January 17, 2025

Student Life in Bengaluru

Yesterday was a day that felt most similar to a typical day at a university. We arrived at BMS and I was wearing my school backpack just like I would at UW. Being our third time at BMS, It felt almost natural stepping off the auto and through the front gates, especially with our cool new visitor badges. Once we filed in the classroom, I sparked up a conversation with two BMS students that were sitting next to me. With every interaction I’ve had with the BMS students, I have felt more and more welcomed to be learning in their environment. There’s a tangible sense of mutual curiosity when we speak, each wanting to learn more about the other. What surprises me more than our differences are the similarities. Procrastination, reliance on ChatGPT, and barely getting sleep before exams are all universal experiences I suppose.

With each visit, the BMS students seem less like people I want to learn from and more like friends. We talked about how we celebrated Makar Sakranti and Pushkar shared that he spent the day flying kites. I shared that I had spent the day at Cubbon park playing hacky sack and cards and suddenly there was a shift in conversation. I was no longer extracting information about a foreign holiday anymore as I had experienced it with him in a way. From talking about going to a cricket match together with Shriharsha and Pushkar to talking about exploring the city with Varun and Chiranth, these experiences remind me of what it means to make friends in the first place. You don’t have to have much in common or like the same things, sometimes all it takes a good attitude and a kind smile.

I didn’t think it would be so important to me that I be comfortable in the place I would be studying in for a few months, especially when I knew there would be so many surprises. But everyday, Bengaluru has started to feel more and more like a place I could call home, even if it’s only for a little while. A place I can already tell I will miss.

By,
Dillon