I had heard and read about studying in abroad, but experiencing it is way better then both. There is no substitute for living and studying in a foreign country. It was a unique experience for me studying in USA. There were a lot of “culture shocks” to begin with as the American and Indian cultures are different in many ways (even the education culture like in India we address our teachers as “Sir/Madam” whereas there you address them by their name). Though I did not have any language barrier to overcome, It took me some getting used to their accent, usage of few words that we don’t and their pronunciation.
The education and teaching system is different than what I was used to. Classes are usually smaller. There may be as few as ten to twenty students in a class. In one of the courses that I took there were 16 students and that is the highest I have seen while studying in the university. This gives the advantage of personal attention to students. Each department has an advisor with whom you can discuss and then decide the courses and the number of courses that you would like to take each semester. This was a new experience to me. I also had a mentor who guided me, which was an invaluable resource.
There is no University prescribed syllabus that is followed. Each professor decides his/her own study material and this might change each semester!!! There is no way to know the question pattern (as it was in my undergrad) and so just reading and remembering is not enough, one has to observe, understand and analyze a problem before solving it. And when it came to exams, I was used only to in-class exams and was very surprised when I was given a take home final exam where my professor said I could answer questions at home and submit them within the given date. That was new!!!
It is very common for students to work while studying in US, which is not so common in India. I worked as a teaching assistant in the university. Because of my student visa there were few restrictions on what and where to accept a job, but I was able to take up the assistantship in the university. This helped me financially and also gave me some experience.
While studying in US, I was not only exposed to American culture but also to many other cultures. There was a club for international students in the university, where they would have meeting at least twice a week and students from different country spoke about their culture and language. This interaction with other students enhanced my communication and language skills.
As a whole this education voyage was an excellent experience which not only provided academic enrichment but also enhanced my personal growth. It gave me exposure to new culture(s).
