Small town blues?

For youngsters who have spent their formative years in a small town, the shift to a metropolis for higher studies can be real challenging. The teeming crowds, deafening noise levels, relentless pace of life and constant exposure to new ways of thinking can be unnerving to begin with, but the eventual adjustment to the ways of a big city can lead to a set of opportunities that can alter the young individual’s priorities and ambitions – for better or for worse.   

But is that true for the reverse as well? When big city students leave behind their favourite hangout joints and urban comfort zones to join universities and institutes located in small towns, do they, too, encounter personality changes that have a long-term bearing on their lives and careers?

For big city guys and girls, college isn’t only about education. There is much more to campus life than just the pursuit of a degree. A fresher in a Delhi college learns to make new friends, hang out at happening joints around the campus, club-hop, date and go to the movies. Does a small town college offer a similar learning curve?      

When Delhi lad Ayush Johry earned a seat at IIT Varanasi last year, he was thrilled.  But his joy was tinged with a sense of apprehension. What would be in store for him in a small town, he wondered to himself. But when his sister asked him whether he'd be able to adjust, Ayush put up a brave front. “I told my sister  it would be the campus, not the town, that would matter in the long run,” he recalls.

Within two months of relocating, Ayush had to change his mind. Varanasi was no Delhi. It was devoid of the options that the he was accustomed to: multiplexes, malls and pubs. The campus was great, the town wasn't. When a youngster leaves a megalopolis and heads to a remote hinterland town for higher studies, the transition isn't easy. Manas Hati, alumnus of the Institute of Hotel Management, Gwalior, reminisces, “I found Gwalior to be the exact opposite of Delhi. It had no fancy markets or food joints. Commuting was always tough. Most of the students in the institute were from Delhi, so we all missed our burgers, fries and pizzas.”

But not all big city students who enrol in small town institutes find the experience a strain. How one reacts to the move depends on what an individual is seeking to derive from life on the campus. The languid pace of a non-metro area and the absence of big city distractions often allow a student to focus better on his/her studies and discover and develop suppressed interests and latent talents.

Take the case of Delhi's Ujwala Rao, a student of NIFT Patna. She says, “Based on my semester performance, I could've opted for NIFT Delhi but didn't. In Patna, the distractions were far less and I could focus better." Another  advantage of studying in a small town is that it doesn’t drill a hole in the pocket. Food is more affordable, transport cheaper and entertainment costs far less.
When Chandigarh boy Sakshay Singh Dhadwal left home to study at the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), Ropar life changed for him. “The serene environment in and around the college was quite a boon. I escaped the noise, pollution and traffic jams. It was ideal  for me,” he says. 

Sakshay enjoyed every moment on the campus. “The culture was an example of unity in diversity. I got to understand different cultures, lifestyles and languages,” he says. Moreover, he points out that the campus had wi-fi connectivity, a gymnasium, and other basic facilities that a teenager needs. “We hardly ever felt the need to go out."

Sakshay and his friends on the IET Ropar campus made gainful use of the calm and relaxed pace of the small town. While the stress was squarely on enhancing individual academic performance, they also look beyond the classroom. “Thanks to the resources we had in Ropar, we could go out of our way to help the community. We organised blood donation camps, women and child empowerment activities and HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns. Making a little difference to the lives of the people around gave us a great sense of satisfaction.”
Ankit Goel, a student of Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, believes the location of one’s college isn’t important. Says the Faridabad boy: “If one wants to study as well as develop one’s special skills, it can be done no matter where you are – a big city or a small town. Personally, I don’t think studying in a small town is either an advantage or a disadvantage.” 

Ankit is right, but the fact remains that students from big cities do run into problems that are inherent in a place away from the metros.  Though necessary resources are available one has to put in more effort to get access. For instance, one might have to scour the entire town to get a mobile phone repaired. Luxury items, books and other commodities of daily use aren’t available as easily as they are in a big city.
Integrating with the local people takes some doing. Especially unnerving is the conservative, if not predatory, attitude towards female students.

So, rather than venturing out, girls often prefer the safety of the campus. Ujwala Rao, for instance, moves around with friends on her days out in Patna. She says: “If you don't dress too provocatively and keep the sensitivities of the local populace in mind, you are quite safe. Flaunting yourself is certainly not a good idea in a small town because it could be an invitation to unwanted attention and comments.” Ujwala is, however, mindful of the fact that girl students have to exercise a degree of caution even in big cities like Delhi. “You have to be careful everywhere, but in the big cities girls enjoy much greater freedom,” she adds.

Vishal Arora, IIT Roorkee alumnus, argues that his life before and after hasn’t been all that different. “It’s incorrect to say that students from cities face a situation which is alien to them. A student studying in IIT Delhi is as much occupied with the curriculum as a student of IIT Varanasi or Roorkee. Students generally don't get enough leisure time to actually step of out of the campus and experience life in a small town,” he says.
Changes are beginning to sweep through cities like Patna and Gwalior. They are acquiring big city trappings but are still essentially rooted in their small-town mindset. When Ujwala first landed in Patna, she obviously did not expect the capital of Bihar to be a fashion hub.

But the city has changed in recent times. “People have adopted the latest fashion trends. Patna now has a mall and food joints that are part of national restaurant chains,” Ujwala says. Change, as she would have realised, is the only constant as a student readies himself or herself for the challenges of the future. The nature of the campus and life around it does leave a mark deep down and influences the way one thinks and acts for the rest of one’s life. So, it isn’t the size of the town that really matters. It’s the quality of the overall experience that counts.