Study in the USA - Student Blog

We always think or kind of prepare ourselves to the changes we may encounter when we face a different atmosphere than the one we are used to. Well, I have to say that for me, even after one year and a half of living in a different country, I am still not used to the changes of weather, or how to manage my money very well in dollars coming from using another currency my entire life. There are many things that can give us cultural shocks, but it is up to us whether to make it a big shock or a small one.
I know that changing schools was a big thing for me, it helped me to be stronger and open towards meeting new people, but sometimes it feels like everybody is already in a group making it harder for someone else to go in. But, it is not as hard. Actually many people knowing that you are from another country feel curiosity about your origins, and sometimes even see you as exotic.
Another thing that can provoke a shock in us is the dramatic change of weather. These last couple of days, there was an ice-snow storm which was going to be the biggest in 15 years in the state of Missouri. It was literally raining ice, and you could hear sounds outside the window like little pieces of rocks hitting it, of course it was the ice. It started accumulating to the point where the University had to shut down for two days, and it didn’t help that after the ice storm it started snowing.
As international students, sometimes we can find obstacles but hey, anyone can beat them and overcome them to make of studying abroad an unforgettable experience.

So, here I am about to start my fourth semester in college, after a nice vacation back home (Mexico). It was great being able to see my family, celebrate the holidays, see my friends and be in known territory
When I got there, it felt like I was never gone, and a blink of eyes I was back in the U.S.A.
It can seem like a surprise to some of you, but yes an international student changed a major, I changed my major from Accounting to Psychology. If you don’t know, not many international students change their majors too often, because of the money that this involves, and because sometimes we are taught that the decision that you made as a senior in high school for your career has to be definitive and unchangeable.
But, guess what? It turns out to be that I may graduate a semester earlier with the required credits and including a minor. So, if you ever feel hesitant about changing your major, just investigate it, and check it out and if it turns out to be a major that can make you happier or goes along with your life goals, I advise you to do it and give a twist to your life, who knows maybe this can fit better to your life.

Lots of food… nice company…fun time….

Aren’t these not part of the experiences we face when we celebrate thanksgiving in the United States?

I have to say that I found myself surrounded by amazing people, making me feel so welcomed, and in a family setting, which sometimes is necessary being so far away from home. It has been about 3 months since I was home last and I sure miss it.

As an international student, I have found myself finding times when I miss my family and I miss home more than ever. Especially when everybody is saying “I’m going to go home, yeih! Tomorrow my dad will come pick me up…” and when they ask me: “What are you doing for this break? Are you going home?” I find myself wishing I could go back home as well, but it is not so easy being so far away.

I am grateful that I found myself in a place where hands have been reached to me for me to feel less homesick. For example, there is a program in the University called Friendship Families, where families invite the international students to have Thanksgiving dinner at their house. Another example is when professors and faculty call me inviting me to their homes as well. Just like this, the International Office and International Student Association organizes a dinner where all international students and anybody else who wants to come can celebrate together a dinner typical of the American holiday of Thanksgiving. In my case, this year I was surrounded by a great family. I had the opportunity to travel to Missouri and taste great foods, such as turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cauliflower/broccoli salad, strawberry jelly, pumpkin pie ( one of my favorites!), pumpkin cheese pie, cherry cheesecake, strawberry rhubarb, and delicious apple pie. I sure did eat a lot… I have to say that it is so much better than dorm food

I know for a fact that in Mexico, Thanksgiving as a traditional holiday is not celebrated, and by this same reason, it has started to grow on me the longer I live in the United States.

Being far away from home, can seem like a time where we miss out of a lot of our culture’s development. But what we forget and put to the side sometimes, is that we should take advantage of every experience that we face in our lives, especially as international students. In this case, we have to learn from the experience of Thanksgiving in the United States.

Thanks to all the people that make international students feel welcomed during the holidays! Thanks to the people that made me enjoy this thanksgiving, and that showed me fun a time! Also, thanks to the people that thought of me during the holidays! Happy Thanksgiving!

I can’t believe that I have been studying in the United States for longer than a year. I am already in my 10th week of my first semester of my sophomore year, and it feels like I just started yesterday. I am absolutely in love with the University I chose and I can honestly say that studying abroad is one of the best experiences in my life.

Today, we had our first Hale or as my Ecuadorian friend and I like to call it: SNOW! It was great, just looking through the glass and experiencing things and events that back home, in our countries, we don’t get to experience.

I found great friends, who have accompanied me through these ride and I am so grateful for them. Life is easier with friends you know? My friends come from all over the world (including the US) and it is great to know people from all over because I can travel so much and find friends anywhere I go. In the same way, my friends can come visit me anytime if they ever visit Mexico and I am there at the same time.

Some of my friends are from Germany, and they are really enjoying their time while living in the United States. For fall break, some of them visited California, surrounding parts of Indiana, Illinois, and many other places. Also, others for Thanksgiving will visit Miami, Bahamas, New York, Canada, and many other places. They are really enjoying and taking advantage of their time here and I feel like every student while abroad, should visit the country where they are as much as they can. Who knows when they will have the same opportunity again?

Classes are beginning to get harder and at the same time I am starting to feel more comfortable with the University’s academic atmosphere. I am getting a hang on of things and this is helping me to further immerse myself in the Academic world of Academics.

Everything can get to our hands if we fight for what we believe in. Definitely try harder than your normal standards and no challenge (especially the one of studying abroad) will be strong enough to get you down.

As I have mentioned before, being involved in school can really help to expand our views in life. About two weeks ago, I was invited to join a volleyball team that was going to be entering the intramural competition, and of course I accepted. I love volleyball and I used to play it when I was younger. In this team, I am playing with great friends, who altogether make of this team, an international one. My friends in this team are from different countries: Germany, Ecuador, United States, Turkey, Rumania, and of course… Mexico (me… !

We have played three games, and the first one was just a friendly one that did not count towards the real competition. The real first game that was taken into account was lost, but tonight we had our second game and we won! We went to three sets… because we had the opportunity to win the second set, but I in the match point to win, I missed the serve giving them an advantage and when they scored again, they won and we went to a third set.

It is amazing how cultures from all over the world can get together and find this on common, such as volleyball. We had some troubles in the court too… The Germans were speaking in their language, who knows what they were saying… I was talking in Spanish with my friend from Ecuador, and everybody was clueless about what we were saying…

It was a good time, and it was even better that people being raised by completely different cultures can find something that unites them… I have to say that I love this globalized world… it makes it seem like nothing is impossible anymore…especially the fact of winning a volleyball game by people from all over the world!

This semester I decided to take 18 credit hours. Oh wow! It’s so much work. I am taking: Business Statistics, Core, Finite Mathematics, Principles of Macroeconomics and Financial Accounting. They are all very interesting classes but they take a lot of dedication and the truth is that sometimes they take more work than normal, because of the barriers found when studying in my second language. The good thing about this is that I learn so much, and my vocabulary and speech keeps improving every day.

I remember the first time I came to the States and actually stayed for a while, I remember that one time I got sick from food poisoning, and in Mexico, you when you get sick like this, you say “me intoxiqué” which is like ” I got intoxicated” and when I said that in English, everybody saw me weird… like “why is this girl saying intoxicated like this?” It wasn’t until later when I realized that saying this in English meant that I had gotten drunk, and that was definitely not the case.

Having the opportunity of living in the United States, really has helped me to develop in my academic and learning part of my life, and also in my prsonal growth. I am sure that misunderstandings like those ones will happen again, and that is ok, because you learn from them, and that is what is important.

Time is flying… and I can’t believe it has been already 4 weeks since my arrival to the United States coming from Mexico this summer.  I feel like I have been living here for a longer time than that. My life has been going to every direction, including friendships, activities, the daily routine, etc. I’m actually even more involved than I planned to be at the beginning of this semester.

This semester, I decided to write for the University’s newspaper, and I have 2 columns published so far. The effect that writing this column has had on people is actually better than I expected. I went to a party last weekend and when I introduced myself to someone, he already knew who I was from my column, and he even commented on it about it. In the period of 1 week, I got comments from professors, friends, and people I did not even know, which made me realize that sometimes we have bigger consequences in this world than we think we do.

I am also involved in the Delta Epsilon Chi, which is a college division of DECA, and it belongs to the Indiana chapter in the business field. Being involved in DEX (Delta Epsilon Chi) will open doors for me for future business related activities. As a matter of fact, they organize competitions and you can end up travelling all around the United States by simply showing your business skills.

Getting involved in campus activities can really help you to grow as a student, an individual, and as a person because of your personal qualities. Now, I can say that I am an international student living college life to its fullest.

The past few weeks have been a rollercoaster of experiences. First of all, I said goodbye to my friends and to my hometown in Mexico, and I had to face the adventure of discovering this whole new atmosphere of my life. Last Monday I arrived at Valparaiso, Indiana. I have to say that I absolutely love it here, people are nicer than anywhere else I have been in the United States, and the school seems to have a “top-notch” education. The hard part about this experience was saying goodbye to family when they left me here in Valparaiso, and said hello to growing up as an independent human being. Being on my own is definitely one of the most rewarding and wonderful moments of my life. I am living my life as happy as I can, and even though experiencing a new start can be frightful, the hard part is to face it, and everything else will fit into place on its own time.

After arriving at Valparaiso, I started to move in my stuff in the dorms, and of course I was one of the first people there because classes were still a week away and international students had the benefit of being able to move in a couple of days before everybody else. The room was smaller than I pictured, my bed was a sofa at the same time, and we had NO AIR CONDITIONING! I immediately bought a fan and all of the things I needed for me to be able to live on my own. For example, I bought notebooks, 2 posters to decorate my room, a pillow, a lamp, a trash can, a safe, a plastic storage bin to put my clothes, hangers, dishes, soap, laundry bag, laundry soap, towels, a shower tote, a rug, school supplies, and the most important thing…. FOOD! I was all set after a long night of trying to get me moved in, and I was ready to go rest and enjoy the last couple of days with my parents. Finally, after a couple of days of running back and forth, I finally finished to get me settled because I also had to change my car plates to new plates of the new state where I am living at. Things can get done, but try to organize them before you arrive in the USA so things can flow more smoothly and you can actually enjoy the ride.

Later on, the weekend before classes I got to go to the international orientation and I got to meet people from all over the world. There were international students from Germany, England, Turkey, France, China, Korea, Africa, Ukraine, Ecuador, India, Poland, Saudi-Arabia, and many many other places. It was great to actually attend this orientation, because from there I found many people that became are now my friends, and actually one of them is from Ecuador, and she has become a very close friend.

I was feeling nervous about meting more people and registering for classes, and then I met my roommate. My roommate is great, and we have more things in common than I can even mention. We get along great, and along with my friend from Ecuador and another girl from our floor, we have become a group of 4 very good friends. The girl from Ecuador and me are Latinas, and the other two girls are from the US, we get along great, and it happens that we are all in the business field.

Trying to meet new people and keeping an open mind in getting to know other cultures can help us to develop and become more mature people. I would not trade this experience for anything, and I can definitely say that this is one of the best moments of my life. Or like there is a phrase that says: “Carpe Diem” which is in Latin for SEIZE THE DAY….Take advantage of everything!

Wow….7 more days and I will be back in the US, I am sure going to miss Mexico but I am so excited for what is coming next for me! Well, as I am going to be a sophomore in a new University, I am really nervous about getting to a new place without knowing anyone, although the idea of having a fresh start excites me…I am going to meet people from all over the world and I will be surrounded by a complete new atmosphere, which really intrigues me; it makes me want to discover more about this new place I will be living in for the next 3 to 4 years.

As you know, I was studying at Southeast Missouri State University (also known as SEMO) for the last year, so I am going to have to pick up my stuff from Missouri and move them to Valparaiso University, my new college I will attend to in Indiana. The distance from place to place is about 6 hours driving, so it shouldn’t be really bad. My parents are coming with me and will accompany me in my first tour of the new University. It will be kind of hard to leave Missouri because I adapted to this new place and I felt welcomed by everybody. Also, I made really good friends and I simply got used to the SEMO type of living. I am not saying it will not be hard, but I am sure that all of this is just part of the process of letting go and looking for new opportunities outside of the familiar zone we all have.

When I got to Missouri in August 2007, I realized that the Universities in the United States are very different and at the same time a lot like the Universities in Mexico. First of all, I realized that in the United States you have your courses requirements by area, and each area has its own classes that you can choose from, when in Mexico most of the time you have the classes chosen for you, but in both places you can usually choose the professor your prefer. Also, most of the students in the Universities in the US DO NOT live with their parents, when in Mexico most of the college students DO live with their parents. In the same way, in the United States it is very common to hear terms like FAFSA and loans for students because many of the students pay for their own University education, when in Mexico loans are not common for students to use, actually many of the students in Mexico have their education paid by their parents. Just like all of those examples, I realized that public education in the US is not very cheap; sometimes it is more expensive than a private institution. On the other hand, in Mexico public education is a lot cheaper than private, but in both places one can realize that private institutions are not always better than public ones.

As an international student, I realize that sometimes it can be intimidating to get to a new place and have everything around be unfamiliar, but this world is filled with people that will help you and welcome you, don’t lose your patience! Also, trust your instincts and try to enjoy everything around you, learn as much as you can from this whole new experience. As Khalil Gibran once wrote in his book Broken Wings, “Challenging obstacles and difficulties is more noble than retiring to tranquility,” as you can see history has pushed us to try new things, let’s do it!

Gibran, Khalil. Alas Rotas. Trans. Ángeles F. Rubio. Spain: Mestas Ediciones, 2007.

My name is Laura Herrejón, and I was born in the city of Monterrey about 19 years ago. Later on, at the age of 8, my family and I moved to the city of Querétaro, which has become my home for the last 11 years.
For my elementary and my secondary education, I attended the American School of the state of Querétaro which helped me a lot to learn about the cultural background of America. Later on, at 13, I participated in a foreign exchange program that allowed me to learn more about the American way of life. I lived in the town of Tomah, Wisconsin and stayed there for about eight weeks. Staying in Wisconsin with an American family gave me a hands-on experience of the American lifestyle.

After graduating middle school, I applied to the top high school in Mexico. I was accepted into the Tecnológico de Monterrey system. Since then, I became involved in many extracurricular activities, such as aerobics, spinning, yoga, gym, hawaiian dancing and volleyball. Also, the last semester of high school, I participated in a Model United Nations by representing the USA. I received an award for the Best Delegate out of the 400 participants. In this simulation I had to research, create resolutions, and speak in English the entire time. The process used in the simulation was entertaining and fun as well as educational. I was very proud of everything I accomplished.

Moreover, I have been studying French for the past three years, which will help me a lot for my academic and cultural development. Throughout the experiences I have lived, I learned to adapt to new cultures that came from people with different backgrounds; but all of this did not stop me from loving what I was doing. Sometimes it is worth the effort for the rewards received in every activity I do.
When I was studying my last year of high school, it occurred to me the idea to study in a different country to open my mind to new cultures in a deeper level. At first, I decided to study Accounting and as I researched more about the business world and education, I ended up choosing to study in the USA for my University Studies because of its great business atmosphere. I got admitted to several American Universities and decided to start my Higher-Education studies in Southeast Missouri State University.

Not long after studying in Southeast Missouri State University, I was being recognized for my effort in the University. I was given two diplomas for my placement in the Dean’s Honor List for the semesters of Fall 2007 and Spring 2008. Also, because of the same reason of obtaining high grades, I became a member of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society and got a certificate for it. In addition, I obtained another different diploma which certified my participation as a treasurer for the International Student Association. In the same way, I received another certificate of recognition for being a member of the Association of Phenomenal Women. I really enjoyed being a part of the school activities and associations; I was actually also involved in the Student Activities Council which organized all the fun events around campus.

It was not until last March 2008 when I was offered a scholarship to study in Valparaiso University, a private institution located in the Northern part of Indiana. By consequence, I decided to take the scholarship and continue my college education there.

The diversity I have been exposed to has opened my eyes to different cultures and ways of thinking. I have faced many challenges, but I managed to pull through by patience, consistency, determination, vision and fun. Now, I am living my life in the USA, where I chose to develop and grow in a personal and educational way. Life becomes more intriguing now and, at the same time, more unpredictable. Having encouragement and knowledge about who I really am, university experience allows me to achieve more dreams, never forgetting to enjoy the process.