The richness and history of India provide a wide variety of options for any student. The educational system of India is as vast and complex as the nation itself. Though living in India can be difficult, it is an inexpensive and satisfying experience for international students. International students in India get to experience the beauty of the Himalayas to the deserts of Rajasthan, a millennia-old civilization, the birthplace of four world religions, a stunning variety of races, languages, and customs, and spectacular natural beauty.
Higher education for International student in India is also rapidly developing. Today, there are numerous accredited Universities in India, and around fifty of them are internationally recognized. Higher education in the country has experienced a dramatic shift during this century. It’s gone from being sub-standard to completely regulated. As a result, some of India’s top schools are now on a par with some American schools in several disciplines.
English programs are common in India and are extensive in scope and reach. Many schools provide identical programs for international students studying in india: one taught in English, the other in Hindi. However, English is becoming increasingly dominant in Indian higher education classrooms.
If we discuss the cost of living in India for International students, it is also not very less but still can be considered as much lower if compared to the US and several other European countries. If there are any financial barriers coming as obstacles between your dream of studying at a renowned university, UniCreds has got your back by providing the lowest interest loans that too with a hassle-free process.
Now, the real question is not “why to study in India?” but “why wouldn’t you?”. Though India has a lot to give to tourists, it has a lot to offer to students as well. Studying in India has a lot to offer, whether your preferences are in Classics or Computers, Philosophy or Politics, with access to such rich history and diversity as well as a rapidly growing nation at the cutting edge of the technological revolution. Major technological advancements are being made apparently every day in India. As India becomes more prosperous and powerful, the middle-class sector is growing and its rates of poverty, illiteracy and early mortality are declining.
Now let’s have a look at how exciting a day of an international student in India is:
Insight into a Day in the Life of an International Student in India
I interviewed an Australian friend of mine who is a final year International student in India at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore pursuing her MBA. Here is how her day looks like:
Beginning the Day | International Student Life In India
Her first class of the day starts at 10 am. She usually wakes up by 9.15 am and grabs a quick breakfast. The students’ mess hall is the preferred place for meals for everyone in her college. Although there is a lot of variety, she prefers to have milk and a South Indian dish like idli or dosa for breakfast.
Food is an adventure in India! Both in North or South India, at low prices, restaurants sell tantalizing dishes. Meals are often less than $2 in cheap restaurants. Although even pricier alternatives often cost less than $10, giving yet another good answer to the question of “why study in India?”.
The thing for which India is best known around the world is also one of the major draws for international students in India: the food. As the world has become more and more interconnected, curries, naans, and sugar puddings have spread around the world and are loved by billions of people. You’ll also get to experience different cuisines of Indian food as you move from state to state. Enjoy delicious vegetable curries made from fresh produce in the Himalaya foothills. Try a freshly-caught fish curry in the Goa region. Enjoy an exciting Indian twist on a classic British dish, like fish and chips, in the areas of Northern Mumbai.
So, once you are done with your breakfast, you need to be quick in reaching the campus in the morning as the attendance is tracked through RFID cards. This means one cannot afford to be late even by a second.
Lunch
After having attended two classes, each lasting an hour and a half, she heads back to the mess hall for lunch. Lunch is a more relaxed affair at IIM-B.
In Bangalore’s glorious weather, with a bright sky and a gentle wind, she prefers to have lunch out in the open field, close to the mess. She then goes back to her room for a brief siesta after lunch and to leave the day’s schedule for later.
Evening and Night
This is the moment when she feels the most efficient! She goes back to the academic block to join the evening lessons, refreshed from her afternoon nap. My friend has opted for strategy-heavy courses for this term, which implies heavy case readings and a high focus on class engagement.
She heads to the campus canteen or one of the cafes on campus to have some fruit juice and evening snacks when she finishes her classes for the day and then prepares a rough schedule for the rest of the day as per the to-do list. In the evening, she goes to the gym or play lawn tennis. She ensures that she works out every day as it gives her an emotional outlet and helps her with a sound sleep.
She goes for a short shower followed by dinner after the work-out. Dinner is a good way to catch up and discuss with friends, she says. However, not much is talked about except for cricket with the Cricket World Cup going on.
Then she is either studying for her case studies for the next day. Or she meets with her project group mates.
She believes out of all the stuff at IIMB, community assignments have taught her the most. You learn negotiating skills and gain useful experiences from someone else’s experience of the market by working in a group of people you don’t know. It is normal for them to remain up until 5 am or 6 am during the latter days of the term when project submission deadlines are close to making final touches to their reports or presentations.
She feels she is very used to it now that she has done this for three years. She says in reality, you end up becoming good friends with your project-mates through these late-night sessions.
On relatively calm days, she spends some time-solving Sudoku. She likes reading The Economist or the Financial Times, which, with her coursework, also helps her. She eventually plans to call it a day as it hits 3 am. With some soothing piano music, she normally calls herself to sleep.
Weekends | Study in India: A Guide for International Students
At IIMB, there are no dull weekends. There is always an activity to participate in with a plethora of clubs and societies. As the nation’s tech-hub, Bangalore has a huge youth population and provides a vibrant nightlife.
Usually, her weekends are spent playing games such as squash, table tennis, or swimming, and doing some non-academic reading. Despite being an international student in India it feels like her own home in India.
Relaxation
The life of an International student in India can’t be called really hectic but the student is pretty occupied with academics as well as other stuff during the weekdays. Also, there are a lot of things available on campus that at times gets you confused about what you should actually do. You always feel you’ll miss out on something or the other. Between academics, entertainment, co-curricular activities and all such things, you hardly get time to relax and spend some me-time. You should always try taking out an hour when you can spend some time with yourself and take a break from the fast life.
My friend usually goes on a bike ride on the campus or sometimes takes a long walk which makes her feel calm and relaxed. If you’re an International student in India or wherever you study, you should not get lost in the work you’re doing. You should always give time to yourself which results in keeping your mind fresh and you’re able to do tasks more efficiently. If you were wondering – What is life like for overseas students studying in India, this is pretty much it!
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