Ever wondered what it’s like to study abroad? We thought we’d catch up with someone who’s spent their university experience in India to figure out what you should be expecting when taking your studying abroad…

Is it easy or difficult to get into university in India, what’s the process?

It’s not that tough to get into any private university. However, it is difficult to get admission  into a public and state-owned university. For example, IIT (Indian Institute of Technology and  IIM (Indian Institute of Management) are owned by government, and to get admission into this university is a dream of millions of students in India. Once you are graduated and post graduated from this public owned university you will be able to get placed in the world’s best companies such as Microsoft  and Google. The process to get into any private university is…

1) HSLC (High School Leaving Certificate) 10th Standard and  HSSLC (Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate) 12th standard, and a passed out certificate is required to get admission into any university.

2) To get into a public owned university like IIT and IIM you have to complete a national entrance test which is quite tough, with millions of students attending at a time, out of which only a few thousands are selected.

The top private owned university is also good but you have to pay large donations for the admission. I graduated from a mediocre college and university since I am from a middle-income family.received_449060035218613 (1)


What’s the cost to go to university in India and how do you fund your studies?

It depends on the college you opt for, on average it will cost most of us around £8,183. Funding for the college admission and tuition fees must be done by yourself – there are no scholarship schemes unless you are Muslim or OBC (Other Backward Classes).

Since my financial condition was not that great, for college expenses I took a part-time job in an IT company, which are available after many interview rounds, in a particular location like Bangalore.


How far away is your university from your home?

My home is around 2,300km away from my university, since its located on a China border, however, I stay near my university campus, in The Silicon Valley City of India – Bangalore. My university is just 2 km away from the place where I rent.


What’s your student accommodation like?

During my first year of college, I used to stay in a boys hostel (college accommodation), which was not such a great experience for me – the food they served was horrible, just like in a prison, unless you had enough money to buy your own food from the local restaurants which was very cheap also.

The facilities were not good either – wifi, a washing machine, doctors, physical trainers, nurses were not available.

But if you go to a good private college/university like St. Xavier College in Mumbai you will have good facilities and everything perfect, just like home, but to stay there costs a fortune.DSC02685 (1)


What kinds of things do you do socially with friends?

With friends, I go watching football or cricket matches, enjoy social gatherings during birthdays, weddings and other auspicious occasions. We got to  Church, Temple and Mosque together and celebrate so many festivals together, be it of any religion, we don’t care.

Mountain trekking, The Bike Rally, Photography and College Festival I also enjoy socially with friends.


In the UK we have something called Freshers week, which is a period of time at the beginning of the student year where clubs, bars and retail outlets offer students discounts. There’s also party events and it’s known for excessive clubbing and drinking. Do you have this in India?

In India, we have Freshers Day’s where we organise a party for fresher students for a day, which includes – introduction, games, breakfast, lunch, a talent show, prize distribution and much more.

Since we consider school and colleges as a temple of knowledge – there are no bars and clubs inside university campus, and the retail outlets don’t offer any discounts on campus to new students.

After the fresher’s party, there is something called Induction Period for a fresher student  which goes for three days – fresher’s are made aware of the scope of their study in the future, familiarising them with other students and alumni, management and other extra curriculum activities.


Are there any night clubs and bars in your university town/city?

There are many nightclubs and bars near my university which remain open until late night and you can enjoy until you get drained.


How has your final year compared to the previous years at uni?

The final year was very easy in comparison to other previous years in university, because during the first and second year you get to know everything that’s in the book and syllabus, so the final year becomes easy since you know the foundation for that particular studies.


What are your plans once you graduate?

My plans after graduation are to work for an IT company as a sales executive for 2 to 3 years and come up with my own set of services and start a journey towards my entrepreneur dreams.IMG-20160501-WA0005


How will you celebrate graduation?

We have graduation day in every university – that’s the last day of college where we get awarded our graduation certificate in a big event organized by university management and attended by parents, family friends and a well known figure in the society will be called upon for Chief Guest to light the ceremonial candle.


What are your career goals?

My career goals are to become one of the most successful business entrepreneurs in the world with at least 40 publisher websites, my own advertising and marketing company, a couple of tourism websites with gorgeous resorts in the list owned by myself, and my own software company. I don’t need more than this I guess.


What drives your determination?

My determination is driven by many factors:-

1) My Mom every time gives me an example of a boy who is my big brother, aged 26 and he owns a company worth millions of dollars, she is so fascinated with his success that drives me to become more successful than him.

2) My big brother supported me in every possible way to educate me and impart good knowledge on me, so I want to give him back by doing something great in life.

3) I have seen enough poverty and hunger in and around my life, so I want to make at least a better life for them in coming future.

4) I don’t want to be left without money when I retire, I want to retire with a private island and jet.IMG-20160430-WA0059