Do you want to study at a university, college or boarding school in the UK – and you come from India? Although the Indian community is quite widespread in the UK, Indian students, just like all other students coming from abroad – have to meet certain conditions. Certainly, these conditions pose numerous challenges for them. Can you deal with it? Read this text and find out everything you will face if you want to study in the UK.
Table of Contents
Why Study In The UK?
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Choosing a country to study abroad is not always easy. You need to consider several factors. In addition to the study program, which is crucial, you should take into account the cost of studies and the cost of living, geographical location, culture, and mentality of the country. Judging by the experience, research, as well as based on the feedback of Indian students, the United Kingdom stands out, especially when it comes to these criteria.
An increasing number of students are opting for Great Britain due to the high quality of study programs and state-of-the-art campuses. However, these are not the only benefits that the UK will offer you. There are a bunch of them. However, there are also challenges that students from India face every day while studying in this country. Therefore, we will introduce you a little better to the conditions you have to meet and the challenges you will face – if you decide that the UK will be the country where you will study.
Challenges of Indian Students in the UK
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In the list of most sought after countries to study abroad, among Indian students, the UK is in the top 10 list. This is not so strange given the fact that the UK has exceptional educational institutions, and that the Indian community in this country is widespread. Of course, the quality of education comes first, and studying in the UK offers you a world-class education, internationally recognized qualifications. According to Kev’s Best – UK can be a place of outstanding career opportunity. However, in front of future students of the University of Oxford, Cambridge, etc. – there are numerous challenges. These are some of the challenges and ways you can overcome them.
1. Funding And Scholarship
Source: studyntravel.net
This is the worst nightmare for any student who decides to study abroad. Therefore, the UK does not differ in the challenges it will put you in front of. There is no way we can say that studying in the UK won’t cost you a lot. Namely, depending on the academic institution, the student program, and the city where you are – studying will cost you differently. For example, scholarship fees that include graduate studies range from $ 17,000 to as much as $ 25,000.
However, if you compare it with the costs of education in the USA – this is still much more affordable. On the other hand, there are the costs of living that are not negligible at all – and they range from approximately $ 1300 to $ 1600. However, the advantage of this study is the fact that you will get a quality education at the international level – and have the opportunity to get your education in the English-speaking area, which is a great advantage.
2. Homesick And Home Cooking
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When you move to another country you feel nostalgic for home. Everything is different, especially when you are in a different time zone. You get the impression that you have turned your life 180 degrees in one day – and it is not always easy. Everything is different than at home – even the food. Although you can find many Indian restaurants in the UK, we cannot say that the food is the same because the British have a slightly different taste – so Indian restaurants in the UK have modified their specialties to be more to the taste of the British. Your food may not be tasty or different enough, but at least a partial solution can be to bring home some of the spices – which you can use while in the UK. At least for some time, while you are still feeling homesick.
3. Cultural Differences
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This is mainly one of the biggest obstacles and big challenges for students coming from India. When you come from a country whose tradition is ancient, you respect some customs that are not applied in the rest of the world. Therefore, in the beginning, it is very difficult for you to adapt to the Western way of life. However, most students, like all young people – successfully overcome these obstacles and easily adapt to new living conditions. There are also differences in the celebration of important dates and holidays. While the Indian tradition is full of holidays, Westerners generally celebrate only a few holidays like Christmas, New Year or Thanksgiving Day, and the like. However, the community of Indian students in Britain keeps to their holidays, so you will often see them gather together on such occasions.
4. Racism
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Unfortunately, this is a burning issue not only in the UK – but in most countries where there are large social stratifications. Coincidentally, after Brexit, this problem has become even more important – so we cannot say that there were no incidents, but it is still only individual cases. What is always advised is caution. Above all with whom you hang out and spend time. Surround yourself with people who are not racially oriented or who come from multicultural backgrounds. We are sure that you will not have any problems then.
5. Language Barrier
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Although most students from India speak English, there are still those whose knowledge is not at the top level. They can be a problem for them at the very beginning of the lecture. There is certainly the problem of communicating with the locals whose speed of speech and accent is different from what you have learned – so sometimes you may find yourself in an awkward situation that you cannot clarify what you are looking for or what you want. It can especially be problem when they do collage tasks and research papers, why they try to find helps online. However, the language, like everything else, can be mastered – so this challenge is not particularly great – especially if you want to master the language as well as possible. In that case, this challenge will only be a good stimulus for you.
Conclusion
When we look at all the challenges that Indian students face in the UK, we can’t say that it’s easy – but it’s not impossible to overcome them either. We all have to face certain problems sometimes – but we have to understand that as an integral part of life. What you need to think about is the fact that the UK offers you some amazing opportunities. It is simply a country of different possibilities in which you can realize your potential.