Study Overseas

Life is a serious journey of departures and arrivals. Today I kiss home goodbye and on the same day, I am embraced into another home. My pursuit of coming to the U.S. to study after several years has finally been fulfilled.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to America..." Immediately, I jump up from my body-heated seat, breathing in all the air I can and cheering in my heart,

"America, here I am!"

After 26 hours of sitting up straight and loosing track of time and even space, I finally walk out of the last gate of the last airport! It is just like waking up to a brand new day.

Everything seems to be so familiar yet so strange to me. The ground is still hard and solid, but people walking on it look completely different: blue eyes, green eyes; blond hair, brown hair. Strangers still smile and greet me from time to time, but the language back and forth is no longer the same: English, Spanish, and sometimes other languages. Homes still have their sweet and gentle fragrance, but instead of being built in tall buildings, they are now individual houses made of stone or wood, like the ones I read about in the fairy tales.

Curiosity ignites the fire in my heart to discover almost everything. I walk into grocery stores, restaurants and bookstores; converse with people and watch them do anything. Most of the day is filled with excitement and at night, I find some pure peace.

Growing up in a mega city of 12 million people, I have never seen sky with twinkling stars or gone to bed with no "traffic symphony."

"Today is a beautiful day. Tomorrow I am ready to rock!" I smile and end my first day in America with a big thanks to God.

First Week in America- Freedom Overloaded

Imagine, how would you react if all of a sudden, someone gives you almost all of the control in life as a student?

To me, that was exciting for a moment, but challenging for the rest. On the first day of being a student in America, I kept cheering about the freedom I got: no rigid class schedules chosen by advisors; no warnings of when to go to bed given by parents; no strict procedures to follow in order to be involved in organizations. Life seemed to be so easy with all this freedom. However, when I had to make choices 24/7, I didn't always enjoy it. Sometimes, I felt that my brain would explode after being used constantly.

On Selecting Classes

I have been ready to absorb as much knowledge as I can since the moment I got my visa. When it finally came to selecting classes, I had a rough time making my mind of how many credits to take, which classes to go with, when to take the classes and how long of a break I wanted. For a moment, I wish I weren't given all this freedom.

On Managing time

I have been busy getting to make friends during the first week of school. In between classes, I was talking with new classmates. After classes, I was in campus activities meeting new students. When people went to bed, I finally opened my books and made up for the missed homework time. It was not until the end of the first week did I realize the importance of using a planner to manage time well.

I never thought that there could be troubles with lots of freedom. However, my experience reminds me that freedom can only be pleasant when I hold fast to wisdom and responsibility.

First Day of Orientation

The first of every experience in life is always exciting. The best phrase to describe my first Orientation is "lost and found." I don't know much about an Orientation except from the scenes in the movie "Legally Blonde". One thing I know, however, is that it is the starting point of my university path and I am going to make the most out of it.

I have always believed that I don't have the gift of sense of direction. My first action on the first day of Orientation proved that to be correct again. I got lost in my "L"-shaped residence hall on the way out and also failed to find the way to the Orientation building. Fortunately, there are nice people around who showed me the way. "Well, at least I am still half an hour early." I tried to comfort myself and moved on.

We have a group of 15 new students from 6 different countries. It amazes me that I can make friends from all over the world in just one small room. We watch videos of the university, share life stories with one another and ask millions of questions about the university and life in America.

The clock is clicking and we have been taking placement tests, signing up for meal plans, opening bank account, and purchasing all necessities to live on campus for seven hours straight.

Representatives from different student organizations and campus employment offices take turns to offer us opportunities. My heart is pounding faster and faster and my mind is spinning like I could lose it any time. And all I wish for was the arrival of the first day of school.

I am now ready to be lost again, in the fascinating university life full of opportunities and dreams.

Article By: Xixi Meng