Does an overseas degree make you more employable? The ongoing attempt to find the answer to this million-dollar question has resulted in much uproar. Even with the backing of proper statistics, individuals from either side continue to be protective of their positions. &ldquo;How dare you say a foreign graduate is better than me?&rdquo; yells the local graduate. &ldquo;How could you think a local graduate is more employable than me?&rdquo; shoots back the graduate with an overseas degree. Who, then, is right? Today, we attempt to tackle the volatile topic and settle the matter, once and for all.<h2>A wholesome experience</h2><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 100%;" src="https://img.afterschool.my/storage/uploads/images/getadvice/76972/5aec0a8c5ff15.jpg" />Studying in Australia can provide a wholesome experience for students as they get to explore a different educational environment, gain a world-class education, be exposed to a wide range of opportunities and different styles of teaching, and interact with people from different backgrounds. Students who go abroad are exposed to a &ndash; and this is key &ndash; different type of education. Again, not better, merely different. Students who go to Australia for their degree experience a different culture, different issues and have to adapt differently. But, does this difference translate to better opportunities or better pay when they return home?<h2>The perception of obtaining an international degree</h2><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 100%;" src="https://img.afterschool.my/storage/uploads/images/getadvice/76972/5aec0a8eb91b6.jpg" />According to QS Global Employer Survey 2011 carried out by university rankings extraordinaire Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), six out of 10 employers worldwide would give students with an overseas degree a slight edge. Most notably, German, Spanish and Swiss employers have a proclivity to pick graduates with an international experience."I think this definitely gives me an edge and interesting stories and experiences to share &ndash; giving me the upper hand in a pool of graduates I would otherwise be on par with", says Emilie Ronald from the US, who obtained her bachelor's degree in Paris and master's in London. Steve Geinitz, a fellow American who pursued his PhD in Switzerland says, "Getting away from what you have always known and interacting with people from other parts of the world forces you to look at the world from someone else's point of view. Not only does this help me communicate more effectively, it helps me to empathise more readily."&nbsp; <h2>Language competency</h2><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 100%;" src="https://img.afterschool.my/storage/uploads/images/getadvice/76972/5aec0a910a828.jpg" />A common perception is that students studying abroad possess better English than students who study locally. Why, you ask. Well, simply because students are forced to converse in English when overseas, in line with the old adage &lsquo;practice make perfect&rsquo;. This, however, is rather short-sighted, seeing as the onus is firmly on the student to make an effort to converse and eventually improve his English. A student overseas could just as easily choose to hang out with fellow Malaysians and scarcely converse in English.&nbsp;&nbsp; <h2>Better work performance?</h2><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 100%;" src="https://img.afterschool.my/storage/uploads/images/getadvice/76972/5aec0a933a326.jpg" />&nbsp;Having said all that, a study conducted by Jobstreet states that overseas graduates earn approximately 12% more than local graduates in the private sector. According to the Malaysian Employers Federation&rsquo;s executive director Shamsuddin Bardan, overseas graduates perform better at work as they generally demonstrate better communication skills, open-mindedness, adaptability and confidence.But what if you studied at the most esteemed university, received the best education and did an internship at the richest oil company, yet your skills are similar to those who didn't accomplish all of these? In other words, we would like to stress that not all graduates from Harvard become a Zuckerberg. While the university has earned its streak of awards and rankings and produced highly successful graduates, what matters most in attaining success is your initiative to learn.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>No difference in hiring rate</h2><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 100%;" src="https://img.afterschool.my/storage/uploads/images/getadvice/76972/5aec0a953371d.jpg" />On the flip side, a study conducted by The Straits Times concluded that it makes no difference to employers whether a student has an overseas or local degree. In the study, three out of four companies in a pool of 214 showed no bias, rating both types of graduates as having similar levels of intelligence. A study done by Hoo et al came to the same conclusion, finding that employers generally hire both groups of graduates at the same rate. So then, with such contrasting conclusions drawn, what is the answer?&nbsp;&nbsp;The answer is remarkably simple, if one knows where to look. The crux of the matter lies not in where the graduate comes from but, rather, the graduate himself. The qualities cited in the studies that give overseas graduates an edge aren&rsquo;t exclusive to them and can just as easily be learnt by a local graduate. Mastery of the English language, adaptability and confidence can all be picked up if one is proactive and strives to improve, whether he is studying locally or abroad. As time passes, the importance of your qualification will slowly but surely diminish and your work experience takes precedence. The answer, then, is that it all boils down to the student.

Today, we attempt to tackle the volatile topic and settle the matter, once and for all.

Overseas Degrees vs Local Degrees: Which is Better?

Overseas Degrees vs. Local Degrees: Which One Is Better?

Australia. The largest island in the world, and the only country that&rsquo;s also a continent. Many Malaysian students are attracted to the Land Down Under, and for good reason. There are more than 10,000 beaches for you to explore and it is known for its rich nature and the animals that live within it. Why wouldn&rsquo;t you want to study in Australia? Its popularity is evident in the various Australian twinning and transfer programmes provided by local private universities.&nbsp;But what are Australian twinning programmes anyway? What&rsquo;s a 2+1 programme? How is it different to, say, the 1+2 programme? Don&rsquo;t worry! In this article, Afterschool.my will brief you on the types of twinning programmes offered in Malaysia in detail.<h2>What&rsquo;s an Australian twinning/transfer programme?</h2><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 100%;" src="https://img.afterschool.my/storage/uploads/images/getadvice/76977/5aec32a664b14.jpg" />An Australian twinning or transfer programme allow you to study in both Malaysia and Australia, by transferring your credits to the Australian university in your second or final year. You&rsquo;ll be able to study in one country at a time&mdash;first in Malaysia then in Australia&mdash;and you&rsquo;ll be conferred a degree from that Australian university by the end of it!Australian twinning/transfer programmes are offered by local private universities that have formed partnerships with Australian universities such as International Medical University (IMU), INTI International University, Sunway University, Taylor&rsquo;s University and HELP University. Australian universities that have established campuses here in Malaysia such as Monash University, Curtin University and Swinburne University of Technology also offer their own transfer programmes.<hr /><h2>What are the types of Australian twinning programmes in Malaysia?</h2>Twinning programmes offered by universities are typically denoted by digits e.g. &lsquo;1+2&rsquo;, &lsquo;2+1&rsquo; or &lsquo;3+0&rsquo;. The digits essentially refer to the number of years you spend studying in a country.For example, the &lsquo;2+1&rsquo; twinning programme means that you would spend two years studying in Malaysia and one year in Australia. Therefore, the &lsquo;3+0&rsquo; programme means that you complete all three years of your degree in Malaysia while still obtaining the qualifications of an Australian university.<hr /><h2>Which programme is right for you?</h2><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 100%;" src="https://img.afterschool.my/storage/uploads/images/getadvice/76977/5aec32a684529.jpg" />Before making a decision on which twinning programme is best for you, let&rsquo;s take a closer look at each of them:1+2 (1 year in Malaysia + 2 years in Australia)Select universities offer a 1+2 transfer programme where you can spend the first year studying in Malaysia and complete the rest of your degree in Australia. The credits that you accumulate in the first year of your degree and the modules covered can be transferred so that you can continue the rest your studies in Australia.This may cost a bit more than the 2+1 or 3+0 programme as you&rsquo;ll be spending a longer time in Australia, but it&rsquo;s a fast-track option if you&rsquo;re eager to get there! It is still definitely cheaper than doing your degree in its entirety in Australia. Though this programme requires you to study in Malaysia only for the first year, it provides a guiding hand before you set off for your independent life in Australia.2+1 (2 years in Malaysia + 1 year in Australia)The 2+1 programme is a popular choice among Malaysians as it gives students a chance to study at home for two years before completing the final year of their degree in Australia. If you&rsquo;re thinking of studying in Australia but you want to save up first before going abroad, then you can opt for this programme. The credits that you accumulate in the first two years of your degree can be transferred so that you can continue the rest of your studies in Australia. By saving up enough cash to take with you to Australia, you can get the full experience of living there and enjoying the beaches and theme parks (while you complete your degree) instead of having to be extremely frugal.3+0 (3 years in Malaysia + 0 years in Australia)If you&rsquo;re on a tight budget but you still want to obtain an Australian degree, you can go for the 3+0 programme. This is the least expensive option out of all the twinning programmes. The cost of the programme is between RM50,000 to RM70,000 (for the whole course!). In this programme, you&rsquo;ll be completing your whole degree in Malaysia, surrounded by all the things you&rsquo;re familiar with and be closer to home with your long-time friends and family. To top it all off, you&rsquo;ll earn yourself a degree straight from the Australian university.<hr /><h2>Why should you choose to do a twinning/transfer programme?</h2><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 100%;" src="https://img.afterschool.my/storage/uploads/images/getadvice/76977/5aec32a6ba721.jpg" />For those of you who may feel that you&rsquo;re not ready to move halfway across the world for their entire degree, then a twinning/transfer programme can be a good alternative. Twinning programmes appeal to many students because of their affordability. You can get the same type of education that you would in Australia right here in Malaysia, and at a considerably cheaper price too. The cost of studying in a top Australian university, inclusive of tuition fees and cost of living, can go up to RM100,000 per year. Compare that with the cost of twinning/transfer programmes here in Malaysia, which can go at must up to RM70,000 for the entire course. Whichever programme you choose to do, spending a bit of time in Malaysia before continuing the rest of your degree in Australia can make a big difference in the cost compared to completing all three years there.

Australia. The largest island in the world, and the only country that’s also a continent. Many Malaysian students are attracted to the Land Down Under, and for good reason.

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Overseas Degrees vs. Local Degrees: Which One Is Better?

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