graduate study in US, why and how

This time, I will describe about graduate study in US. Different from my older posts which talk only about myself, this post is meant for others, so that everyone can have a sketch of having graduate study in US. (I just realize that blog articles are not only about yourself, but also meant for others to get information :p). So what do we have here? First, I will describe a few reasons why to have your graduate study in US, next is the steps you will need to do to enroll in US university.. Happy reading and hope this article is useful..


Before you think about having your graduate study in US, you might first ask yourself "do i want to do my graduate study? or am i satisfied with my bachelor degree and are ready to hit the road?" If you opt to have your graduate study, then the next question is "why US? there are hundreds other countries in the globe?" Here, I will describe why (according to my point of view of course ^^) :

- Good education acknowledged throughout the globe
I am not saying that US is the only country with good education, I do believe that other country like Indonesia also have a good education (we won many science olympics right?). But my focus here is about acknowledgement. By having a degree in US, you will be recognized throughout the globe (which means that you can opt to work in any country), simply said, it opens many chances for you.

- Better chance to gain good working experience
Well, happy or not, it is a fact that US is the home of many big companies (Apple, Adobe, Intel, Microsoft, etc2), and by studying in US, you get a better chance to see the big company from the inside (and to get the big paycheck of course ^^).

- "Cheaper" things
Sounded contrary to fact?? Here's what I mean. It is true that US item price (in dollar) when converted into Rp will seem expensive, but your income (after or WHILE you do your study) will also come in dollar. Let's have some example. A starter Dell Inspiron 1420 Notebook in Indonesia will cost 889$ (about 8 million in Rp), while in US, you can get it for the SAME price. Get my point now? Many electronics come from US (Notebooks, Ipods, Cars, TVs, and many other), and when they arrive in Indonesia, do their prices lower?? NO! In Indonesia we are forced to buy US goods with Rps. This is not absolutely true for every items though, items like food, housing and service are more expensive in US. But overall, it is said that living expense in US is 3 times in that of Indonesia, while US workers get paid about 8-9 times more than Indonesian workers. This makes the things relatively cheaper.

- Better chance to meet different kinds of people
Some said that US is a melting pot - a country consists of many kinds of people. By having your education there, chances are you get to meet many new people which you may never see outside the television ^^.

Well that's the major reasons to have your education in US, there's still other minor reasons like going to disneyland, trying all kinds of food, watching live american idol. But it will be too long to list them all. Next, I will list a few things to prepare your education in US :

- Good english
Well obvious isn't it? How can you have your education if you can't understand what they're saying ^^. English proficiency is usually measured by TOEFL test. a 550 in paper based TOEFL is usually enough, though some graduate school asks for 600.

- GRE/GMAT test
these are the tests required if you plan to have your graduate study in US. GMAT is required for business schools, while GRE is for science and engineering study. I don't know much about GMAT, but in GRE, the topics are english verbal(again), analytical writing (duhh), and quantitative mathematics. Go to ETS website for more info on GMAT and GRE.

- State choice
US has 50 states, each with its own characteristics. Do you prefer big crowded cities with high income and high living cost? or maybe a quiet suburb with less traffic and low living cost? can you withstand snow? Find a place that suits you.

- University choice
After you choose the state you live in, you have to choose the university for your graduate study. want a private university (more expensive)? or maybe just a state university (cheaper). Here's a link which may help you make your university choice

- Last but not least.. expense planning
Education and living in US costs(of course) more than in Indonesia. You have to plan your budget carefully so as not to hinder your graduate study. Many financial aid is available, but they usually put you under certain conditions though

I think that is the major things you'll need to prepare to have your graduate study in US, although you cannot overlook small things such as Passport, visa, buying winter clothes, etc2.

Well I guess that's it for now, I hope that you find this article useful, and if you have further questions regarding this topic, I would be glad to help you find the answer ^^.