Who completed her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design, speaks about her experience as an Indian student in the United States

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Who completed her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design, speaks about her experience as an Indian student in the United States

    I recently graduated with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts, from
    the Rhode Island School of Design, having had a most
    unique experience, enriched with interesting and absurd
    conversations with intense artists and professors.
    My first observation was that the country is home to a large number of students, each with a clearly defined personality, and style. Every person I spoke to had a separate way of interpreting situations. The environment here at US, encourages constant discussion and debate, not only during class hours but also while having meals and sitting out in the sun with friends. There is always opportunity to learn about something you never hoped to have existed.
    Apart from this, the student-professor relationship in the US is a little more casual than how it is in India. Professors are always open to argument. I would question my professors often, if I didn't agree with a comment they made. My peers would step in, adding interesting view points. Class discussion sometimes go into frenzy, and end up talking about topics that were far from what we originally started with! Another point of difference is that students here refer to professors by first name. This reduces the student-professor hierarchy. It is almost like speaking with a friend, bearing in mind that he/ she has authority.
    While interacting with people, I realised that they do not know much about India. One would imagine that art students in a highly accomplished art school would have heard of MF Hussain. To my surprise, however, not many non-Indians had heard of him. This difference in culture gives Indian students the chance to spend a lot of time educating friends, exposing them to images of work by famous Indian artists and making them watch Bollywood music videos. As an Indian, studying outside the country, I strongly believe that it is very important for us to make others aware of our great lineage.
    Apart from spending time with friends, work hours at school are extremely intense. In fact, one would spend most of their time with each other while at school. Since I went to an art school, we spent 90 per cent of our time in the ‘studio’. There was thus, little time for entertainment. For me, and most other students here, entertainment was catching meals with classmates, taking a nap and spending time with friends on a Friday or Saturday night. We rarely went for movies or excursions.
    The only tough adjustment that Indian students have to make is the weather. I hail from Bangalore, which is beautiful all year round. It is never too hot or too cold, always just perfect! In the East Coast, however, the cold is far beyond what students can usually handle. Indian students usually hate the cold, and snow that accompanied it. It definitely takes a while to adjust. However, with the right clothes, and time, one gets used to it. Most importantly, if you love what you are studying, you gradually learn to live with it and sometimes, even enjoy the snow. That is exactly how I dealt with it.
    To end with, for those who are entering the unknown college world, be excited, eager and curious. Take classes which contain subjects that you have never engaged with before. Make lots of friends and don't be afraid to debate and argue, for you will always have something new to learn.