Welcome to America

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2006/04/02/stories/2006040200180400.htm
NIRUPAMA VAIDHYANATHAN

"MY daughter's going to the United States to do her Master's in Engineering at Texas" — we often hear statements like that. How do these students fare culturally and socially in their first few months of university life in America?

Strange surroundings

Sanchit Agarwal, in Ohio State University, says, "I still remember the strangeness of the physical surroundings. At the Chicago airport, I remember feeling that an English film was going on, and that I had to become a part of it. And, as I walked through the airport, the sight of another Indian made me feel happy."

Indian graduate students feel a sense of freedom after leaving the cocoon of Indian family life. But, along with that comes the burden of living life in a new country, with few close relatives to depend on for emotional support. Manish (name changed at his request) said, "I would pester my mother to write a letter every week. Her reply was that there was nothing new to write about every week. Yet, reading about her weekly routine gave me a feeling of security that nothing could match in the first few months". When one goes to the USIS in India and spends hours poring over information about universities, "loneliness" is not a term that you come across. But, that is a reality for many graduate students, till they build a supportive community of friends around them.

In the first few months of life, common concerns revolve around issues of surviving day-to-day life on a university campus. Many students found ordering food in a restaurant a daunting task. Kanwarpreet Dang, being particular about eating only vegetarian food, says, "Initially I just had raw vegetables and Coke."

Another daunting task is renting an apartment, finding room-mates and learning how to read and sign a rental lease. Then comes the task of pulling out cooking utensils, doing grocery shopping and getting an edible meal to the table. How do you get to the only Indian grocery store in town, which is a few miles away? Most of the time, you would probably find an Indian "senior" who has a second-hand car, and then, what do most Indian students do at the grocery store? They convert every purchase into rupees, of course, trying to debate the merits of each and every purchase. So, as Anand Subramaniam from the New Jersey Institute of Technology says, imitating new students, "A can of milk costs Rs. 250. Let's not buy that".

But, for each of these issues, the Indian Student Associations (ISA) that exist in many American universities have helped provide solutions. They are built around this guiding principle — "Being a `senior' in this system, I know what it is like to go through the first year of student life in the U.S. How can I help you get a footing in this country with little heartache?" The websites of several ISAs have detailed instructions. There are lists of clothes to bring, checklists of cooking utensils, advice urging students to learn recipes at home, details of baggage specifications, lists of documents to carry in your hand baggage etc. A few weeks of monitoring emails on an ISA bulletin board reveals the crucial role they play in helping newcomers through a difficult period of transition. Starting with airport pick-ups, the first few weeks of temporary accommodation are also arranged for. After being in this atmosphere for a few days, the Indian students can look for roommates among incoming students. Ohio State University ISA Treasurer, Kirtiraj Parmar says, "For the first time this year, we are planning a separate orientation session aimed at helping students from India."

What do Indian students face inside the classrooms? The informal atmosphere of the American classroom throws some of them off-guard. Calling a Professor by his first name poses a problem for Indian students. At the same time, this informal air belies the hard work that is done throughout the year. As Sandeep Ramachandran from Texas A & M says, "Most of us are used to cramming in the few days before the final exam. Here, if you get out of the loop at any point, it becomes very difficult to catch up."

Learning to manage time

The other issues that Indian students face is poor time management skills and very high expectations of student integrity. Class times are adhered to strictly, and keeping track of multiple courses requires good time management skills. There are no shortcuts to academic success within the American University system and stealing of ideas without quoting sources are treated with punishment, leading to a suspension from the university. American university life poses challenges on several fronts in the first few months for Indian students. But, once they settle in, most enjoy student life to a great extent. Graduate education in American universities provides many Indian students an educational experience that they treasure throughout their lives.



Nirupama Vaidhyanathan is a Bharatanatyam dancer, teacher and writer who is interested in issues related to the Indian diaspora. She lives in San Francisco.