He’s originally from West Bengal, India, and has moved to the United States in the last month in search of higher education. Having attended boarding school since he was eight, he is no stranger to travelling for school, and now he has come here, to a local university, for his PhD in statistics. He describes his hometown as a village as opposed to a city, and he found striking differences after leaving the airport. The overhead stoplights, turn lanes and road dividers were all foreign. The physical layout of the city was much different than where he grew up; he said the cleanliness is one of the first things he noticed. Back in India, “it’s very rare to find a clean road in most cities.”
There are a few things in the United States he has enjoyed so far. He says the job opportunities here are much greater, especially in his industry. He also points out the United States’ tolerance and acceptance for new ideas; he says it’s much more difficult to get people to change things back home. He says his university is great at handling international students and he was impressed with their knowledge of his culture, one of the reasons he chose to go there to acquire his PhD.
There have also been difficulties so far; the language, food, weather, and cultural differences have all presented different challenges. While he speaks English very well, there are times in conversations in which he misses parts of it and is left unsure or worried.
He is surprised by the weather and the food; he was expecting it to be colder here, but he says it’s been even hotter than home. In India, he says, there are only two real seasons: summer and winter, separated by about 15 days. He originally found the food here to be very bland, lacking spice; he has since taken a liking to Mediterranean food. He is quick to point out that these are not “problems”, but difficulties and things he will get past.
After receiving his PhD, he hopes to either get a job in the United States or move back home and take care of his parents.
He says math is like a common language.
