Let your child study overseas if you can afford it?

[wonderm]

kiddo:

hquek:

And it doesn't have to be US/UK/Australia, if his chinese can make it, China will be an interesting option. But I think I'll draw the line at other developing economies.

Yes Qinghua or Beijing Uni ...but boi Chinese must make it :faint:
But how to get into these Uni ???

mummy also want to follow maybe get a chinese deg too :boogie:

Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) offers through-train programme to top China universities such as Peking, Tsinghua and Fudan. See details at this news link: http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20090924-169778.html

[verykiasu2010]

whether is education or work, an overseas experience open the mind, build experience, expand network, build fortitude and resilience … and go to those pioneers in education, especially those unis that have longer history than Raffles finding Singapore in 1819


if just for ordinary run-of-the-mill degree, forget it

[d1s2]

verykiasu2010:

whether is education or work, an overseas experience open the mind, build experience, expand network, build fortitude and resilience .... and go to those pioneers in education, especially those unis that have longer history than Raffles finding Singapore in 1819


if just for ordinary run-of-the-mill degree, forget it

Same for me. If only my kids get into well established reputable universities overseas, otherwise, I think that our local universities with the addition of taking a semester or year abroad is just as good.

Both my husband and I studied and worked overseas quite a number of years. While it had been fun, exciting and interesting with doses of accelerated growing-up and independence, I also felt that I missed many good years with my parents and siblings.

[Pen88n]

d1s2:

verykiasu2010:

whether is education or work, an overseas experience open the mind, build experience, expand network, build fortitude and resilience .... and go to those pioneers in education, especially those unis that have longer history than Raffles finding Singapore in 1819


if just for ordinary run-of-the-mill degree, forget it

Same for me. If only my kids get into well established reputable universities overseas, otherwise, I think that our local universities with the addition of taking a semester or year abroad is just as good.

Both my husband and I studied and worked overseas quite a number of years. While it had been fun, exciting and interesting with doses of accelerated growing-up and independence, I also felt that I missed many good years with my parents and siblings.

Sama sama here. Preferably with a scholarship that can foot the annual fee and expenses. If based on parent's $$, I can foresee I have to slog for many, many more years, and retirement is not within the horizon at all. So decided, my kids have to \"earn\" the overseas study with their own effort and hard work!

[Pen88n]

Based on recent ranking, top 10 US / UK universities:

1. Cambridge University
2. Harvard University
3. Yale University
4. University College London
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
6. Oxford University
7. Imperial College London
8. University of Chicago
9. California Institute of Technology
10. Princeton University

Check this out: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11227693

[noobparent]

Yes, only if the overseas Unis are the prestigious ones, and better than local Unis.


Actually nowadays NUS is getting quite good and the international recognition of NUS has gone up a lot in the past 10 years.

[rosemummy]

noobparent:

Yes, only if the overseas Unis are the prestigious ones, and better than local Unis.


Actually nowadays NUS is getting quite good and the international recognition of NUS has gone up a lot in the past 10 years.

That's the most ideal situation to be in - child can get into any course at any of the local uni or some of the most prestigious foreign uni.

But many may not find themselves in such an ideal situation.
For example, the child may not get into the course he wants in a local uni. And many very good students, including some with straight As, have found themselves in such a situation in recent years.

The other issue is prestigious unis. It's a little shallow to just look at the general ranking. You have to look at how the uni is ranked for the specific subjects and areas your child is seeking admission for. For example, none of the top US universities in the list by Pen88n has an undergraduate business school. And amongst business schools, some are renown for certain areas.

A third issue is time taken to obtain the first degree. If you send your child to US or Canada immediately after her O levels, she can get her first degree before 20. Things can be a little more complicated for boys due to NS, but he'll still be years ahead of his peers. For Australia (and I believe NZ as well), the child can start his / her foundation programme at the uni immediately after O levvels and start their undergrad studies within a year after that. Most would end up being a year or 2 ahead of their peers.

At the end of the day, I think it's really about providing the most suitable education for your child within your means. If it's within your means to help your child fulfil his / her ambition, and the child is responsible and passionate in his chosen area, I think it's good to do so. I've friends / relatives who're happy doctors / lawyers because their parents chose to support them through a foreign education when they couldn't get into the local medical / law school.

[JWMorgan]

Most kids do not really know what they want out of an under graduate education. Nowadays most respectable universities (including our local universities) provide similar academic and intellectually challenging education for most disciplines. Going overseas does not necessarily guarantee a good honoiurs degree and not all students can adapt well to life on his/her own physically, emotionally and spritually.


Here are some simple facts:
1. Having good A level results does not imply ability to obtain a good honours degree, that is, Second class upper division and above.
2. Prestigious universiies also have their share of mediocre students just like any other universities. Able to get in a prestigious university does not mean able to cope with the studies. With better universities comes the stress associated with competing with more or equally capable students.
3. Living in a different culture and environment without the comfort of home and having to deal with unfamiliar faces, unfamiliar places, unfamiliar customs and practices can be quite devastaing for some.
4. For some students, the stress of not being able to do well/ or maintain impressive performance can be overwhlemingly stressful and affect their mental health.
5. You can get an excellent undergrdauate education at the local universities, that is, if you know how to excel beyond the usual norm. After obtaining a good hons degree locally, it would be easy to go overseas for a post graduate degree on ones own with teaching assistantship, etc.
6. A first degree is considered a basic qualification. What you are capable of much depends on how you go about getting and studying for the degree.

For every success story, there are unsuccesful ones and sometimes very tragic and sad ones. There are suicide related stories.

Sending your son/daughter overseas for studies, is not just a simple case of affordability. He or she should do some homework as to why an overseas degree at a particular uni in a particular discipline is so desirable as oppose to a degree at a local university. An important consideration is if your child/daughter do know what his/her interest lies in pursuing the studies. At least you will know to some extent where their intellectual development is heading. If you are rich, of course, it does not matter, much of the problem with living abroad can be alleviated with a generous living allowance and if they survive the rigour of the courses they will bring home a degree. Even then, some will blame you why send them overseas to suffer when they could have gotten similar degree at home. Some may even tell you they are doing the degree for the parents and that they are not actually interested in the discipline they have studied in.

Taking a scholarship in Singaore, normally involves the whole family. with the sureties, bond and a hugh liability. In addition to the 6 points above for consideration, there is the bond and the sureties for liquidated damages in case of unsuccessful completion or non compliance with certain rules. The scholarship holder is normally bonded for five to six years after he or she has completed the degree course. Your son/daughter must take this into consideration, a period of eight or nine years commited to serving the organization that gave the scholarship. The decision should not be taken lightly. The consequences of failure to complete and compliance is grave and devastating.

Lastly, our local universities do have excellent and better than excellent passionate academic staff and do provide excellent, challenging and well balanced education. Root your son/daughter in Singapore before sending them overseas.

[Herbie]

I hv friend/neighcour who will b sending their 3 kids to australia next year. Youngest is p4 n can skip to p6 next year. They are planning for the kids to enter the uni there already.

[noobparent]

Insider,


What field does your daughter intend to pursue? And who does she hope the get the scholarship from?

In the same thread, you talked about Masters and PhD scholarships. That gives me the impression that your daughter is going into the hard sciences.

Is she set on getting a PhD? Which field? What does she see herself doing after her PhD?

All these are important questions or else it is hard to assess your situation.

My wifey and I are both Government scholars but we did the social sciences. Our career paths have been different. Things have gone well for me. But it became dreadful for wifey. We broke her bond after her Masters scholarship.