Recently, a 26-year-old American woman has posted her thoughts on rising numbers of Indian students now pursuing Master’s programs at US universities. Just a few days later, there was a fair amount of debate appended under her posting on the choices most of these students were making, selections to pursue higher education in the US that “mislead” and have risked many young Indians.
Increasing Number of Indian Students Taking Master’s Programs in US Universities
A Reddit user teaching at an American university remembered her own experience entering a Master’s programme in Computer Science. She very quickly realized that student enrollments in her own program were predominantly Indian. “I immediately realized that the students in the programme were 99% Indian,” she wrote, observing that such an aggregation of international students was unusual, even for a school that did not rank highly.
Motivations for Pursuing Higher Education in the US
The user of the social media website Reddit had this revelation after talking with her classmates to find out why so many Indians study in the US. According to her, the prevailing belief is that an American degree offers the best way of getting a job and getting a visa as well. “The primary motivation appears to be the belief that an American degree will open doors to jobs,” she observed.
However, the Reddit user wasn’t convinced of this. She did mention that the competitive market makes it even more challenging for any student, be it from another country or not to get a job. “I kinda feel like it’s going to be really hard for all of these kids to get jobs in the US-it’s already hard for American kids,” she said.
Financial Burden and Crashing Ends
Perhaps the biggest gripe a student has with international students is the amount of debt that many of them incur to study abroad. The undergraduate student indicated that “the students are literally going into debt for their degrees.” “They are coming here going into debt, the professors aren’t even good, and they probably won’t be able to get a job in the US,” she wrote in comparing their experiences to a financial gamble with odds nobody knows.
This path, she believes, can also be considered a type of “scam”—an expensive gamble that may not pay off for many students. “I feel bad for them, honestly,” she admitted, mentioning that many students might not understand the challenges they face after graduation.
Cultural Differences in the Classroom
The Reddit user also expounded on her experiences regarding the cultural dynamics in her classes. “The Indian kids have brutal classroom etiquette; they are loudly talking while the professor is, which would never ever be tolerated in a typical American classroom,” she said. That was a very telling commentary on how often cultural differences play out in classrooms when there are a lot of international students, especially Indians, on the rolls.
Internet Reactions: For and Against
The post garnered more than 200 comments and over 590 upvotes. Responses were extremely wide-ranging, and while some users supported the original post, others agreed with the original post because of financial strain and the problem of finding jobs in the US as an international student. One comment was recorded by a commenter as follows: “Debt and visa issues are a harsh reality, but it’s not all doom and gloom for everyone.”
Others sprang in defense of the dreams of international students, however, pointing to the fact that for many students, going abroad for education is a pursuit of a better future, despite the adversity this might entail. “The situation is complicated, but you have to admire their drive,” one user commented.
The “Self-Reinforced Delusion” of the American Dream?
Another user commented on the situation in a more cynical vein: it is self-reinforced delusion that most Indian students undergo. “Come to America for MS, any university, work 3 years on OPT, make tons of money. Get the H-1B, make more money. If no H-1B, go back to school or go to Canada. And then rinse and repeat,” said the user. This was one of the telling responses that enumerated in a sequence many international students assume to be an inevitable progression of events.
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