'UK isn’t your migration shortcut': Indian engineer’s blunt reality check on social media for students

A Reddit post by a UK-educated Indian engineer is sparking debate online with its unfiltered take on the hurdles Indian students face when studying in the UK. Drawing from personal experience, the anonymous author lays out what they see as harsh — but necessary — truths about the challenges of integration, employability, and misplaced expectations.

The user, who says they earned an MEng from University College London and made up to £70,000 a year while working in the UK, pulls no punches in their critique.

“If you are a private school kid, you'll make it into a firm somehow,” the post reads, arguing that social capital and polished communication skills often determine career outcomes. Most of the author's well-placed friends, they say, came from elite schools and found jobs in tech and finance with relative ease.

In contrast, the post claims many Indian students arrive unprepared. “Most of that percentage are idiots who ruin our name abroad,” the author wrote — a line that drew swift backlash for its sweeping generalization. Still, they doubled down: “If you are triggered, the UK isn’t for you.”

Highlighting shifting migration trends, the user noted, “4-5 years ago, all shops had no Indians working in them, and now every shop has only Indians working in it,” pointing to what they see as growing saturation in low-skilled jobs.

Listing their credentials — Chartered Engineer (CEng), MIET, and CIGRE — they shared that they eventually returned to India after a successful run abroad, driven by family reasons.

The post struck a chord with many. One commenter agreed, writing, “Study is not for migration. That is the worst mindset... a lot of Indians end up in low-paying jobs and some are illegal on the streets.”

Another pointed out the issue wasn’t isolated to the UK: “You could replace the UK with Canada and all of this would still hold true... only in the US are the illegal workers not as visible due to stricter work regulations.”

The post has ignited a wider conversation about the disconnect between overseas education dreams and on-the-ground realities, particularly among students navigating complex migration and employment systems.