The intellectual, emotional and sociocultural experience of Indian students in the U.K.

This research examines the intellectual, emotional and socio-cultural experiences of Indian students in higher education in the UK. It has three research questions. First, what are the reasons driving Indian students to study in the UK? Second, what are the economic, political and cultural factors that enable or constrain their application processes to study in the UK? Finally, how do Indian students experience and negotiate their student lives in higher education in the UK? The present research develops and extends existing literature on student migration, by emphasizing that the process of student migration is a complex journey, like any other kind of migration. To view this process, the research adopts structuration theory as a conceptual framework, while paying attention to the macro-, mezzo- and micro level factors that influence the process and experience of student migration. The dissertation draws from original data collected through interviews with Indian students studying in the UK. The findings highlight that the societal differences like gender, caste, funding status, place of origin and level of study all influence their journeys, reconfirming that student experiences cannot be homogenized. It also highlights the roles that the symbolic homelands and transnational connections they maintain play in shaping their experiences.