I have never let my schooling interfere with my education – Mark Twain

“Goodbye, Old School. Hello, Bold School!” says Maya Frost as she starts out with her journey into the easy and affordable ways to get a “real education” – all based on personal experience. The book is effectively a deep, yet uncomplicated insight on how one can take education – and life into one’s own hands.

As a mother of four teenage daughters Frost delivers firsthand knowledge on what she and her four teenage daughters went through when applying for their own schooling.

Photo by: Rishabh Kumar

Frost makes the admission process regime seem fuss free and focuses purely on developing ’life-skills’ – highlighting the importance of international experience which helps to sharpen these skills. She She says the experience of living abroad, enjoying diversity, and meeting new cultures first-hand is what leads to success in the 21st century.Global Studentshuns the competitiveness of the merican standardized testing path and encourages letting go of fear and ego during decision making processes. This liberates us from the confines of the classroom education and puts greater emphasis on developing ones skills and interests.

I enjoyed that the book is so well is packed with interesting concepts, myth-busting facts, insider insights, following our instincts and success stories..The useful insider insights talk about students who have been bold enough to take chances and who have broken away from the educational norms and have benefitted from the global experience, as well as simple things such as adjusting to living abroad, and dealing with health insurance.

The book is fun, informative, and a must read for both students and parents. Some of the best parts in the book deal with how to get top credits for studyng abroad. The much hyped Advanced Placement Tests and the falling value of the SAT scores shows us how they cannot be used as tools to decipher a student’s overall performance and further growth. Frost also emphasizes a greater acceptance of the GED (General Education Degree – given to those who did not complete high school previously), is also mentioned in the book – signifying the book is relevant to students of all ages and walks of life.

I believe that not only will students benefit from reading this book, but it is also great for parents who may be apprehensive about sending their children abroad.

The thought process in the book shifts from what is actually available in terms of education, to how we can make use of the resources and the bust the common myths of simply academic studies, as Frost calls going ‘from Math to Mandarin’. It creates a whole new approach to education and what other avenues are out there in terms of careers and future prospects. There’s a lot of encouragement for everyone in this book.  

Ayesha Gurung is a part of the Marketing team at Salwan Media. She completed her BA in Political Science from Miranda House, Delhi University, and then went on to do an MBA in International Business at MDIS in Singapore.