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  • Wednesday, 9 March 2011
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Question of the Week: How Will You Welcome the Year of the Rabbit?

Monday, January 31st, 2011 at 10:51 am

One of the toughest parts of studying in the U.S. is being far from home and your favorite holiday traditions. But the Chinese New Year (which falls on Feb. 3 this year), is one holiday that’s celebrated around the world. You might be far from your own traditions, but wherever you are, there are sure to be some new traditions waiting for you.

How is the Chinese New Year celebrated where you are? Join VOA’s “Chinese New Year Where I Am” project on Flickr, where we’re mapping photos of new year traditions around the world. Share your pictures and your stories, and learn about Chinese New Year festivities in other cultures.

Here’s a sampling of the photos we’ve seen so far…you’ll have to visit the Flickr group to see where they were taken!

So, what traditions will make your Chinese New Year special?

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Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »


Who’s Nicer, Americans or Chinese?

Friday, January 28th, 2011 at 10:50 am

Before coming to the U.S., some people told me that Americans are very nice, warm and friendly, while others said that the western culture and philosophy is about egoism, highly individualism which means little emotional bonds among people, in other words, Americans are selfish and cold. Those were what I have been told before.

Yes Nice

Creative Commons photo by Flickr user MR38

(Neither is true~~~)

After living here for a while, based my observation and feelings, Americans are indeed nicer in some aspects, such as TALKING. It is way too easy to get complimentary words from my dear American friends. Foreign new comers are sure to be flattered all the time all the time, but as time goes by, they will figure out it and become the ones who output nice words.

So newcomers, please take a conservative attitude when people here say you are amazing, great or something is wonderful, perfect. Most of times, it is just a habit of saying like that, the truth is you are still who you are, your worries are still out there, just enjoy the compliment for a second and then get back to real life.

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Posted in Culture Shock | 27 Comments »


So Close: Otabek’s Story

Thursday, January 27th, 2011 at 10:39 am

On this blog we focus on the experiences of students who have been successful in coming to the U.S. to study.  But what if you’re not successful?

I met Otabek, who lives in Uzbekistan, through the ExchangesConnect community. He got accepted into the Youth Exchange Opportunity (YEO) program, but ultimately could not participate because he didn’t meet one of the requirements.  Here’s his story, which he told to me over email:

Studying in the US has been the biggest goal of mine . I started learning English when I was 10 years old. My first English teachers were from Michigan , USA . They taught me English for 4 years. They gave me some essential information about the US educational system, customs and their lifestyle. All of these things encouraged me more to determine and set up my goal to study in the US .

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Posted in Applying to Schools | No Comments »


The State of the Union and International Students

Thursday, January 27th, 2011 at 8:56 am
President Obama delivers the State of the Union (Photo: AP)

President Obama delivers the State of the Union (Photo: AP)

President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night focused a lot of attention on American education.

He praised U.S. universities, saying, “We’re the home to the world’s best colleges and universities, where more students come to study than any place on Earth” (although he failed to note that the U.S. share of foreign students is dropping, and, if you don’t include China, the number of international students in the U.S. last year actually fell), and called for maintaining increasing education funding.

He also emphasized that American schools are unique in their focus on critical thinking, saying, “What’s more, we are the first nation to be founded for the sake of an idea … It’s why our students don’t just memorize equations, but answer questions like: ‘What do you think of that idea? What would you change about the world?’”

But the part of the speech that caught my eye most was when he talked specifically about student visas:

Today, there are hundreds of thousands of students excelling in our schools who are not American citizens. Some are the children of undocumented workers, who had nothing to do with the actions of their parents. They grew up as Americans and pledge allegiance to our flag, and yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others come here from abroad to study in our colleges and universities. But as soon as they obtain advanced degrees, we send them back home to compete against us. It makes no sense.

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Posted in Student Visas | 1 Comment »


Sometimes a Direct Flight Is a Missed Opportunity

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011 at 10:16 am

If there is one thing I recently learned, it is that you never know what America has in store for you to explore. San Francisco is one of those American gems that charmed me immediately. I had a half-day layover last Saturday as I was flying back to school in New Mexico. Since my flight from Hong Kong to San Francisco arrived quite early in the morning, I decided to make a quick visit to the downtown area of the city.

Here are some photos I took (click on any picture to enlarge it to full size):

I took the BART train from the airport station to Powell station. This ride took me right to the heart of downtown San Francisco, where the streets are crowded with malls, retail stores, restaurants and cafes…

BART train in San Francisco San Francisco public transport map

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Posted in Campus and Social Life | 2 Comments »


Quick Links: New York Colleges Ban Smoking, Study Says Colleges Failing Students

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 at 11:37 am

1) EducationUSA has been running a series of online sessions about researching your choices for studying in the U.S. They’ve got them all archived in a handy online player on their website:
http://www.educationusa.info/edusa_connects/

2) If you’re a smoker, your college options just dwindled.  City University of New York, a network of 23 colleges, has banned smoking on campus:
http://www.good.is/post/that-cigarette-s-banned-on-campus/

They join over 450 other U.S. schools (as listed by the American Non-Smokers’ Rights Foundation):
http://www.no-smoke.org/pdf/smokefreecollegesuniversities.pdf (PDF)

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Dispelling Myths About Hijab, Daily Prayers, and Other Practicalities of Muslim Life on Campus

Monday, January 24th, 2011 at 3:05 pm

Earlier today we posted about Islamophobia and how Muslims are viewed in America.  But when we asked you what you wanted to know from Muslims students, it turned out you also have some more practical concerns about observing Islam on campus.

Muslim myths

So let’s talk about some of the myths surrounding what Muslims students can and cannot do in the U.S. …

Dispelling the myths

Many colleges, even those with smaller Muslim populations have a Muslim student association, which facilitates activities for Muslim students and can help advocate for any special needs Muslim students may have, like dietary and prayer requirements.

Every college campus is different of course. Some have large Muslim populations, some have smaller ones. Some have very active Muslim student associations, some don’t.  There’s no guarantee of exactly what you’ll find at any given school. But you are guaranteed some basic rights, as listed by the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Myth: I won’t be allowed to wear hijab or other religious attire

There is no ban on wearing hijab, or any other religious attire, on campus.

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Posted in Campus and Social Life | 4 Comments »


We Are Not Terrorists: Muslim Experiences on Campus

Monday, January 24th, 2011 at 10:10 am

Last week I shared a message that I received on Facebook:

I hope American people wouldn’t bother it at all for a moeslim girl like me study and live in their neighbourhood :)

It inspired us to look at stereotypes and how American classmates react to foreign students. Our bloggers said they have had positive experiences, and that Americans who don’t know much about their countries are more likely to be curious than judgmental. But we wanted to look deeper at what it’s like for Muslims students who come to the U.S. Is Islamophobia real, and will you experience it?

We are not terrorists

Our reporter Suzanne Presto spoke this month to a group of students who had just arrived in the U.S. from Pakistan as part of the UGRAD exchange program, and many of them talked about their desire to prove to Americans that Pakistanis and Muslims are not terrorists.

Muhammad Aslam told her he had read in the media about controversy over building a mosque near Ground Zero and the rise of Islamophobia in America. “We have been labeled as terrorists and aggressive people, but we are not like that,” Muhammad said.

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Posted in Campus and Social Life | 4 Comments »


Are Foreign Students Stereotyped by American Classmates?

Friday, January 21st, 2011 at 12:41 pm

This week, the Question of the Week was about tolerance and prejudice on campus.  How do Americans react to international students and the diversity that they bring?

I asked our bloggers to reflect on their experiences, and to discuss any negative incidents they may have had with stereotyping or prejudice.  But (happily!) they all had nothing but positive things to say about how they’ve been received by Americans.

The question was inspired by a message I received from a Muslim student, and we’ll look more in depth at what life is like for Muslim students in upcoming posts.

Senzeni Mpofu

Prior to my departure from Zimbabwe, I had braced myself for the worst type of racism one can ever experience. The tales of woe that some returning students shared fueled my fears: One student confessed that no one wanted to share a seat with her on the bus simply because she was black. Another told me about her biology professor, an openly racist man who would laud praise on her white research partner for an experiment that they had done together. The list goes on, with each story more mortifying than the last.
…
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Posted in Campus and Social Life | 6 Comments »


Taxes, Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Why the Spring Semester Means Lots of Paperwork

Thursday, January 20th, 2011 at 1:04 pm

It’s that time of year again. Colleges and universities in America usually have an academic year consisting of a fall (autumn) semester, and a spring one. Summer classes are often available too, as are semesters or courses abroad, but most students pursuing four-year undergraduate degrees start in a fall semester and graduate at the end of a spring semester.

So the spring semester is the second half of the academic year, although it is the beginning of the calendar year, which, in my experience, anyway, has meant focusing on three paperwork-intensive things:

1) Taxes

2) Financial aid

3) Scholarships

Taxes

Before coming to the States, what little I knew about U.S. taxes came from TV and movies, where it seemed like a terribly painful process, involving massive paperwork that had to be handed in by tax day, sometime in April.

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Posted in Financial Aid and Scholarships | 3 Comments »


My Work Experience with the Female Politicians of Afghanistan

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011 at 10:22 am
Boxes of ballots cast in the 2010 Afghan parliamentary elections. Photo by Flickr user camafghanistancam

Boxes of ballots cast in the 2010 Afghan parliamentary elections. Photo by Flickr user camafghanistancam

While living in Afghanistan and the US, I have learned and explored about my abilities and skills, and future. My family and friends have always admired my hard work as a student and leader in my school. They have told me that I deserve to become a leader, maybe even the first woman president of Afghanistan. Considering their suggestions, I realized being a politician might be a way to achieve my dreams.

This summer I had the opportunity to see what it is like to be an Afghan woman politician. Going in to the experience I only knew that it is hard for a woman to be a politician because of the threatening situations in Afghanistan. Now I also know that I am capable of achieving my goals and that I can fight and make life better in my country.

I have valuable skills to share

Over the summer I worked as a trainer in an organization called NDI (National Democratic Institute), which trained and supported Afghan women to run for the elections of 2010. It was hard to be selected because many other candidates were as old as my mom. They were even surprised to see me on the day of the interview. Even though I was not sure the organization would pick me for this high position, I thought positively. I knew I had a good resume and the capability to do the job well. The European woman who interviewed me was impressed by my confidence, the public speaking experience on my resume, and it was a bonus that I speak five languages.

Fortunately, I got accepted.

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Posted in After Graduation | 2 Comments »


Question of the Week: Being a Muslim (or Anything Else) on Campus

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011 at 2:51 pm

Many of our bloggers have brought up that one of the things they’ve been most pleased to find in America is diversity – people from all over the world and people with all sorts of beliefs and preferences. But Martin Luther King Day yesterday serves as a reminder that America has a difficult history, and ongoing struggles, when it comes to accepting people from different backgrounds.

This week we’ll be looking at prejudice and tolerance on American campuses – what prejudices you might encounter and which ones you’ve heard about that aren’t true at all. What have you heard about how different races, religions and ethnicities are treated in America? Would you be worried about how U.S. students would accept you?

We’ll look in particular at what it’s like to come to America as a Muslim. I recently received the following message from a student on Facebook:

I really want to study abroad, to America of course… Actually, my boss would probably pick Aussie for us as most of them had studied there, but I need to go further than that :)

But, the “jilbab” that I wear quite worry me, I hope American people wouldn’t bother it at all for a moeslim girl like me study and live in their neighbourhood :)

I wanted to write back and say, “Of course it wouldn’t be a problem.” But the reality is probably more complicated.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »


Understanding America: I Have a Dream

Monday, January 17th, 2011 at 3:34 pm

The phrase “I have a dream” is enshrined in American culture and identity, and the man who spoke those words, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is commemorated today with a national holiday. To understand a bit about America’s struggle with race relations and why Martin Luther King is honored as a pioneer, take a look at the most famous section of his most famous speech, I Have a Dream:

Posted in Quick Links | 1 Comment »


Does Your Cell Phone Rule Your Life? Staying Connected in the US

Friday, January 14th, 2011 at 5:44 pm

This week’s Question of the Week came to us from our friends at Digital Frontiers.  They wanted to know what technology and devices you use each day.  Are you tied to your BlackBerry or texting from your Nokia?  Do you update Facebook multiple times a day or play games online?  Do you wish you were more wired or less?

And most importantly, what can you expect in the U.S.?  Will you be ahead of the curve or behind compared to your American classmates?

Tara tweets about her BlackBerry from her BlackBerry. Now that's dedication to your device.

Tara tweets about her BlackBerry from her BlackBerry. Now that's dedication to your device.

We asked our bloggers how their relationship to technology and their gadgets has changed since coming to the U.S.  They talk about what’s different between where they grew up and America, and what bad habits they’ve picked up when it comes to their connectedness:

Sebastian Sanchez

I can affirmatively say that at least in Bolivia and America people are pretty much the same when is about having “gadgets” or being involved on the “tech trends.” … But there are still some differences among countries, mostly related to economic factors.

For example, in Bolivia cellphones, and hardware in general, are overall more expensive than in America and for that reason far less people are used to having fancy phones like iPhones or Blackberrys. But on the other hand, services are usually cheaper. One big difference is the mobile companies, in Bolivia talking is not really expensive, as opposed to America, and talking and texting in a phone is almost the same price.

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Posted in Culture Shock | 3 Comments »


An Ordinary Winter Break

Thursday, January 13th, 2011 at 2:15 pm

I tend to ease into the same comfortable and predictable schedule every year when I return home for a winter break from school:

√ Christmas Eve: Visit cousins and eat copiously

√ Christmas Day: Exchange gifts with family and eat copiously

√ New Year’s Eve: Celebrate with old high school friends, eat copiously and drink champagne

√ Every day: Do anything but work

Going home to New Jersey and falling into this routine is like gravity to me.  My sister is home from college, my dad is home because our farm is off-season, my mom is home extra days from the office, and my old friends are home from school or wherever else.  I have a lot of people to take it easy with, and, anyway, the holidays are supposed to be the time of year when just loafing around is okay.

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