Taking out an education loan to chase the American dream might seem like a calculated risk — but for many Indian students, it’s becoming a gamble with high personal and financial stakes. Rising tuition costs, unforgiving interest rates, and a harsh job market can turn that dream into a prolonged period of debt, stress, and isolation.
One brutally honest Reddit post, now viral, cuts through the optimism often sold with overseas education. It’s a raw, first-hand account from an Indian student in the US, who says it like it is: don’t come here unless you’re fully prepared to weather the storm.
In a viral Reddit post advising Indian students planning to study in the US, a student with a Master of Science degree offered a no-holds-barred account of what it’s really like to pursue higher education abroad with the help of a loan.
“My Indian perspective is don’t take loan and come here coz you ll dry out soon if you can’t find anything solid,” the post began. “I do see many people who get job but I see a lot more without right now.”
The student didn’t sugarcoat the costs or risks, warning that $30/hour is not enough to live comfortably when factoring in rent, insurance, groceries, and other essentials. “There are people who have done some illegitimate jobs as they ran out and few got caught and had their sevis terminated,” the user wrote, referencing cases where visa violations led to deportations.
Housing conditions during studies were described as cramped and costly. “If you are in the bay one shared room is shared by 3 people where each pay 600 dollars min each excluding utils when they are studying,” the post said. Internship and job opportunities, the user added, come with a bureaucratic maze and skepticism from employers unwilling to sponsor visas. “You’ll see many jobs which you’d fit perfect for say that they don’t sponsor and you not to apply.”
Burnout is real, the post emphasized, especially with new H-1B fees jumping to $2,500. “The companies aren’t trying a lot.”
Mental health challenges were also starkly laid out. “I am literally living paycheck by paycheck as I took a huge loan with an interest of 12/annum…There are many lonely days. If you get sick, you don’t got nobody to take care of you…Therapists here charge 100-200+$/hr, insurance won’t cover.”
Despite applying for 500 internships, the user reported landing only two interviews. “I code and social better than people with no experience who got into meta, Tesla, Amazon with referrals…Some of them cheat,” they wrote, claiming that companies sometimes re-post filled roles to manipulate visa quotas.
The post touched on subtle and overt racism, both from locals and fellow Indians. “People think Indians are cheap which is slightly true coz of all the above reasons…Also you’d face more racism from other Indians as well.”
Still, the user acknowledged moments of kindness and community: “You get free stuff off the road…Many events give you free food…temples, churches and gurudwaras give you free food.”
“Yes if you can bear all that. Come aboard. Cheers,” the post concluded.
Other users echoed the sentiment. One wrote, “It’s hard to save money here…If you came to US a decade ago, it was all worth it, but sure won’t recommend it now.”
Not everyone agreed with the bleak tone. “Why do everyone here thinks that all students are doing cs…US is the only place, which has most opportunities,” a user countered.
Another added, “Civil companies are actively hiring…I agree that eventually everyone would have to return back to India unless they marry someone there.”
