Local or Overseas?

Doing it in your home country or overseas? It’s a common debate amongst those who want to pursue postgraduate studies, so postgradasia.com listed the benefits of both options for you to weigh them out.
postgradasia.com

PURSUING IT LOCALLY

So, you’re thinking of doing it here in Malaysia, the country you were born and raised in. Here’s what you should be looking forward to:

Surrounded by familiar culture

Getting familiar with foreign culture while doing your studies definitely takes time and effort – but not a problem if you’re doing it locally. Not that there won’t be anything different at all; it just takes away the overthinking and anxiety from you so you may focus better on your course.

Closer to family

To most people, family is the one thing that keeps them grounded. Sure, technology connects us whenever we want and wherever we are these days, but nothing beats the human touch you get from them once you’re home after a tiring day of classes and work.

Working and studying

Usually, international students are not allowed to work while studying in certain countries as it could be seen as misusing their student visas to work in a foreign country. But since you are studying in your own country, you are not restricted under this law.

Commitments

Commitments – financial, professional and personal – start as soon as you finish your first degree, and they will continue to grow over the years. Doing postgraduate studies locally will make it easier for you, especially for mature students with work experience to manage your commitments without jeopardising your studies.

 

PURSUING IT OVERSEAS

But wait! There are also exciting experiences that await you if you decide to do it overseas:

Practicing new languages

Learning new languages is always exciting! This is your time to recollect those third language classes you took during your undergraduate studies within the community that speaks it. There is no better way to master a new language than putting yourself straight into the heart of it, no?

Travelling opportunities

Especially if you are studying in Europe, this is your chance to use their super-efficient (and affordable) public transportation system and visit the neighbouring countries. Students are usually bestowed with discounts for the tickets and fees as well, so take your time collecting the souvenirs from this other side of the world.

Developing cultural awareness

As you are mixing with the international crowd, you will be exposed to different cultures from different nations all over the world. This exposure helps you in developing cultural awareness – a professional skill that gives you the ability to decode any oncoming misunderstandings in an argument between people of different roots.

A wider network

Your connections shouldn’t be limited to only the international community you know within your campus. Take your time to know everyone around you, from all walks of life. Create a network that can open doors of opportunities for you, and be one of the nodes that might be the same for someone else.