For Kashmiri students, studying outside Kashmir Valley is an emotional, social, and economical shift rather than just an act of academic journey. Along with adjusting to a new environment, many Kashmiri students face social isolation, financial hardships, cultural differences, and emotional stress.The first challenge is to make accommodations. As Kashmiris, many of us grow up having our own room at home, and our lifestyle often differs from other Indian states. Leaving our comfort zones, and adjusting to new environments becomes extremely difficult for us. This feeling is beautifully expressed in a Kashmiri proverb recorded by J. Hinton Knowles in A Dictionary of Kashmiri Proverbs and Sayings: 

“Garah wandai garah sasa, garah nerahah nah zah.” “O home, I offer you a thousand houses, and I will never go out from you.”

Finding a suitable apartment in an unfamiliar city is often difficult. Most students come from middle-class or low-income families, yet they have to deal with........

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