A candid Reddit post by an Indian student abroad offered a harsh reality check to the students aspiring to study in international colleges, particularly in Canada.
The post shared on the r/delhi subreddit emphasised the challenges faced by almost every Indian student outside the country.
The student admitted that he regrets moving to Canada in his social media post cited three key issues – exploitation by colleges, financial struggles, and mental health challenges. He warned the other aspiring students to make any decision carefully.
Here are three key challenges the students warned about:
The College Scam
The Indian student began his post by detailing his experience with higher education in Canada, accusing many colleges of exploiting international students as business.
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According to the student, many Indian students studying in international colleges end up enrolling in private or lower-tier colleges, which ask for high tuition fees but offer little return.
“Most students come through private or low-ranking colleges that charge insane tuition fees but teach almost nothing. Professors barely put in effort, the curriculum is outdated, and the degree is nearly useless in the job market. After graduation, you’ll realize that employers don’t even take your diploma seriously. You’ll be forced into survival jobs like Uber, warehouse labour, or retail just to pay rent. Meanwhile, you’re drowning in tuition debt with no real career growth,” the Reddit post read.
Financial struggles
The post then discusses the financial hardships Indian students face in Canada as the cost of living is high and basic necessities like groceries and rent are highly expensive.
This forces several international students to find part-time work at minimum-wage jobs.
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“Employers exploit international students, paying them under the table for illegal wages, and if you complain, they’ll just replace you with the next desperate student,” the post further read.
Mental health issues
Beyond financial crisis and academic stress, the students also cite the emotional toll of living abroad away from their friends and family as another challenge that also takes a heavy toll, particularly on mental health.
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“Living away from family is much harder than you think. In India, you have a strong support system—friends, family, festivals, and community. In Canada, you’ll be isolated, constantly working, and struggling to connect with people. It can be hard to connect with people from our community as well as we are constantly busy with these,” he wrote.
“Canadians are polite but distant, and real friendships are rare. Depression and loneliness hit hard, and many students suffer in silence, unable to share their struggles,” he added.