Moving away, ft. limited scope
In the recurring emotion of stress, anxiety, and expectations attached, I had engrossed myself within solving past question papers and a laptop screen to look at on a daily basis. In the hustle and bustle of performing well in the Class 12 Board Examinations, I wasn’t a regular kid with a desirable college to look up to. Instead, all I did was to try and memorize historical dates, Indian maps, and Flamingo’s prose and poetry.
As my examinations were ongoing, there was a simultaneous discussion on college-related admissions. To give you a heads-up, I was born in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where opportunities are plenty, but the scope is limited. Even though my parents had paid for my seat reservation at the Amity University, plans changed. Classic desi behavior!
‘Never had I ever’ thought that I would be exposed to an extreme change of events. As the UAE offers high-class education, the local crowd is the extreme opposite of the high-class. Due to lack of opportunities and my paternal family being in a different country, within a span of months, destinations changed and so did, emotions.
“As flights were booked and we were seated in the aircraft, an array of emotions found their place within me. I was unclear and emotional, as tears slid down my face.”
In no time, we landed in the ‘Gateway of South,’ in the city of Chennai. When I came to this city, it was a complete adjustment, to begin with. I had no experience in the language and to top it up, my father was, and still is in the emirate to continue working. As my college admissions were completed at the M.O.P Vaishnav College for Women, life at the college was different and unexpected. And, while it wasn’t easy for me to leave the Middle East, it felt like the right choice to make. As my time at the college cum apartment passed by, I made a lot of memories with the appropriate lot and gained loads of experience in the field of Journalism.
“The adjustments that I made were endless and there was an expectation to give in my best, since I had to reside in a completely different atmosphere.”
From yelling at the delivery personnel to speak in English, to using Google Maps to map the way for our destinations, it has been 3 years. I recently completed my time at the college from home, thanks to the pandemic. As this year lacked a graduation ceremony, I kept thinking about the students opting to study at the universities in the UAE and multiple job threats. Since the student admissions in the emirate have increased from 5–6% to 15%, the opportunities are still not enough. When it comes to post-graduations, the scope of placements isn’t beneficial and people find it difficult to commute, as most of the colleges are in the capital and expensive.
Focusing upon job threats, the pandemic has increased the constant fear of a job loss for the Malayali ex-pats who flew down to India on a 10-day leave. The only reason for people to work in the emirate is the hygiene and rich lifestyle that it brings along. They hope to raise a family in the country due to the amenities that it provides. But, in terms of education, it leaves several people in a dilemma. As I decided to get back after 18 years, not a lot of ‘oversea aspirants’ are aware of the concept that goes behind limited opportunities. As this requires a ‘food for thought,’ the country is an appropriate spot for tourism and leisure, but not when it comes to base an educational career.
In terms of education, the country makes it a point to bring in top professors and universities to compete. But it lacks a comfortable atmosphere, which makes the student feel disconnected and often get under the influence of ‘restricted’ elements. The emirate must make education accessible at affordable rates for students flying in from different parts of the world and provide equal job opportunities and placements for every field. In no time, it might set another world record and people like me, wouldn’t have to shift countries to receive quality education in a safe atmosphere.
