Prashanthan is a second year undergraduate student at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago IL pursuing a undergraduate degree (B.S.) in Electrical & Computer Engineering.
Are we deserting Sri Lanka by studying abroad? Here's something to think about…
Dr. Kalam, India's former President and a missile scientist, was guest of honor at the University of Kentucky and was asked a similar question by an Indian working in the United States. To this, Dr. Kalam replied that we (Indians, Sri Lankans, etc..) should first think of serving the country where knowledge and education was gained, and then it is possible to always come back home (India, Sri Lanka, etc.) to contribute to the development of your motherland. So why not try to make use of the resources available in the United States to gain knowledge. Once you have done this you may always comeback to Sri Lanka to help develop the country, and now you will have knowledge as your weapon, and the financial resources as your armor. A successful and influential Sri Lankan living in the United States is as valuable an asset to Sri Lanka as one in territorial boundaries of Sri Lanka.
How to choose the right university
Many of us are under the impression that being in one of the top-10 universities in the world will bring us success. This is not entirely true. As an undergraduate student the curriculum that you follow in one university will be similar in all other universities that offer the same degree. There are at least 4000 universities in the USA. If you are granted admission into one of the universities that rank in the top-150 this will ensure that you receive a good undergraduate education. When choosing from universities within the top-150 make sure to look at other aspects aside from ranking.
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One of the most important aspects is the location of the university. If your university is in a secluded state without much development or industry, this limits your engineering or physics degree through lack of exposure to the industry. For example Purdue University is one of the top-10 universities in the U.S.A for Engineering. However this university is in a very secluded area of Indiana called West Lafayette. This obviously does not mean that students have no industrial exposure at all. Ultimately it all boils down to the efforts of the student. Purdue University is big in terms of size, research and funding. It is definitely an excellent choice for graduate research. However if your applying for an undergraduate degree, you may want to consider a university in a big city so that you obtain more exposure.
Another common mistake that students make is to consider only famous universities that they are familiar with such as Harvard, Yale Princeton, etc.. So if you were applying for a degree in Engineering, which university should you apply to?
If you have an idea of pursuing graduate studies or if you are interested in a particular field, then choose universities that conduct research in that field and most importantly make sure that the university is making progress in that field. In order to this refer to other sources apart from the university website.
Working towards your higher education
If you have the slightest desire of studying abroad, then make sure to take the London Advanced Level. The London Advanced Level is accepted in the U.K, U.S.A, Canada and many other countries.
The London A/L Further Math standard is quite high. By taking Further Math you obtain credit for university level math courses as well as physics courses. I should also make it a point to indicate that the London and Sri Lanka Advanced Level physics, Chemistry and Biology is of very low standard compared to the United States. Hence taking Physics, Chemistry and Biology without Math and Further Math will not transfer into university level credits in most cases.
If you want a higher degree in Engineering, Physics, or even Medicine, try to take Math, Further Math, Physics, and Chemistry as your London Advanced Level subjects. If you are able to complete the above mentioned London A-Level subjects and secure good grades, you will receive credit for at least 6 subjects (Calculus, Physics, and probably Mechanics depending on the university) in most U.S. universities.
This gives you a chance to finish your four year degree in three years or make use of the time to take additional courses which could enable you to obtain a minor in another field of study.
In addition, when taking London A/L Math make sure to take all Pure Math units and Mechanics units. If you have the time try to take at least one Statistics unit it will come in quite useful, especially for Electrical Engineering and Computer Science majors. Many of us think of statistics to be of lower standard, but this is not true, higher level statistics is very complicated. Today's atomic structure is based on Quantum physics, a field of physics that emerged in the 1930's and has developed since, and requires a significant amount of statistics as well as classical mechanics.
Pursue your passion
If you are passionate about a particular filed (Astronomy, Computer Architecture, Medicine, etc…) it's a good thing to plan ahead and work towards your passion. Apart from exam studies and text books, www.wikipedia.org and www.howstuffworks.com are few good websites to visit during your free time to expand your knowledge in the areas of your interest. If you are interested in Engineering or Physics, reading any sort of scientific magazine (Scientific American, Discover Magazine) or physics books (Cosmos, Nelkon and Parker Physics, Quantum World) will never go a waste. Remember that grades and certificates are only useful in giving someone an idea of how much you have learned. Grades or certificates cannot determine if you really know what is required or if you actually are passionate in what you do. Nevertheless, good grades are the means of judging you and it is necessary to work towards a good academic standing. However don't get obsessed by grades and dedicate your studies only towards exams. It is important to learn how to apply your knowledge in the industry or for research.
Lots more information
Check out the website www.sl2college.com.
The sole purpose of this website is to help Sri Lankan students who wish to go overseas for higher education. The website includes information on applying to other countries than the United States, such as the U.K, Singapore, and Australia. The website offers guidance and information ranging from applications and scholarships to career advice. In addition, this website has a forum that allows you to join and post questions that can be answered by other members.
All the very best in your academic ventures.
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