Shrutant Ramaswamy
Question: Hey Shrutant! Tell us a little bit about yourself and what brought you to BU.
Answer:Hello! I’m from Mumbai, India, and I’m going to BU for my Acting BFA in the College of Fine Arts. I have mainly a dance background, but I’m really passionate about all performing art and just stylistic work in general. I’m also a film minor, so I enjoy that take on acting and storytelling as well. In my free time, I play basketball, sketch, or workout. I came to BU for a number of reasons, namely my first acting instructor being a past alum, and his greatest piece of advice was- “One thing I can confirm with this institution is the quality of education you will receive will be brilliant”- and that really set it in stone for me. I also discovered the study abroad program at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), which is a school I have looked forward to visiting at some point in my life. A lot of my close friends also committed to BU, which was a nice perk in the process of deciding.
Question: How did BU support you during your transition to campus life? Were there any resources or communities that made that adjustment easier?
Answer:BU’s campus layout and accessibility is one of my favourite things about the university. Boston as a city and especially as a community is so diverse that unfamiliarity is ironically not a foreign feeling. You aren’t alone in the process of settling in or assimilating for international students. There are endless communities/clubs, culturally oriented and also accommodating for niche interests and backgrounds. Although, one of the striking features of the campus that helped transitioning was the “city campus” layout. The BU buildings and dorms seamlessly blend into the bustle of Boston, so I moved into my college and a new city at the same time without them feeling like separate entities.
Question: Do you feel like you’ve found a sense of home at BU? How did you go about finding your people?
Answer:Boston is one of those cities that made me realize how small the world is. It is full of culture and people from all over the world, thus all the more easy to navigate. BU as a community has also always been welcoming, aware of what student-life demands, and accommodating for people with their respective needs. Something I did a lot of my first year was trying to avoid falling into the trap of sticking to the clique of people I found over the first few months, and giving myself the chance to feel uncomfortable and branch out. With this little challenge, I gave myself the chance to find my people, prioritize my social growth, and create a new sense of “home”.
Question: What made you decide to study abroad, and how do you think that experience is shaping you as an international student?
Answer:For me, going abroad was always a part of my decision in coming to BU. Not only was it something that would add to my educational and life experiences, but it would also grant me the opportunity to attend such a brilliant institute in one of the most theatre-oriented cities in the world. LAMDA has always been in my field of view, and given the opportunity to get a semester here and see what it’s like is the best case scenario for an actor seeking to attend the academy. Also, being in London with my best friends for four months simply sounded delightful, so that’s a nice plus. So far, it is really helping me find out what I bring to the table as an international student, and how to present that effectively and clearly. Essentially, finding my voice as an artist, student, colleague, and immigrant.
Question: What advice would you give to international students who are still searching for a sense of belonging at BU?
Answer:TALK TO PEOPLE! Embarrass yourself! As hard as it sounds, everything you need is most likely a direct result of what you fear doing. It’s really intimidating, and frankly, exhausting. Keeping up with the culture, languages, city layout, homework, exam season, and budgeting is really a recipe for getting overwhelmed. So take it one conversation at a time. Introduce yourself to someone you normally would not, go to a club meeting you had never thought of going, and attend an event that would be the last place people would expect you to be. A trap I almost fell into is letting people’s judgements of you shape the things you do. Perceived notions of how you should behave or fit in are holding you back more than anything. Have an open mind, find beauty in it, and go make a fool of yourself.
Question: Finally, what would you say to international students who feel uncertain about their future or overwhelmed by what comes next?
Answer:It’s scary being an international student, especially in the environment we find ourselves in right now. What helps me, is taking it moment by moment. It’s a beautiful thing to come to another country to study and live the next four years of your life, but it’s also a massive commitment, and all the more demanding in reality. Give yourself grace, do what you came here to do, the way you want to, and feel each moment wholly. Let life happen to you a little, you can’t control everything, and that’s awesome. What a privilege it is to not know.