Calcutta, July 1: They have the same dreams but are a world apart.

Children from villages studying in colleges in cities and towns are finding it increasingly difficult to adjust with their urban mates.

But help is at hand. Private institutes offering professional courses are organising special training programmes for students from rural belts on urban manners and communication skills.

The training begins next week, a month before the official commencement of the current session.

Sources in the colleges said they had noticed that in the last two years, many students from remote villages had quit within a month or two because they could not adjust with their class and hostel mates, most of whom were city-bred.

Nasima Banu (name changed) was one of them. The girl from a small Burdwan village left Chandernagore’s Bengal School of Technology after about a week last year. The institute authorities then persuaded her to return. But it took her more than three months to adjust.

According to officials of private institutes, since last year, at least 30 per cent of students joining their courses have been from remote villages.

“More and more students from Bengal’s remote villages are showing interest in our professional courses in computer applications, hospitality management and pharmacy. Most of them have the ability to do well academically. But we find that since they are not exposed to urban lifestyle, they lack the confidence to compete with urban students. We are trying to help them overcome this handicap,” said Surajit Nag, a member of the Bengal School of Technology governing body.

“The idea is that by the time the session starts, those coming from remote villages get some grooming so that they are able to mix freely in class and hostels,” he said.

“These students should not give up their ambitions. They only need a bit of extra training,” said Sutapa Bhatta, the director of the Calcutta-based Institute of Hotel and Restaurant Management.