First of all, this blog post might seem to have a negative tone. However, remember that the intention of #AfricanInIndia series is not to discourage you in any way, it is merely to share the experiences regardless of how raw they are. It is my hope that the blog posts can help everyone considering applying to Indian universities and the ICCR scholarship to be well informed and hence make an informed decision. So here goes…meet Refiloe Khali of Lucknow University, state of Uttar Pradesh.
“The initial reason that drove me to apply to study abroad was the high unemployment rate in my country. Finding a job was increasingly difficult, and so the moment I heard of ICCR scholarship and gone through the information, I applied. Lucknow University was my third option, but that did not bother me much, I was more excited about getting my life started in a new place. And once I got to know that there were other students en-route a similar journey, I was completely at ease. Moving from one continent to another you expect there should be challenges of course, however, I must say, I might have underestimated how difficult it was going to be. The little things that you take for granted and hardly ever give them a thought suddenly become a thing. Getting a cab from airport to your destination, student registration, buying bread, all these are simple and easy tasks, but an extreme sport if you are not familiar with the local language. Even my lectures are conducted in Hindi even though the university agreed to accept international students. I already arrived late to the university, catching up with the work already done was tricky.”
On paper, all these university agree to conduct lectures in English, but the reality is different. I too had one Prof. who would utter English sentences only when our eyes met, the rest of the time he would sail off with Hindi.
“I am not going to get into the hostel situation because I literally do not have anything good to say regarding that. The conditions are bad and rules are super strict. We have lizards and all sorts of insects as our pets. My friends and I joke about it, try to keep things light and try to embrace the positives to keep sane. Others were not strong as we are, they left the program almost immediately. If it is not the hostel conditions or the registration process, then maybe it is the food, the heat, or pollution, something is likely to trigger you. Expect the extremities and constantly stretching your comfort zone. Perhaps if my situation were different and I had other opportunities at my fingertips I too might have left for home. I do miss my family a lot, my friends, the food back home, and most importantly speaking my own mother tongue. Forget English, “ke batla ho bua Sesotho”. Any other language will always be somewhat limiting. After weighing all the pros and cons, I would not encourage anyone to apply to my university. It is simply not yet ready for international students, a lot has to be done. I do believe that other university in the country are better. However, there is still much to consider, prepare yourself, especially mentally. Prepare to be independent and work extra harder. On the positive, the scholarship is pretty good, and life in India is relatively inexpensive. If I had to do it all over again, I would, perhaps with a different university though.
Truth is, I have been so pre-occupied with trying to find my place here that I have not had the chance to actually go out and about and see what else Lucknow has to offer, let alone the rest of India. I did however attend a friend’s wedding in Kampur, and I had the whole traditional saree thing going, it was one of those moments I would cherish always. Indian weddings are fantastic! Trust me, nothing short of royalty. And hell, I looked so good in the saree don’t I?!
Hopefully after all this, you will come to Lucknow much more prepared than I was. “
There are so many fabulous things about Lucknow and I do certainly hope that Refiloe will get to experience them eventually. Ultimately, if you want to see just how awesome a study abroad venture can be, just do it! Happy Easter Holidays! 
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