Matt Moore
It’s that time of the year again.
Indian students are getting ready, gearing up for a new life in a new country away from home, family and familiarity.
The transition can be delicate, straddling the fine line between reaching out for newer horizons and grappling with homesickness and separation from those near and dear. It brings up a lot of questions in their minds, ranging from sheer excitement of the fabled ‘Land of Freedom’ to whether all this is worth leaving behind things you know for something huge and unknown.
More than 700 Indian students are enrolled in the University. This fall, about 600 incoming Indian students will be added to that total, according to Derrick Lovick, the technical lead of the Office of International Scholarship and Student Studies.
For these students, the change of scene can be overwhelming.
Food habits, culture shock, coping with the weather and juggling massive work loads are just some of the initial few months’ highlights. Of course, with time, one does grow used to it.
But for some, the reality never quite sinks in.
Ravi Shankar Balasubramanian, a graduate student in computer science, has learned how to ruffle up a simple meal for himself, something he did not do back in India.
“The first few months were tough, and I questioned coming all the way here,” he said. “But then you start admiring the education system, the professors for their approachability and depth of passion for their research areas.”
He said he likes living in Raleigh and is coping well with his homesickness, but that the academic scene is much different than what he was accustomed to. He has more freedom to choose classes, completes different course work and feels he has been learning both inside and outside the classroom.
Vrushali Mendon, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering, also noted such flexibility in the education system. Mendon, who chose to attend N.C. State “mainly because its M.E. graduate program is highly rated and one of the best,” said she chooses to take on whatever classes she feels would help her. This type of atmosphere, she said, is extremely conducive to her academic growth.
And on life in the U.S., she said, “Initially it was difficult, I admit, since I came from a joint family back home in India, but I have just learned a lot in every aspect of my life here.”
From learning how to cook every day, managing a heavy course load and interning in summer to living with others and their subtle nuances, she claims this is a “different and good experience one must have.”
Some students, like Larisa Sadarangani, an alumna who recently graduated from the Jenkins Graduate School of Management, adopt the American way of life easily, and for some it is a healthy mix of the new and deeply ingrained home culture.
Sadarangani’s time at N.C. State was “an amazing two years of learning and fun with a very diverse group of young men and women.”
She said coping with home-sickness was never a problem — since Raleigh is home to many Indian students, she was able to stay in touch with her Indian side while, at the same time, grow accustomed to the city’s diverse community.
She encourages more people to apply for MBA school and experience a once-in-a-lifetime chance to study with some of the best minds in a city as peaceful and intellectual as Raleigh.