A recent survey found that most number of students from across the country and abroad choose to pursue higher education in Karnataka over any other state.
Karnataka is the top higher-study destination in the country, with around 1.8 lakh students coming to the state from across India to pursue higher education. While Manipal is undeniably the education hub of the state — as it attracts students the world over — Bangalore is also a preferred destination.
Weather and Safety Seal the Deal
Safety plays a big role in students choosing to travel across the country. Parents of senior software engineer Sarah Maryam, who hails from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, were more comfortable with their daughter coming to Bangalore, instead of a city closer to home. “My parents wanted me to go to a city where they wouldn’t have to worry about my safety. It helped that my brother was already living in Bangalore,” she says.
Parents also had a role to play in PR professional Tania Das’s decision to come to Bangalore from Assam. “Several of my father’s friends’ children studied in Bangalore, which is why he wanted me to come here. Also, Bangalore colleges are easier to get into when compared to, say, Delhi. Moreover, the people here are more accepting of others and the good weather was an added bonus,” says Tania.
Coursing Through
Shubli Saleem, from Jammu and Kashmir, wanted to study computer science, and Bangalore’s IT city tag was a big draw. “Bangalore is India’s IT city, and since I wanted to do computer science, I felt that the opportunities would be better here,” says the software engineer, who also lists safety and the good weather as benefits.
For Shijo Kurian, from Kerala, it was the promise of a better future that drew him to Bangalore. “There are a lot of options for people here. The infrastructure is good and there are several facilities for residents. When it came to higher education, Bangalore was my only choice,” says Shijo.
Gauravi Keni, from Goa, a Master in English student at a city college, considered applying in several cities but picked Bangalore as she felt that the semester timing and the course itself suited her best. Several of my seniors have passed out from this college and had given me positive feedback. I wanted to apply to a college in Pune, but that didn’t work out, so Bangalore was my next best option,” she says.
Family Comforts
When it was time for social media executive Arla Lyngdoh, from Shillong, to start looking for colleges, Bangalore was the obvious choice. “I have a lot of families here; my sister, cousins, nephews, and nieces all live in Bangalore. They had all told me good things about the city, so when it was time to pursue higher education, it was the logical choice,” she says. Ask her why she didn’t consider studying in Delhi, given that it’s closer to home, and Arla says, “I never got any positive feedback about the city. Plus, it gets very hot there. The weather in Bangalore is very similar to that of my hometown.”
Source: Times of India
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