Moving out of your parents’ house and going to college is both an exciting and terrifying experience. Every year, the University of Arizona becomes a home away from home for many students who have traveled near and far in order to further their education. But imagine if you were not only moving to a different city, but to a whole other continent! In particular, Li Wang, a junior from Beijing, China, has definitely traveled quite a ways to become a wildcat here at UA.
At 17, Wang had been immersed into American culture at a young age, as she was a foreign exchange student for one year in high school. After a year, Wang went back to her home in China but would soon return to the United States for college. In 2009, Wang made the bold decision to once again, leave her home in China, in pursuit of a higher education here at UA. When asked why she wanted to come to the U.S. for college, Wang said, “College is better here. Here in the United States, people expect more of you in college than they do in China.” Although she was still unsure as to whether she wanted to stay in China or go to the U.S. for college, Wang finally packed her bags and was Tucson bound.
Like many other incoming freshman, Wang chose to spend her next four years at UA for various reasons. Compared to the other schools that she had applied to, Wang said, “I picked UA because of the warm weather and the other schools I was accepted to had colder weather. Also, UA has a really good business program.” In striving to be an accounting major, Wang feels that she had picked the right university to attend. Looking back on our first year of college, I am sure we all had great expectations as to what college would be like as well as having our own personal fears of being a new student in a new school. Before coming to UA, Wang said, “I did not expect it to be so hot during the summer! I was also worried that my freshman year classes were going to be very hard.” As Wang arrived in Tucson, Ariz. with both her expectations and fears, she adjusted easily to college life and living as an adult. She formed many new friendships and came to find that the students here were nothing less then friendly and welcoming.
Now in her third year at UA, Wang has learned much about herself and has great plans for the future. When asked if she could summarize her overall experience at UA and what she has gained from being a college student in the U.S., Wang replied by saying, “I know now what I want to do in the future. Before coming here, I was not so sure. But now that I have been here for almost three years, I know the direction I want to go in. I do get homesick sometimes, but overall I’m glad I came here. ”
Still in pursuit of a degree in accounting, Wang intends to graduate in Spring 2012 and then attend graduate school as she aspires to become a certified public accountant. In the time that Wang has spent as a student at UA, she believes said, “My experience at UA was awesome! I’m very glad I came here.” Although students at UA may come from different parts of the world, they all have something in common: they enjoy their experience at the university and are proud to call themselves wildcats.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Arizona chapter.