First of all, living away from parents/guardians is emotionally tiring. In addition to this, the city is rife with problems like scarcity of water, shortage of fuel and cooking gas, constant inflation of everyday commodities, etc.
This problem is attributed to the centralized policy of our country. Although students in the Capital don't need to spend lots of time doing household chores like in their homes back in village, they cannot easily adapt in the highly modernized metropolis and may have to face many difficulties.One of my friends' story will give you a clearer picture. He has come to Kathmandu from Okhaldhunga to pursue his higher secondary education. He labored hard and studied sincerely, but despite all his hard work, he failed in one subject because he didn't have good command in English. Since he got his schooling at a government institution, he had a hard time adapting to the English medium classes in Kathmandu's private college.
Another friend from Bajhang had a bitter experience living in a hostel. He could not communicate easily with his friends there because they all came from different places of Nepal. His roommate used to speak mostly in Maithili and it took them a long time to understand each other. He couldn't get used to the food at the hostel's canteen, either. He later met a friend from his own village and happily decided to rent a room together.
Feeling homesick every now and then is another thing that makes lives of students living away from home terrible. Cliché as it might sound, they do miss their mom's food and their own bed. Matters get worse when they fall sick. With no one to take care of them, even a simple cold could make them feel depressed. Some young people may feel so desperate for company that they end up making friends with random people who may not always have good intentions. Generalizing is not a good idea, but this is how many of them get into substance abuse. Likewise, with a generalized notion that Kathmanduites look down upon them, many students who hail from other parts of the country become parts of anti-Kathmanduites groups "to show unity and save themselves from possible harassment."
Since now is the time when many SLC graduates will come to Kathmandu to pursue higher education, it's better if they are prepared to face these little nuisances of living in the Capital. Of course Kathmandu is a beautiful city and not all people here are bad, but for those who come from small towns and villages, it could be overwhelming – at least for some time. Therefore, parents should carefully talk about all these aspects of living in Kathmandu with their children. If they're aware beforehand about what sorts of challenges they can expect to face, it will be easier for them to deal with them all. After all, it's their prime time to focus on their studies and help make the base for a good career and great life ahead.
Diwakar is an undergraduate student at NIC College in Dillibazar, Kathmandu.
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