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.
