Life in a Foreign University | ‘From UK to India to US, the change in academics is stark’

I had a counsellor who helped a lot with the process since US admissions are very different from Indian admissions, and are very holistic. In Class 11 and 12, I was managing ISC, while taking a whole host of external exams – I ended up taking seven APs, along with the SAT. I also did other extracurricular activities like mini research projects and had to write essays for each university. I actually had the most fun with the UChicago essay, because it had the most interesting prompts – they change every year and are really creative. You are also free to use previous year prompts if you wish to.

UChicago and the way forward

UChicago is a liberal arts school, which means that I was required to take a few ‘core’ courses in fields that I had not explored before in the humanities, social sciences etc. These were pretty challenging for me as I did not have much experience writing long essays.

Beyond that, I was free to take courses towards one or more ‘majors’ (or fields of study). I ended up working toward three majors, which is pretty unusual (most take one or two) – Physics, Astrophysics and Computer Science.

That means I have to complete certain requirements and take certain courses to get degrees in those three subjects. I think computer science is a very useful skill to have, as technological literacy is a big edge in the job market currently.

I have always been interested in Physics and Astrophysics and knew I wanted to study the subjects at a University level – in fact, I will probably pursue a PhD in Astrophysics after completing my undergraduate degree at UChicago. I also plan to pursue a master’s in computer science at UChicago next year.

Reverse culture shock

I lived in the UK until the age of 7, and also went to school here. Then I moved to India and continued schooling, until coming to the University of Chicago, where I have been studying for almost four years.

I remember having more of a culture shock moving from the UK to India than I did moving from India to the USA, even though I am Indian.

Academically, Indian education is more exam-based and tends to be more recall focused, while the same in the USA tends to be heavier on the application front. A lot of my exams are open book but are still a lot more difficult. Also, a lot of work happens outside classes – I am actively involved in research in the astronomy department, and it is a very different way of thinking required to answer questions that nobody has answered before, and therefore do not have a predetermined answer.

While the education is quite different, the rigour of the Indian education system sets one up quite well for an undergrad in the USA.

A weakness in me was the ability to write well. I struggled with this initially, as I had no experience writing 10-page papers to make a proper argument but this was something I developed over time.

I think I had a pretty easy time acclimatizing to the USA, especially with my experience having lived in the UK for seven years. Since it was the year of Covid (when I shifted to the USA), there were a few challenges, but I think this would have been true even if I had shifted anywhere in India itself.

UChicago has several dining options which are all included in your accommodation for the first two years, so that made the initial adjustment easy. I had a lot of time to learn how to live completely independently because of the support system that is put in place by the University.

Being a Teaching Assistant

I am mostly supported by my parents but I do get paid for the research I am carrying out.

I am also a TA (Teaching Assistant), so I grade assignments and provide support to students and I get paid for that. The pay is alright and I enjoy doing this work a lot. This also serves as a resume boost for me, which will surely help me in the future in my professional degree.

In terms of the TA position, I TA’d for ASTR 205 (Introduction to Python Programming with Applications to Astrophysics) and ASTR 211 (Computational Techniques in Astrophysics) in the past. I am currently a TA for ASTR 212 (Observational Techniques in Astrophysics). Since I knew the professors for all of these classes, and took ASTR 211 and ASTR 212 last year, it was as simple as going and asking the professor.

I think it is a great opportunity, especially when considering more esoteric careers. Education in the USA opens up a lot of opportunities that you typically don’t consider in India. The flexibility is also a great bonus – I got to explore a lot of fields and study a combination of subjects that are all quite relevant to each other, while basically forming my own curriculum in some ways. This is something that I really do appreciate about studying abroad.

(This letter is part of a series by The Indian Express where we bring to you the experiences of students at different foreign universities. From scholarships and loans to food and cultural experiences — students tell us how life is different in those countries and things they are learning other than academics)