As an International students studying abroad in the US, I face many problems such as language barriers, adjustments to weather circumstances, culture shock, and much more. So here’s a Q&A with 3 of our OC international students. Kenta is a first-year Japanese student majoring in Film and Directing. Lingli is a second-year Chinese student aiming for her General Associates. And Dom is a first-year Cambodian student pursuing his Computer Science Associate in Art.
Question 1: What were you most scared of when you first came to America and how did you overcome it
Kenta:
I would say, when I first came here I was surrounded by many Americans and other foreigners. That time, my English wasn’t so good so I found it really hard to communicate with other people. To overcome this, I try to make a lot of connections with other students that are not Japanese. I think I learned more from talking with friends than studying.
Lingli:
To me, I was very scared of the fact that I have to deal with everything by myself. Studying abroad means you cannot always be with your family. I tried very hard to deal with many tasks, such as keeping good grades, trying to be more active, attending as many events and activities as I can, and so on. Usually, I talked about my problems with parents. But now that they’re so far away, even calling doesn’t help much because they never came to the U.S to study so they never experienced this situation. But now all of these turned into a hobby and I keep dealing with and solving problems by myself.
Dom:
One of my biggest fears is making friends. We were from different cultures and regions. The orientation on my first week was very helpful, we did some ice-breaking games, and now I'm glad that I have friends.
Question 2: What are the changes that you noticed in your lifestyle and is it for the better or for the worse?
Kenta:
The good side changes. So, before coming here I rarely took care of myself, like putting my clothes to dry, never cooking for myself because my mom always does it. But now it’s completely changed, I have to care for myself more and complete other daily tasks to survive.
Lingli:
My lifestyle here has improved a lot and it’s for the best. I can experience so much outdoors. When I was in China, I never had much time to experience nature because I was in the city. And after I came here I got so many chances to communicate with Americans and other international students. I became smarter in ways of communicating because I noticed people talk differently when they’re from different regions.
Dom:
I became more organized, I learned how to cook. I became more mature and be able to do things for myself. I think it's for the best.
Question 3: Where is your favorite place(s) to study?
Kenta:
OC library. It’s quiet and everyone seems to be doing their task which motivates me and I can find a lot of books and resources too. Sometimes I also prefer studying in our local coffee shops.
Lingli:
Basically I really prefer our school's library and I really like the cornered desk at the back of those bookshelves because I personally like to study in really quiet places without anyone disturbing me.
Dom:
Since I live with a host family, I really like to study in the living room at home. It's peaceful and quiet and there are people to help me with my homework.
Question 4: What are the differences in the education systems that you’ve noticed between America and your home country?
Kenta:
Obviously, education in Japan is a passive form of teaching and because of that we’re less active, we have less discussion time, less practical studying. In general, the slightest difference is like that.
Lingli:
China is pretty similar to other Asian styles. We take notes, listen, and we rarely have discussions, or not at all. Within the colleges in China, we still have to stand up from our seat to talk with our professor. Sometimes, I’m still not used to sitting down and asking a question. I also noticed that at the end of the quarter we get to grade our professors. I was surprised that professors can be graded by students.
Dom:
One of the obvious things I noticed here was the credit thing. In Cambodia, if you fail one class but the other classes you got high grades. It kind of made up for your 1 failed class which means you don’t have to retake it.
Question 5: What’s your typical weekend like?
Kenta:
I spend my time mostly studying English, watching movies and other stuff, but I mostly prefer talking to a lot of friends whenever I can. Weekends are the management of my schedule.
Lingli:
When I first came here in the summer, the weather was so great, I went to Seattle, Olympic Mountain, a barbeque party nearby the shorelines with friends in school and other international students. Watching the stars from a large field was my favorite. So most of my weekend was very active and fun. I like to go to different places and try new things.
Dom:
I spend them at home, I watch movies to improve my English. I have dinner with my host family and once in a while, I go to a nearby cinema.
