I often come across queries from graduating students about going abroad for higher studies. Even though information is readily available on the internet about universities abroad and their graduate programs, yet first-hand personal advice is incomparable when it comes to clearing up the unknown for wings set to fly to a foreign country. I try my best to provide advice tailored to specific students and their situations. Interactions with these students makes me reflect on my own case when I was focusing on going abroad after the completion of my undergraduate studies in electrical engineering at BUET. In the early nineties, the internet was still in its nascent state in terms of widespread usage, and all forms of communication took place through postal mail services. Like the students today, I also went to teachers and senior students who went abroad, to seek their advice about almost everything related to studying and living in a foreign land. After passing different stages of graduate programs in the USA and working in both academia and top-notch industries, I ask myself in retrospect why I went abroad for higher studies and why going to the USA for MS and a PhD. program was the only dream that I dreamt of day and night at that time. After passing through all these stages and finally returning home, I believe it’s about time to address and analyze all these whys. Interestingly enough, these soul-searching questions are bringing many issues and factors to my mind that I did not notice before, and these are presenting a different yet holistic perspective of going abroad for higher studies. I will try my best to organize my thoughts regarding these issues and factors based on my experience and share it with the young readers who are getting ready to spread their wings to fly to the USA, Canada or any such place. I will highlight these in a series of topics in the following paragraphs. Please note that I will not focus on mechanisms of getting admission (i.e., taking GRE, IELTS etc.) since interested individuals are often already familiar with these.
1. Intention
It’s best to sit and think twice or more before making any major move, especially in regards to leaving home for a foreign land. I myself, like many others, thought that it was the only thing to do after completing undergraduate studies. Proper career planning did not crystalize at that stage other than thinking vaguely of pursing an academic career after finishing higher studies. Even though it turned out that way, I believe I would have benefitted much more, had someone advised me in details about what going abroad for higher studies really meant, what the challenges would be and what to do after that was done. My advice is to utilize higher studies done abroad to equip oneself with proper skillsets in order pursue a successful career, be it in academia or industry, to contribute to the wellbeing of others in the society and play a positive role in nation building. While some can argue that the same can be done by getting higher degrees at home, the quality of higher education is undoubtedly superior in esteemed universities abroad. The goal of higher studies should be more than securing a comfortable lifestyle since higher degrees empower one to bring in a positive change in the society and humanity at large. For example, one can look at the motto of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering), a globally acclaimed professional body that states “Advancing Technology for Humanity”. People remember us for our contributions, not for our consumptions. Sadly, the consumeristic society shows us dream jobs, owning beautiful homes and cars and living a happy and secured lives in the ads on billboards and in media, and we use our higher studies as a ladder to reach these preset goals. Such a self-centric and narrow vision can land us in a rat race where the skills earned through higher education are mainly used to enrich home makers, the auto industries and consumer product industries. We need to be aware of our goals in life before setting steps in the direction of foreign lands for higher studies. As our Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) told us that “Verily everything is by intention.” We need to be quite clear about our intentions so that a meaningful and worthwhile life can be led through completing higher studies abroad.
2. Outcome of higher education
To be frank, the outcome of higher education is more than earning a piece of paper called a certificate or diploma; it’s more than robotic learning — it’s the ability to think clearly, identifying a problem and understanding the root cause of it and providing a holistic solution to it. The process of learning develops these traits gradually in an individual through assignments, pursuing research, solving problems and presenting research outcomes. It teaches one to think logically based on the correct set of principles. It teaches us to endure patiently until desired results are obtained. It teaches us ethical practices, how to cope with failures and to disagree respectfully when differences of opinion arise.
3. Proper mindset
Don’t always be “grade oriented” even though grades are important to secure scholarships, clarity and proper understanding of course materials is highly correlated with good grades. It’s best to keep focus on understanding the basics and to develop analytical prowess to apply the basics to understand and analyze complex problems. In academia, proper understanding of the basics along with analytical ability facilitate quality teaching and research. In industry, such qualities foster problem-solving capability and coming up with new ideas. With time, correct and clear understanding remains while certificates become things of the past. One piece of advice that may be in order for those who are in their undergraduate years is that you need to get your basics correct from this very moment, in order to fit comfortably with graduate studies abroad. A strong foundation of undergraduate education will build a towering structure of higher studies that will have success written all over it.
4. Learning environment
Good universities in the USA and also in other western worlds present a very favorable learning environment that promotes individual growth and provides unique learning experience. Inspiring pedagogy from renowned professors helps to look at an issue from different perspectives, form ideas and come up with solutions that did not seem to exist. Professors, specially in research area, tend to nurture their students so that their students become successful in their career and even cross them in name and fame. Interaction with fellow graduate students helps to broaden up the horizon of individual capability as it provides opportunities to work with them in team projects and to observe how others think and approach a problem and come up with better alternative solutions. More importantly, such a learning environment also helps to instill a profound ethical standard through a wide range of activities from taking classes to conducting research and presenting results to interacting with fellow students. It’s unfortunate that we are hardly exposed to proper ethical standards in educational institutes in our country and only when we pursue higher studies abroad that we become familiar with high ethical standards and become a part of it. One needs to note that academic excellence and sharp research mind may have little meaning if not accompanied by a strong ethical standard. No matter what the outer brilliance is, the inner qualities are the ones that win in the long run. This is very much in line with the Prophetic text that states that Allah does not look at your outside but what is in your heart. Since we are creations of Allah (SWT), we also share the same view of our Creator.
5. Personal growth
Beyond academic growth, life in a foreign land does offer many opportunities for personal growth. Many of us are deeply focused on our studies and glued to books in undergraduate years remaining oblivious to how the food comes to the table, how clean clothes are readily available every day and how bills are paid, etc. In foreign lands, “bua”, “darwan” and “drivers” are rare species and it’s you who needs to pull yourself. Life in foreign lands starts with sharing apartments with strangers, then taking turns at cooking and doing groceries and cleaning up kitchens and bathrooms. Shared accommodation with shared activities indeed teach many valuable interpersonal skills that come handy later in life. Since you need to do all your own things at your own cost, it also teaches you to be disciplined, punctual and economical.
6. Connecting with MSAs and Masjids
One of the most valuable aspects of living as a Muslim in a western or non-muslim land is to undertake and appreciate the efforts in maintaining your Islamic identity. All the major universities in the USA have Muslim Student Association (MSA) or clubs that help Muslim students in maintaining the desired Islamic way of life. You can contact the local MSA at your university about renting apartments, roommates and university registration process beforehand. After getting there, it’s best to keep in touch with MSA members and befriend them and get their help in setting you up properly. It’s also quite important to live close to a Masjid and attend the daily prayers there whenever possible. This will help you spiritually to keep your inner peace in a completely new environment and moreover, to be a part of the Muslim community. community. The masjid and MSA hold many events on a weekly basis and it does help to learn a lot and rediscover Islam in your life. You will get to know many famous Islamic scholars and learn from them directly. Many in the community will become your life-long friends and own families, and the pain of being away from your own family will subside to a great extent.
7. Healthy life style
One of the perks of living a life abroad is that it will introduce you to healthy eating and healthy life style. All the food items have their nutrition labels clearly on their packages so that you get to know what you are eating and you can be selective in this regard. Varieties of fresh fruits, salad items and natural products without the stain of chemicals can be a great changeover from typical food habits in our country. You may even enjoy cooking as you try out new dishes and share them with your roommates and friends. You will definitely love grilling and barbeque and may have your own “Star Kabab”! If you learn time management skills, you can enjoy going to gyms for aerobic and weight training to grow some muscles and six packs in addition to growing your academic muscles. You can take biking to go to your classes and other places nearby. If your university is in a rural setting then you can easily resort to regular outdoor activities including hiking in trails in the wilderness, camping, whitewater rafting, among many others. Spending time with nature gradually brings in an inner peace, and shows that life around us is really beautiful. It’s only that we need to take time to see it, appreciate it and ponder over it. This will definitely bring you close to beautiful creations of Allah (subhanahu wa ta aala) and eventually to Him through your remembrance of Him and contemplating on His creation.
8. Getting to know others
One of the major life-long impacts that one can experience in a foreign land, especially in the USA, is to come across people from all over the globe especially getting to know them closely. Living in our country provides a monolithic experience as we hardly interact with people from outside of our country. It will be an amazing experience to observe first-hand that irrelevant of where people come from, they are similar everywhere having the same aspirations and sharing similar virtues and expectations from life. Through print and electronic media, we may have a non-favorable view of people from the west but once we start to live there for a while and interact with them, we come to see them similar to ourselves except for the color of the skin and the land they were born in. Having a first-hand pre and post 9-11 experience in the USA, I have come to believe that the views of the general people are predominantly shaped and grossly misguided by the western media and their unfortunate fear-mongering strategy against Muslims. On the other side, one will see that people with education do have a more balanced view and are friendly towards people from other places. One will mostly experience Chinese and Indian culture since these are the major foreign populations in the west. There will be opportunities to meet and befriend people from the East, Middle East, Mediterranean area, Africa and Europe, among many other places. It will be a wonderful experience to see that despite the diverse physical makeup, cultures and lifestyles, people are bonded together through the common thread of humanity. One will experience in his/her own life the ayat from Sura Hujurat (verse 13) where Allah (subhanahu wa ta aala) says, “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” Truly we are diverse so as not to despise others and feel superior over others, rather it is to know one another, to appreciate this diversity and unite for a common humanitarian cause. Without getting dissolved in the “melting pot”, one can keep self-identity and still maintain harmony and peace by achieving unity through diversity.
9. Be a positive person and contribute
There may be an inner conviction that since we are going to the western countries for higher education, these countries and their systems, their people are inherently superior to us. This notion is corroborated since many go there for higher studies and eventually settle there for a comfortable life style. We may feel that we are to receive only and don’t have anything to offer. But living there for sometime will reveal that western societies are slowly degenerating into lonely self-centered individuals focusing on and guarding “personal space” or “comfort zones”. Excessive stress on freedom of expression is eroding commonly held views of morality and redefining it from personal perspectives. Secular education is having its toll on individual thinking and is disconnecting people from their Creator. Overindulgence in entertainment is wasting precious time and money for everyone. We can teach them the opposite and liberate them from emptiness by introducing them to our Islamic identity and rich Islamic heritage. Our strong sense of justice, modest dress code, warm hospitality towards others and going the extra mile for others are like shining lighthouses in the dark, and definitely help to present our lifestyle on a higher moral and humanitarian plane. Adorned with such qualities we should feel confident and invite people of those lands to a more fulfilling and content lifestyle.
10. First few days
Well, after reflecting on the bigger picture of having higher studies abroad, it’s probably the right moment to touch upon the first few days where a lot will be happening in terms of settling down and getting used to new environment. The first and foremost is to secure an apartment before the classes begin and the going gets tough. If you are unmarried, most likely you will end up with roommates sharing an apartment. In this case, it’s best to get to know your roommates well and set the house rules so that no confusion and misunderstanding arises later on. If you are married it is helpful to bring your family with you especially if you’re going for a PhD. program. It’s simply priceless to share together as one the life in a new place with its joy and pain. Get to know the area around and the bus routes if you are living off campus. University towns (small towns that host a major university) are usually better than universities in urban areas in terms of transportation, hassle-free life and security. You may opt for a driving license later down the line and get a car of your own. In colder places, you need to be careful in winter to avoid slipping on black ice (ice formed under snow and dirt not visible to naked eyes), since these often result in fractured bones. A local grocery store or supermarket will suffice for most of your initial needs. For buying food products, labels can be confusing in the beginning and it’s safe to buy Kosher products with either K or U labels. These will ensure that there is no pork or its derivative in that particular food item. In terms of safety and avoiding nuisance, it’s better to keep at home during Friday evenings since the students and different fraternity clubs tend to get rowdy with plenty of alcohol consumption. Come Saturday morning everything is calm and quiet and on Sunday, students are back to work with heavy loads of assignments and tests on their head. In terms of getting used to the English accent (particularly in the USA/UK), it may be awhile before getting the right accent out, but more importantly, try to understand “what’s hot and what’s not” in terms of the particular culture, so as to avoid embarrassment in front of others. In terms of studies, try to be proactive and go beyond the ordinary in terms of getting assignments and term papers done. This will definitely catch the eyes of many, especially professors with research grants. Finally, it’s the same golden rule, one that is a recipe for success: always keep a profound relationship with your parents and seek their dua. Their dua will land you where you could never get with your limited ability. I sincerely hope that these topics will be helpful to those planning to complete their higher studies abroad and will be sufficient as food for thought. It’s one of the major life-changing events where it gets tough in the beginning but gradually eases down with time. Insha Allah keeping all these in mind and pondering over them will help all of us experience a memorable time abroad while pursuing higher studies and will empower us to utilize our hard earned degree in the most meaningful manner.
