They pack up their entire lives in a suitcase and venture beyond their comfort zone to study abroad. But what is life like for them once they get there? Brut met two young students in the US and UK to learn more.
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00:00My dream was not to study abroad.
00:07My dream was to study in USA, not any other country.
00:11My childhood dream was that I want to come here in UK.
00:16When you come here for the first time, you don't think there is a lot of difference between
00:20India and here.
00:21But after a few days, you will realize the difference between India and here.
00:25In India, life is easy because we have family doing all the stuff.
00:30And everything is ready.
00:32Your bills are paid.
00:33Everything is done.
00:34So finally, let's start today's day.
00:37Let's go.
00:38I couldn't believe that I was in USA.
01:01Literally, when I came out of the plane, you don't realize that you are in USA.
01:07But when you come out of the airport, you realize that you are in USA.
01:11It was an amazing feeling.
01:13I can never forget that feeling.
01:15Towards the end of January 2021, an estimated 10 lakh young Indians left to pursue their
01:21education abroad and were spread out in as many as 85 countries all over the world.
01:27Root spoke to two such students who agreed to share their daily lives with us and discuss
01:33the highs and lows of living abroad.
01:36So, my name is, actually my full name is Kumar Priyansur Raj.
01:47From India, I am from Jharkhand, Ranchi, which is the capital of Jharkhand.
01:51My name is Priyanka Kumar and I am from Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
01:56I am currently studying at California State University, Sacramento, which is located in
02:01California.
02:03The education here is like, you know, it's very good.
02:07Since I was studying computer science, it has a lot of opportunities, you know, in California.
02:15I completed my graduation in 2020.
02:17So, I was planning from 2019 that I want to come here in UK because, first of all, the
02:23master degree over here is like really good and it has like value all over the world.
02:29Hmm, interesting.
02:30It has been my dream since childhood, you know, that I want to come here in UK.
02:37It's 7.10 in the morning.
02:39It's my first class.
02:41It's 7.30.
02:42I have to get up at 6 today.
02:45So, I am going to the university now.
02:47I don't want to take a cycle today.
02:50By the way, I always have lectures every Monday, so I take a cycle.
02:55But today, the lecture is a little late.
02:57So, I thought I will go on foot because I have to go to the library from there.
03:02So, now I will attend my lecture and then I am going to the library.
03:07And today's weather is still very sunny.
03:10But I can't say anything here.
03:12Sometimes it rains, sometimes it gets cloudy and then sometimes the sun comes out.
03:22Just going to enter the class.
03:24I cannot speak here because, you know, the professor is already there.
03:29So, I am just entering the class right now.
03:46In India, there is a lot of crime here.
03:48So, people break car windows.
03:50For example, my own car was broken twice.
03:52And then there were drugs and all.
03:55I mean, there are people like this in every country.
04:02Earlier, I had brought a lot of luggage.
04:04And it was very difficult for me to, you know, handle all those bags.
04:08And I am like a little person and there were 3-4 bags.
04:12I was very confused what to do.
04:14I was very nervous because the whole country is different, people are different.
04:18And the accent, you know, English is like very different over here.
04:22So, there were a lot of problems in starting with all this.
04:25I think in India, life is easy because we have family doing all this stuff, you know.
04:31And everything is ready.
04:33You just have to go and eat your meals and your bills are paid.
04:36Everything is done.
04:37But here you have to do everything by your own.
04:39So, it is a challenge.
04:40But I think this is what adulting is about.
04:48Just came home, guys.
04:49So, it is 10.17 am right now.
04:53So, my meeting is exactly at 10.30 am.
04:56Let's see what I can make in this time.
04:59Let me cook something.
05:00I am cooking mac and cheese, which is typically American food.
05:04But mac and cheese.
05:05Because it is very easy to make.
05:07That's why I cook it in the afternoon.
05:10I had never entered the kitchen in India.
05:13I entered just to get food.
05:16But here I have to do everything by myself.
05:32So, guys, I just finished my meeting at 11.10 am.
05:35And right now, I am going to do my job.
05:37And I am going to work.
05:39So, it is 11.30 am.
05:41And I have to leave immediately.
05:44Then I am going back to the university.
05:45That's where my job is.
05:52Many international students, they say that they won't do this work.
05:56They won't go for waitressing.
05:57They won't go for kitchen assistant and kind of a thing, right?
06:01You cannot always get money from your parents.
06:03So, the 20 hours that we work here,
06:05we have to be prepared for what kind of work we are going to do.
06:09In the beginning, I applied in McDonald's.
06:12After 15 days, when my quarantine was over.
06:15And they were recruiting at that time.
06:17So, they accepted my interview.
06:19After that, I shifted to one of the pub.
06:22One of the roommates works in the pub.
06:24So, she was like, here, we need someone in the kitchen.
06:37Assignments have a lot of value.
06:39A lot.
06:40If you miss 2-3 assignments, then you won't be able to pass the course.
06:44Assignments are very important.
06:46I have some coding related assignments.
06:48So, I think it will take 2-3 hours.
06:50So, let's do that.
06:51After that, I will go directly to my other job.
06:54Which is from 6 pm to 9.30 pm.
07:02So, I have just come home from the university.
07:05And it's 5.30 pm.
07:06And now I will freshen up a bit.
07:08I will freshen up a bit.
07:09And then I will make tea for myself.
07:11And then later, dinner.
07:12And after that, I will study a bit.
07:14And then sleep.
07:15Tomorrow, I have lectures online.
07:32This is the proof that I work in a library.
07:34So, here, everything happens in a systematic way.
07:38And, I mean, you can literally enjoy your life here.
07:43It's not that you can't do it.
07:44But here, you can enjoy your life.
07:46You can do whatever you want to do.
07:48You can do whatever job you want to do.
07:52Here, there are all the facilities.
07:54But you have to manage a lot.
08:05It's not that the roti is not round.
08:07It happens sometimes.
08:08But sometimes, it happens.
08:12It's 9.30 pm right now.
08:14And I am going home now.
08:16Let's go home and see.
08:18I have to make dinner.
08:23So, it's time for my dinner.
08:24And today, I am eating dal roti.
08:26And at the same time, I am working on my vlog.
08:29After finishing dinner, I will study Bhagavad Gita.
08:32And after that, I will watch YouTube videos or watch a movie.
08:37I never felt that I have to go back to India.
08:41Because it feels like home here.
08:43And there is no problem.
08:45All these people are friendly here.
08:47And then, it's fun to stay here.
08:51Actually, they say that you will find everything over here.
08:54But when I came here, I was like, you can find.
08:57But you cannot find actual India here.
09:00Because it's in that.
09:01India has a different feeling, to be honest.
09:03India has so many festivals, family, etc.
09:06You cannot compare India with any other country.
09:10You won't find all that here.
09:16What is the best part of being here?
09:18The best part is being here.