have conducted appropriate research).
How to Proceed
Before you plan to study abroad, you should do the following:
- Meet career counsellor and discuss field(major) of interest, past experience, academic level, skills and ask them for possible options.
- Ask high school teachers for feedback and their suggestions.
- Psychoanalysis (if required)
- Health checkups (not understand if they will be fit enough to survive alone in a different country since many of their mothers cook, and all the facilities are provided at their doorstep before they leave home).
After you plan to study abroad, you should do the following:
- Attend International education fairs and meet the representatives of the universities and ask them questions (research about universities in advance).
- Research about the course of your interest and look out for universities that provide it.
- Research about University reputation, quality of the course and the city that these universities are in (choose university, course and city that would suit you and don’t fall in the peer pressure, it is your life at the end of the day).
- Make a list of University, courses, cities and go back to career counsellor / education consultant and ask about guidance.
- Check with AIU (Association of Indian Universities), for recognition of foreign qualifications in India, with Bar Council of India for Law and other respective professional bodies that is relevant to your field/ major.
- Apply to the universities for the courses that you have chosen and not just applying everywhere, (if you are not aware enough, only then meet an Overseas education consultant who you can assist with your application, but make sure they are verified and they have universities on your list in their panel). So, that you don’t go to university, course or a city that is not suitable for you.
- After you receive offer letter (if more than one), you should seek further guidance from the module leaders of the concerned universities, your career counsellor and check finances.
- You may use family savings or take a loan, to finance your studies you should make sure that the course that you’re paying for is worth and you will be able to earn enough to pay back your loan (In India or overseas) and not just create unwanted liabilities that will causes troubles in the future.
- After you are assured that you can pay for your course, adopt a fee-structure with the universities (in one go or instalments).
- Read contractual obligations of the offer letter and university and select accordingly.
- Pay deposit after you selected university, fee-structure, and the above.
- In relation to UK, you will receive CAS letter, which you have to use in relation to visa. (For other countries, check with the university)
- Apply for a Study Visa (if you need assistance ask university’s immigration department or a UK licensed immigration consultant / firms).
- You need to start finding accommodation in advance, since they are expensive, hard to find and there may be shortage.
- Research for scholarships (with universities and other bodies).
- Start packing clothes and other utilities based on the climate, just make sure that they are allowed in the country and not subject to customs. If you forget something you may find it in that country too (price may vary).
- When you get visa, book tickets.
- Pay for accommodation after verifying that the accommodation is genuine.
- Pack sure you have sorted everything before you leave.
- When you reach the country, you may have to go through border checks and custom check, so be honest with everything.
- After border checks, find a taxi, train, or bus to reach accommodation if you haven’t already found. You may have to find a temporary accommodation.
- Show your payment receipt and university details to accommodation reception or university halls.
- Settle yourself in the local environment and buy things that you need.
- Obey the law and immigration rules.
- Attend classes regularly as your visa might curtail if you don’t have required attendance.
- Participate in different societies and make friends.
- Participate in cross-cultural events.
- Attend networking events for professional growth.
- Plan your schedule well in advance in relation to assignments, exams and thesis.
- Participate in extra-curricular activities etc, if you have free time.
- Find an internship and ask university’s employability department to check CV.
- Ask for feedback from module leaders.
- Do not over-work as it might curtail your study visa.
- Work out your future, whether you should stay abroad or go back to India.
- If you want to stay abroad, make yourself employable by getting skills, knowledge, etc and try to land in a job that will help you to extend visa.
If you’re unable to do it, you may consider going back home and find opportunities over there and how overseas education and skills can help you in India.
- Enjoy as well as study/work, at the day you have to explore the new country that you’re travelling to as well but not at the cost of your career.
Author : Anrudh Sawhney
Former student at Queen’s Univeristy Belfast, Univeristy of Wales (Bangor), University of Law (Moorgate).
Former member of management board, International students officer, BAME officer at Queen’s Univeristy Students’ Union.
Founder President of Indian society at Univeristy of Law.
Works at law firm.
Chapter head of INSA
Email : asawhney01@icloud.com
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