In US varsities, you can switch to any subject, any time: US Consul General Phillip Min

Bengaluru: US Consul General Phillip Min, who visited Bengaluru on Tuesday for an interactive session on Educational Opportunities in the United States, held a rapt audience at the EducationUSA Center, Yashna Trust in Cox Town.

Mr Min, who said that this is his favourite event, drew from his personal experiences as a student in an American University, talking about how he switched majors several times and went from the top of the class at a smaller university to somewhere near the bottom at a bigger institute. For most students in the US, he said, deciding what to study is the biggest challenge. "I changed my major many times. I started off pre-med and lasted two weeks," he said with a laugh. "Then, I decided I would be a Psychology Major, then History – I went through the whole gammut. I actually declared Political Science as my major and had to fulfil a requirement, so I chose Introduction to Art History. I fell in love with the subject matter and switched my major in my third year – my parents were not too happy about that!"

Picking a university is a personal choice, he explained. "You can go to a state school or a private school. You can go to a community college and transfer to somewhere larger. You can even go to vocational school – there are plenty of options. You're not limited to a particular type of school or campus. The system is also very flexible, which is very different from the one in India."

Funding is a huge concern for students in India and education is very expensive, Min admitted. "Even so, there are plenty of funding opportunities available, sometimes, these are offered by the universities themselves."

The US Consulate is collaborating with EducationUSA, a partnership that he hopes to strengthen. "They will take you through funding options and the student visa process, which is our cornerstone at the consulate," said Min. "Our team here has a 99% success rate."