All you need to know when sending your child to study abroad
Honestly, that’s one of the bravest decisions you’ll ever make, and yes, the most crucial one for your child. Studying abroad means your child will come back with an international exposure and a widened mind-set. As a parent, it is your responsibility to support your child in this decision and also gear up to be a part of the process.
What you need to do as a parent?
You need to know what motivates your child. As a parent, you should be an active part of their decision-making procedure to ensure they take the right call in their life.
Sit down and understand why your child wants to go abroad – whether it is career-driven or personal. It is important to know what exactly your child seeks in life to be able to guide or support them.
As a parent it is your responsibility to research about the courses your child is interested in, the universities they have been talking about and the kind of lifestyle they would most thrive in.
Reach out to friends and family who are abroad. Ask them about the challenges they have faced and how they dealt with it. Ask them about challenges which has to be faced by new students. Seek detailed counselling We offer free counselling sessions for students who wish to study abroad. You can come to your nearest IA office and set up a free appointment. Bring your wish list so we can help guide your child through the journey.
Having an estimate of the costs involved in sending your child abroad can help you make a better decision. However, it’s not just the tuition fee alone you should be calculating, there’re a lot more expenses involved when you plan to send your child to study abroad. Consider other expenses such as accommodation, food, health coverage, communication and travel as well!
Once you have an overview of what goes into sending your child abroad, make a plan. Consider all factors including course and university selection, finances, visa, etc. Safeguard their health before they leave for abroad Ensure to get your child’s general physical examination, dental checkup, and a gynecological checkup (if applicable). Get them vaccinated. If your child wears glasses or contact lenses, get them a typed copy of their prescription. Buy them an extra pair of spectacles or contact lenses in case of emergency.
If there are specific medicines prescribed to your child, speak with their doctors who’ll help them with the name, potency, and purity of the medicine available in their destination. When helping your kids with packing, ensure to keep the medicines in the original container/packaging only along with the doctor’s prescription.
Travel safety is crucial!
Yes, it’s worrisome to send your child thousands of kilometres away, and that’s why it is important to ensure about their travel safety.
Finally your child is abroad. Now what?
We know it was a painful goodbye, but keeping yourself updated about your child’s well-being is not that tough. Here’s how you can keep in touch with them:
There are many mediums using which you can keep connected with your child – email, Skype, Facebook, Viber, WhatsApp, etc. See what’s most convenient to both of you. Please know that while you can use any of these platforms, do not use all of them. Give your child some space.
When you pre-decide when to talk, it sets the right expectations for both parents and children. You know when to talk and how often to keep in touch without cringing on their personal space. Usually the best time to decide this is when your child is settled in their program. This is when they can plan more confidently about their time schedules and plans. In cases when your child is not able to respond to your calls or messages, don’t panic immediately. It could be due to a hectic schedule, low WiFi bandwidth or variance in time zones. It’s best to keep your timings flexible and not be over-demanding. This will help prevent any agitation if unable to cope with the difference in time zones.
Both parents and children should have some emergency contacts saved in phones at all times. For instance, keep handy the contact details of their college representatives or some close friends to reach out to if they are not reachable for a longer period of time.
Many institutions have forums where they involve parents in many activities, be a part of such forums and volunteer for some responsibilities if possible. Keep in touch with the study program authorities, student counsellors, etc. Further, as a parent you can also keep yourself updated about your child’s in-country activity via email newsletters, Facebook pages, Twitter, or even instant photo and video updates on Snapchat. When selecting a program, be sure to check out their current social media platforms to know how to stay updated once your child is abroad.
Guide your kids about practical survival skills to sustain abroad. Life overseas is going to completely different from India – educate your kids on money management and budgeting. Guide them on how to plan their monthly expenses so that they do not overspend. While there are many Indian restaurants abroad, it’d be best to teach your kids some basic recipes for times when they can’t go out or order in. Unlike India, helps aren’t available that cheap abroad and your kids will have to take care of staple house chores on their own. Teach them how to manage these along with their coursework, job and student activities.
Sending your child abroad is a difficult decision and it is equally challenging for your child to move abroad. Help your child at every step–they need your emotional support. Involve yourself in their decisions, encourage and motivate them. At times, your emotional support will help your child more than just the financial support.
Your child has gone abroad and will experience many new things and adventures. They would also go through a range of emotions that they have never felt before. When they share about these with you, it is important for you to listen to them patiently. React only if necessary and give them advice subtly if you think it could sound harsh in some cases.
Create some memories before they depart for the new destination. Go out, play games, spend some real quality time for them to cherish when abroad.
Prepare your child for the big change so that they’re able to cope up with the cultural shock and are open to adjusting to a completely new environment. Better still, come to one of our pre-departure sessions wherein we brief them on life abroad, challenges and how to adjust in new destination.
How to send money abroad if your child needs?
The easiest way to transfer funds to your kids is by directly depositing into the bank account connected with his/her ATM card. Alternatively, you can either send international money orders available and cashed at post offices or purchase cashier’s check from the bank in the currency of the host country. Keep in mind that this usually has a service charge levied. One of the most popular methods to send money overseas from India is through services like Western Union and MoneyGram. In case of a bank in the host city, you can make a wire transfer although this may take up to 48 to 72 hours.
Students are attracted with highly Advanced Academic Qualifications and Great Carrier Opportunities
Excellent Living Conditions Practical Oriented Courses and Highly Academic Universities.
Great carrier Prospects and Permanent Residency Opportunities Attract Many International Students.
Students are attracted with highly Advanced Academic Qualifications and Great Carrier Opportunities
Students are attracted with highly Advanced Academic Qualifications and Great Carrier Opportunities
Students are attracted with highly Advanced Academic Qualifications and Great Carrier Opportunities
It was overall good experience I had in International Academy. I feel privileged to get guidance from here.
Ajmal Abdul Jabbar
My overall experience here in INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY was excellent. I got Australian student visa for studying. My dream come true moment was made possible with International Academy and I would like to thank them for that.
Nivea Susan Mathew
I am satisfied with the service provided by international academy Kochi. I managed to get Australian student Visa so fast.
Rachel Baby
International academy is one of the best study abroad agencies so far.. The service provided by them is too good.. The staff over there are very helpful and dedicated.. Thank you international academy.
Teena John
I'm very happy to say that I got my student visa through international Academy.The stuff guide me through each and every step for the process it's a dream come true moment for me.
Arifa Najma
Was a great experience with International Academy. Thanks to them for all the assistance to get my Australian Study Visa. Highly recommended.
Amala Sebastian
Thank you international academy for the exemplary service for achieving student visa for September 2018 intake. Thank you all counsellors.
Jeena K Elsa
Thank you international academy for getting my student visa to Australia as early as possible. All the staffs out here helped me a lot in every stage of the processing of my application. I would recommend students to International Academy for those who seek study abroad guidance.
Rejish Raphael
I feel so happy and proud to have a real time experience with this esteemed organisation. Best staffs I have ever seen. Everyone helped me from the start to till I got the visa. They were really helpful.
Shamees P Kareem