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Learning the foreign way

[email protected] (TNN)
June 11, 2012

Learning_Foreign_Way

 

Going overseas to earn a foreign diploma or degree is the dream of millions of Indian students. Although the country has made significant advancements in the education sector, a foreign qualification still holds its allure. The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany and Canada are some of the favourite destinations where Indian students flock to. If you are one of those aspiring students wanting to go abroad for a coveted foreign qualification here are some tips to how to go about it.

 

The US

Students can source information regarding the USA from the United States Educational Foundation in India commonly called USIEF. USIEF advising centers are located at New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

 

The USIEF centers also administer the following tests at their respective locations :

 

New Delhi: SAT I, SAT II, PSAT and AP tests

 

Mumbai: AP tests

 

Kolkata: SAT I and SAT II

 

Chennai:SAT I and SAT II

 

Undergraduate Study

 

English Proficiency Exams

 

International students whose native language is not English may be required to take a test to establish their English language proficiency. Students should visit individual college websites for more information. Options include:

 

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

 

IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

 

PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English Academic)

 

SAT/ACT

 

US universities may require students to take either the SAT Reasoning Test OR ACT. The most competitive US universities may require students to take the SAT Reasoning Test and 2-3 SAT Subject Exams OR the ACT with Writing. Some US universities do not require any admissions tests.

 

If the US universities to which you apply accept both the SAT and ACT, it is a personal choice as to which to take. Choose the test that you will do best on.

 

AP Exams

Advanced Placement Exams are college-level undergraduate exams that test an applicant's knowledge of a particular subject. Participating US colleges and universities may grant college credit to Indian students who score well on these exams. USIEF administers the AP Exams in May.

 

PSAT

The Preliminary SAT (PSAT) is a standardized test that provides an opportunity for international students to practice taking the SAT. The PSAT is administered by USIEF.

 

Please check the websites of individual universities to learn which tests are required for admission. It is important that you begin test preparation well in advance. An examination fee needs to be paid to take each of these tests. Check the websites of the admission tests for detailed information.

 

In addition there are graduate and post doctoral studies also available in the US. Log on to: http:// www.usief.org. in/New-Delhi- (Head-Office ).aspx

 

The United Kingdom

The most popular undergraduate qualifications are the Bachelor's degrees (also called undergraduate or first degrees ), which are now required for entry into a wide range of careers in the UK and other countries. British degree programmes incorporate the most upto-date subject developments. Many universities and colleges now co-operate to deliver degree courses, and this has further increased the number and variety of courses and study environments. For English proficiency one has to take IELTS or International English Language Testing System.

 

UG Studies in the UK

Undergraduate applications are processed through the UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service), a centralised clearing agency. For UCAS forms log on to http:// www.ucas.com

 

International applicants

If you are applying from outside the UK or EU, whatever your nationality, you need to be aware of the three application deadlines, although many universities and colleges will consider your application up until June 30. This does not apply to applications for the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, courses in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or veterinary science. For all of these, you must apply by October 15.

 

Universities and colleges do not guarantee to consider applications they receive after January 15, and some popular courses may not have vacancies after that date. Please check with individual universities and colleges if you are not sure. You are advised to apply as early as possible.

 

Remember to allow enough time for entry clearance or immigration ; also travel and accommodation arrangements , which can take longer during the summer when immigration departments are busy. If you think you may be assessed as a 'home' student (UK or EU) for tuition fees, you should apply by the relevant deadline at the top of the page.

 

Several countries require their citizens to complete mandatory military or national service. If this affects you, check with universities and colleges in advance to discuss when you should apply. You can defer through UCAS for a maximum of one year. It would be useful to include information on your military or national service in your personal statement.

 

Also log on to: www.britishcouncil. org/india.htm

 

Australia

According to Australian High Commission estimates, the number of Indian students studying in Australia has also grown rapidly over the past few years. The end of year Indian student enrolment data 2009 shows that 1,20,913 Indian students had enrolled to undertake an Australian qualification in 2009. India is now the second top-source country for Australia's international education industry. Log on to www.studyinaustralia. gov.au; http:// www.india. embassy. gov.au/ndli/study.html; and, www.aaeri.org

 

France and Germany

In France one can choose among universities offering academic or technical programmes or specialized schools offering engineering, management among other courses. By logging onto the given website you will get to know all about the study programmes available, as well as scholarships and financial help. There are two types of institutions of higher education in Germany: Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences. Universities are research-oriented . The Universities of Applied Sciences are professional institutions. For France log on to: http:// www.inde. campusfrance.org/en For Germany log on to: http:// newdelhi .daad.de/

 

Canada

Canada is fast catching up with other nations to be among one of the best education destinations. For all information on studying in Canada have a look at the website of High Commission of Canada to India . Log on to: www.canadainternational .gc.ca/india-inde /index.aspx

 

UAE

Although it cannot be compared with the aforementioned countries as a popular educational destination as of now, the fact that lakhs of Indians are working in UAE, in Sharjah, Dubai among other cities, there is a lot of potential for educational ties to grow. There are lots of universities welcoming international students . Log on to: http:// www.uaeinteract . com/education/links.asp



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Media Release
January 8,2020

Mangaluru, Jan 8: The centenary year of St. Agnes College got off to a grand start on January 3, 2020 with a day of commemoration that involved staff, students, alumni and benefactors. The college is all set to celebrate its centenary with the community of Mangaluru on January 10, 2020 from 9.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m with a daylong festival – Knowledge Factory. It will be held at the newly inaugurated air-conditioned auditorium with over 1000 attendees expected to be present. 

KNOWLEDGE FACTORY is the first of the five mega centenary programmes that St. Agnes College has envisaged.  The Promise Foundation and niiti Consulting – two organisations headquartered in the national capital under the mentorship of veteran journalist Madhavan Narayan are collaborating with the college to bring this event to Mangaluru for the first time.  A dozen icons will share the stage throughout the day and bring forth their thoughts and ideas enabling a culture of learning through fire-side chats and keynotes. 

The speakers include Lisa Ray, Indo-Canadian Actor and Author; Sunil Buch, Director, Live Nation; Dipannita Sharma, Actor and Supermodel; Kriti Tula, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Doodlage; Nandini Srikar, Singer and Composer; Prakash Belawadi, Movie and Theatre Actor,  Manasi Paresh Kumar, Senior Journalist; Swati Pande, Co-Founder and CEO, Arboreal; Anuradha Kedia Parekh, Co-Founder, The Better India; Arokiaswamy Velumani, Founder and Chairman, Thyrocare Technologies; Heena Sidhu, the former world  number 1 pistol shooter. The event anchor will be the celebrity news reader Rini Simon Khanna who has been anchoring the event since its first edition in 2017.

Gaurava Yadav, a well-known quiz master will conduct a quiz focussed on History.  Based on a written prelims that will take place at 8.15 am in the designated room, four teams of two members each will compete in the finals at 4.45 pm. The winning team will receive a prize of INR 30,000 and the runner up team will receive INR.20,000/-    

The event is put together by social entrepreneurs - Meena Vadiyanathan and Amith Prabhu (who is of Mangalorean origin). All who desire to attend the event and participate in the quiz may buy donor passes costing Rs 500/- per head which includes lunch.  Sale of donor passes will close on the 8th. The college cordially invites the community of Mangaluru to join hands with it in making this programme a great success. 

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News Network
August 9,2020

 

New Delhi, Aug 9: With the National Education Policy 2020 recognising the need for flexibility in choosing the subjects that a student wants to study, implementation of this policy will boost science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in India, edtech startup SP Robotic Works has said.

The new education policy also recognised that skills like coding and scientific temper and evidence-based thinking should be learned by all students to become good, successful, innovative, adaptable and productive human beings in today's rapidly changing world.

With the semester-based pattern, there is a lot of relaxation with respect to a child's choice to select their interest in subjects, according to Sneha Priya, CEO and co-founder, SP Robotic Works.

"This will promote the kids to explore various segments which otherwise I believe was restricted to an extent," Priya told IANS in an interview.

On July 29, the Union Cabinet gave its approval to a new National Education Policy (NEP) which aims at bringing about several changes in the education system from the school to college level.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the NEP is the foundation of a "new India" and that it will help close the gap between education and research.

It is now well recognised that in opening the door to myriad opportunities offered by STEM education, online platforms have played a pivotal role.

Coding-related courses have picked up well and the online platforms have seen a lot of kids enrol in block programming, artificial intelligence (AI) and android app development.

"As the field of STEM education gained immense popularity in India, this online learning platform has seen 80 per cent increase in the number of renewal of programmes, which implies the increase in interest and is a positive sign for the future of STEM education," she said.
The proposal to introduce coding from Class 6 and onwards is one of the best decisions of the policy, Priya added.

"With importance being given to coding in the NEP, the schools will be more open to adopting new ways to ensure their children master in what they are learning which will automatically result in better outcomes," she opined.

"Focus on these skills is crucial during the formative years for the development of the children. Hence, this new policy will prove beneficial for growing kids to gather their interest in coding at an early stage," she said.

According to Priya, it is important to deliver the coding concepts in the right manner to captivate and encourage the child to engross his/her attention towards the subject.

She also stressed that both robotics and coding courses have seen a huge upsurge this year.
In addition to what is being taught at school, the online learning platform has seen an increased number of queries from parents with regards to shaping up their child's coding skills.

"Especially with the current situation, the Covid-i9 lockdown has given more time to students to explore their interest in this field and we have seen double the demand in participation just in the previous few months from children," Priya quipped.

Even during the lockdown, SP Robotic Works said they have seen an increase of 55 per cent in the revenues.

"Additionally, we have seen around 1 lakh new enrolments during the last four months which demonstrates that Indian children are exploring their interests across segments," the CEO said.
"For the next six months, our focus is going to continue educating and engaging more students in experiential learning as we work towards building a nation that's truly 'Aatmanirbhar'," Priya noted.

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Media Release
March 4,2020

Mangaluru, Mar 4: With an objective to create awareness among children about the importance of consumption of fruits in regular diet, First Steps Pre-School, Kudroli, celebrated Fruits Day on Friday 28th February 2020 with fun and frolic.

The tiny tots of preschool celebrated Fruit Day. Children, representing the fruits of their choice sang the fruit rhymes with great zest, enthusiasm and vigour, enjoying the moments of joy and happiness in the company of their mates & teachers.

Teachers had made interesting and simple stories on encouraging children to have fruits in their meals. The teachers also explained the importance of fruits’ intake in diet for mental and physical growth. The tiny tots also learned more about the taste, smell,

color and texture of each fruit. Children clearly understood the importance of washing the fruits before eating or cooking and about the benefits of eating fresh fruits.

All the children were found to be quite thrilled and were positive on the fact that fruits are better than junk food.

The head teacher Himna S. Ahmed, teacher Azeema and Master Shehzan S. Ahmed arranged the event in an impressive manner which added feather to the event.

The event magnificently concluded with fruit feast for the kids of pre-school.

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