At a time when many Indian students view foreign education as a pathway to settling abroad, one Oxford Law graduate has chosen a different route that is returning home. Niyati, an Indian student who recently completed her law studies at the prestigious University of Oxford, shared on Instagram that she will be moving back to India within two months of graduating.
In a video that resonated with many young professionals and students online, Niyati explained that her thinking is rooted in the concept of “regret minimisation” making choices based on what one is least likely to regret years later, rather than what feels safest in the moment. “The idea is to essentially make decisions based on minimizing future potential long-term regret rather than short-term fear,” she said.
‘My goal was never to immigrate’
Niyati said that staying back in the United Kingdom would have opened doors to a promising legal career. However she said that was never the primary reason she pursued higher education abroad.
When she thinks of time in the UK, she described the experience fondly and said she hopes to return someday. However, she clarified that her intention was always to gain a quality education rather than build a permanent life overseas. “Even though I’ve loved my time in UK and I would love to come back sometime, my first primary goal was always to get a quality education and not to immigrate,” she said.
Returning home for a larger purpose
The strongest factor behind her decision, Niyati revealed, was her commitment to Pratisandhi, an initiative she deeply believes in and wants to nurture further in India. Though she admitted that a legal career in the UK was a “viable opportunity,” she said she feared a different kind of loss, wondering what could have happened if she had never returned home. “While staying in UK to pursue a career in law would have been a viable opportunity, I feel that I would have always regretted not coming back and giving Pratisandhi a full chance of growing and becoming all that it could be,” she explained.
Embracing uncertainty with conviction
Niyati was candid about the uncertainty surrounding her choice. She admitted she does not know whether moving back will ultimately prove to be the “right” decision. But for her, clarity lies not in guarantees, but in values. “I don’t know what the future holds and if this was a good decision, but my guiding values and principles are to minimize regret.”