Where are You from?
Mumbai, India
Class of: 2016
How long is the flight home?
In total, around 18 hours flying time. I usually stop over so that it can be two shorter flights. Last time I flew back, I stopped over in Dubai – so it was 13 hours to Dubai and then around 4 and a half hours from Dubai to Mumbai.
What’s the temperature in the winter/summer?
So much warmer than Amherst! The summers are around 85 degrees and the coldest it gets in the winters is 60 degrees! The seasons barely change, though we get a lot of rain around July and August.
How did you hear about Amherst? What influenced your decision to come here?
I wanted to come to a smaller school, so my college counsellor gave me the names of a few liberal arts colleges. I read about the schools online and spoke to a few of my friends who were already in universities abroad. I also contacted all the squash coaches of the schools that I was interested in, as I wanted to play on the squash team. The squash coach here at Amherst was really positive and Amherst seemed like a good fit with the rural campus, smaller class sizes and diverse and interesting student body, so I decided to apply early decision!
What are some differences that you’ve noticed between home and Amherst? What have you found surprising about Amherst?
One of the first things I noticed was how everyone was early for everything here. Back home, people are always late showing up for stuff – We eat lunch at around 2, and dinner at 9. It was really new for me to eat dinner as early as 5 pm! I’m still working on being more on time for stuff, especially classes.
What do you do at home on a typically Saturday night?
I usually just hang out with friends, maybe go out for dinner and sometimes a party afterwards.