Mumbai: In the melting pot of diversity that defines Jai Hind College, the influx of outstation students has been immense. More than 50% of the students hail from outside Mumbai, from places like Delhi, Bangalore, Indore, Jaipur, Surat, etc. While the allure of attending college in Mumbai promises exposure and independence, it also entails a set of challenges as they strive to adapt to the city’s pulse.
The Free Press Journal (FPJ) delved into the experiences of Jai Hind’s students to unravel the primary challenges faced by those arriving in the city for the first time.
Securing accommodation a hurdle
Nurita Datwani, a first-year student from Jaipur, highlighted, “Securing accommodation, particularly for girls, was a major hurdle. It took considerable effort and multiple outings with brokers to find a suitable apartment.”
Making news friends tough
“As an introvert, making friends in a completely new city was tough and I used to feel alone in college”, she added.
Balancing academic demands with Mumbai's relentless pace also emerged as a major concern for many of the students.
Fast-paced life and local train system
"The initial months were marked by the overwhelming and confusing nature of the fast-paced life and local train system. I recall instances of being pushed out of trains or missing lectures due to the chaos”, Guwahati’s Kritika Chaudhary shared.
Pranav Chibber, a student who hails from Jammu, echoed the statement when he said, "The city's fast-paced lifestyle posed a significant challenge compared to my calm hometown, making it tough to strike a balance between academics and personal life. I found it tough to cope with studies.”
Nidhika Mishra from Jharkhand admitted that academic pressures and cultural disparities presented hurdles. “Mumbai's hustle is overwhelming, especially for a small-town girl unaccustomed to the chaos of local trains, buses and crowded streets... Financial challenges added to the complexity”, she said.
Being away from home during festivals is challenging
Homesickness is a shared sentiment among most of the outstation students. Vinay Kriplani from Nagpur confessed, "Being away from home, especially during festivals is emotionally challenging. When you see friends with their families, the yearning for your own increases."
The students acknowledge the support from college committees and clubs in addressing homesickness and making them feel inclusive. Some of them even shared how contacts of PG accommodations and hostels were communicated with them.
However, a common belief is that the college could still enhance its efforts. Voicing her opinion, one student who prefers to stay anonymous stated, "While the faculty has been extremely receptive to our concerns I feel that the college can do better probably by conducting orientation programmes for us or having a more streamlined system for finding accommodation.”
