8 SEMESTERS IN THE U.S. + 2 SEMESTERS IN CHINA = MY COLLEGE LIFE

May 3, 2016
3 min read

My first day of elementary school in China

Throughout my time in college, study abroad has been very important in my life. I was born and raised in China. When I first came to the U.S., I was just a foreigner who spoke broken English. On August 14, 2012, with a blue stamp in my passport, I jumped into a new country. I didn’t know what would happen, but I looked forward to it.

My passport page

The beginning was much more challenging than I expected. I still remember the first day of my freshman year as I sat in the big auditorium with hundreds of American students who were taking notes. I barely understood what the professor was talking about. The 50 minute class passed so slowly that I suffered every second. My pronunciation was even worse than my listening skills because it needed an interactive environment and took more courage to speak up. I felt extremely nervous when I spoke English, and I avoided every possible speaking situation that I could.

From excitement and optimism, to disorientation, loneliness and homesickness, studying abroad comes with a wide range of emotions. The amazing thing is, however, after you go through all the ups and downs, excitement, challenges and personal reflection, you are not the person you used to be anymore. This doesn’t mean there won’t still be excitement and challenges, of course! But having accepted both the positives and negatives of your situation and reaching a point where you’re more confident in your surroundings, you should be ready to enjoy your time studying abroad and really make the most of it.

2015 TCoB China Study Abroad program students in a Tai Chi class

During my junior year, I was very lucky to be a student manager for Trulaske College of Business Study Abroad. I started to help more and more American students begin their global journeys in China. That’s why my college life equals eight semesters in the U.S. plus two summers in China. Studying abroad in China to the American students on the program is like how studying abroad in the U.S. is to me. They went through similar emotion cycles that I had when I first arrived here. The adjustment was not easy at all. I would say China study abroad program might be the most challenging program our office has offered so far. Asian culture has many differences from Western culture. There is no connection between the languages either. Thus, each student applied to the China program with strong reason. They knew the challenges but still wanted to go without hesitation. I am proud of their courage and insistence, and I am glad to see their growth and progress in a short time. The cross-cultural understanding definitely expanded their horizon and increased their competitiveness. All friends and interviewers are curious about is their China study abroad experience!

Company visit in China

Company visit in China

Local high school visit

As an international student without any family in the U.S., I felt helpless and lonely. I thought about quitting and returning home no less than 20 times. Now, when I look back, I realize all suffering was designed to make me stronger. I am glad that I took the first step four years ago to study here and that I didn’t give up. I took the opportunity to see another part of the world and speak fluent English. I have given presentations to thousands of students confidently. As a Chinese citizen, I am surprised to see great growth in my own country, and I expect it to become even better in the future. I love China and the U.S. Both countries have helped shape me into a unique person. I hope my personal story can inspire you to leave your comfort zone and meet your better self!

So, where’s my next stop? I am planning now. You and I might meet at one corner of the world! Who knows? That is the life!