Overseas Education - US, UK, Aus ...

[profmich]

Every year, scores of Malaysian scholars venture abroad to further their studies, either self-financed or sponsored.

The ever-popular destinations are UK, Aus and the US, albeit the high exchange rate. However, the essential question arises : which country offers the best education?

Pls comment.

[b_ronick]

i would say it depends...
depending on majors and depending on which education you prefer and what works for that certain individual...
but since i am in the US system..

US offers not only academic education but also encourages hands on experience as well as communication with others which is important...it really depends on the individual..
and since US education does not emphasize only on the final exams but also the other assignments and weekly quizzes..i would say it is a pain sometime but at the same time gives a fair chance to students who perform consistently..

but i will add that the system depends on the individual and what works best for their personality.. and of course all education has its own pros and cons...this is just what i think

[qedx]

i am biased towards a US education as well as I think it provides the best opportunities for a student to explore his options and expand his horizons before commiting to one field, if ever.

[Thirdshifter]

American system is preferred by many because it's kacang botak! theres no your life depends on this exam kind of pressure. :D

HOwever i was talking to a friend who kept insisting that Holland has a better system.. anyone care to tell me what kind of system do they have there?

[pandaboy]

American system is preferred by many because it's kacang botak! theres no your life depends on this exam kind of pressure. :D

I dont quite understand this part. Mind to enlighten me?

And I dont quite understand the topic of discussion. How do you define 'best education'? I think education in different countries has their pros and cons.....

[profmich]

I dont quite understand this part. Mind to enlighten me?

And I dont quite understand the topic of discussion. How do you define 'best education'? I think education in different countries has their pros and cons.....

The best education in terms of exposure, experience, culture, mindset and academic oppurtunities. Not forgetting, networking too. It is true that education in different countries have their pros and cons, the question here is: which country offers the best after considering all the factors?

Hope that clarifies the purpose of this thread.

[reign226]

I don't think there is a good edu system out there. If you read the last Sunday Star, there are some innovative edu methods for preteens, but nothing mentioned about after that. I just know that Malaysia is probably in the last few in terms of 'good' education.

[masdie]

i think what is more important is the experience that we gained during our education. knowledge-wise, there're books, professors and of course the internet. the difference is the studying environment we're exposed to. i see that most people who're studying in us or uk get to do summer practicals which is something very useful. erm....i think us should be better but i think uk is quite good also. very difficult to choose, i prefer not to vote.

[YunShyuan]

I believe Canada's and US's education system are very similar. Nevertheless, I would say, getting into a recognized university is sufficient to give you all the experience you need :)

Canada has not been too popular among Malaysian students. Perhaps it is too far. And too cold. And a little difficult to get in - because of its own policies, entrance exams and bla bla bla. I feel that Canada's educations system is on par with the US and UK. I am not sure about Australia, though.

Germany is also a good place to study too. But you have to learn their language.

Ireland is the best place for medicine - they have the best medical schools in Dublin, Ireland - but maybe it is a little expensive. Russia is cheap but it has been said that the people aren't too friendly towards Chinese.

I feel that an overseas education should provide a student with maximum exposure to the western culture. This means that it should allow you to mix around with the locals and learn their culture. If you go to an institution packed with your own kind...it is likely that you would end up mixing around with the same bunch of people. Not saying that you have to be like them, but it is important to improve your interpersonal skills, and it can be achieved with such interaction.

There is definitely a difference. I feel it because I have a pretty balanced social life - with the few Malaysian friends around, and my Caucasian friends. The things I do, and chat about are totally different between the two groups. So, wherever it is - a good varsity experience is what you should aim for. In my opinion, the standard or quality is almost equal among recognized universities everywhere in the world :D

[Dr_Tay]

My advice is get education knowledge from all three as they have their strengths and weaknesses.

[chenchow]

I personally believe that to generalize each country would be too stereotypic. Each university would have its particular strengths and weaknesses. Each would have its own characteristics and I would say that it would depend on what kind of characteristics that suit you.

There would be tons of opportunities for everyone to learn, irrespective of whereever you go. It is about how we make full use of the opportunities, from mingling, social life, research opportunities, international conference opportunities (a very good learning instrument, that doesn't care where you are studying, since a lot of those opportunities are open for everyone to participate), extra curricular activities, breadth and depth of learning etc.

And definitely, not to forget the essentialness of networking, analytical skills, communication skills, leadership abilities, language strengths etc.

[Tab]

yes, well said, chen chow!

I truly believe that irrespective of the country you're studying in, if you have the initiative and drive to improve yourself and gain new skills and qualities, you'll get the best out of your university education. This, I believe, is the essence of tertiary education.

You can study in a good university but if you don't do anything to improve your social, communicative, leadership skills, you won't broaden your perspective. In short, you stand to gain nothing from tertiary education. And that's quite a waste.

Canada has not been too popular among Malaysian students. Perhaps it is too far. And too cold. And a little difficult to get in - because of its own policies, entrance exams and bla bla bla. I feel that Canada's educations system is on par with the US and UK. I am not sure about Australia, though.

Well, I strongly believe that Australia has some fine and reputable universities as well. The Australian National University (ANU) and Melbourne University are two good examples, in my opinion. I don't know why there's a general notion that Aussie education is inferior compared to that of the US and UK. I say this because my Singaporean friends over here always give me that impression... maybe they're comparing it with NUS? I don't know....

Ireland is the best place for medicine - they have the best medical schools in Dublin, Ireland - but maybe it is a little expensive. Russia is cheap but it has been said that the people aren't too friendly towards Chinese.

No, I believe that there's no 'best place for medicine' A dean of a medical school who once came to my A-level college to give a talk on choosing medical schools said that the best place to study medicine is actually the place where're you intend to practice

Lots of people whom I know have this preconceived idea that Ireland is the best place for medicine.. citing fine schools like the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland etc. No doubt these are good schools.

But, lots of stuff, especially clinical skils, that are learnt in European medical schools cannot be applied in an Asian, and more specifically, Malaysian setting. Likewise, a lot of stuff that is taught in North American medical schools cannot be applied in Europe.

[nick]

i am overwhelmingly biased toward the us system of education, mainly from my own personal experience. i find that in most good american schools, you can push yourself and explore as much as you want to, and while that requires being much more pro-active about one's education, the opportunities to develop are tremendous. if u want to experience research as an undergrad, im pretty sure there's no better place than a good research university in america. as an undergrad(i'm sure many people have the same experiences) i worked on some really cool stuff relating to high performance computation that really sparked my interest in research. that experience led to my current stint in grad school, and this from a guy that always used to detest the idea of school.
but i also agree that education is what u make of it no matter where u are.