Sunday, January 15, 2017

Educational Values in Nepal



I think it's a great idea for students in some fields to come here to Nepal to get a degree. I would not recommend it for the hard sciences, but for social studies and such it's pretty amazing in a couple of ways.

The school system is horrible here for the Nepali, but it seems like a piece of cake for an English speaking person. I wrote about it, the good and the bad, in my eBook, Nepal: A Tourist's Manual, but here are a few things to consider.


1. All text books are written in English, even though the teachers do not always speak fluently in English.

2. All exams are in English and are essay questions. You will be expected to write at least a page for each answer, but since many test reviewers do not speak English very well, it's incredibly easy to fake it and still match your peers. Sometimes they even have questions from the footnotes and there are few, if any, quizzes or exams during the year. You will only have one exam for each class and possibly a term paper or project. Nobody scores in the 90's and few score in the 80's. It's literally mostly percentile rather than grade.

3. The prices are a real bargain from around $300 a year with student visa around $1,500. A private room and food can be provided for student for under $200 per month.

Check with your country's requirements for international colleges to see if Nepal's government university will work in your country as a qualified degree. If your degree requires a license you may need to take too many classes back home to pass the licensing exam, so be careful. This isn't for everyone, but for many of the soft sciences I think it's a real bargain.

One other issue with Nepal's schools is that because the tests are all standardized it doesn't really matter what the teacher says in the lectures. It's all taken from the text, but there seems to still be an attendance requirement. As one of my office staff told me from her recent Masters' level final exams, there were even questions that were not required reading. There is also issues such as textbooks that are difficult or impossible to obtain. Even after your finals are finished you won't get your grades for several months. It seems to be an unfair system. 

Many NGO's and companies take internships, so if you have completed your studies and just need an internship, Nepal has many opportunities to do some good and learn to put into practice what you've learned. There will be a $7 or so charge for bed and food charge per day throughout Nepal, but it is quite easy to get an internship placement in Nepal. Our NGO takes interns and volunteers, as well. If you haven't read Anastasia's blog post here it is. She volunteered and worked in our village: http://bit.ly/2cxTCyg


One other educational opportunity that I didn't mention is in the metaphysical realm. Yoga and meditation teaching certifications and the like are often a bargain, but sometimes I can't believe the prices they charge.

If you are from the US or another country without health care you could fly here, get your teeth fixed, get some medical tests done and still save money. So, if you could get a yoga teachers certificate while you are here I think it would be a real bonus.

My eBook is available now at https://payhip.com/b/sQu5 If you are planning a trip to Nepal you'll enjoy it. It will save you time as well as money, but more importantly, it will help you to have a better time in Nepal. Many people wonder if they can eat the street food like in Thailand or Vietnam. 

Here's my spoiler alert: Do not eat the street food in Nepal, nor should you eat at any buffet. The eBook addresses such things as this and what to do if you become ill, etc. Whether or not you get my book, please read this short, free eBook. It will help you get your time here off to a great start. http://bit.ly/2aGxcuHIf there is a problem with the download or code please let me know at FrugalTravelsNepal@gmail.com 

Promotion code for discount: GR5X4BCHX2 

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