Students at SFA don’t realize or think about the fact that international students come to SFA every year for an exchange program, or to earn their degree here. As someone who loves learning about different cultures, every semester I sign up for the International Friendship program.
This semester I got so lucky to get Nawfal as my international friend. He is earning his Master in Accountancy and will be graduating in December 2017!
When first arriving to the U.S he experienced his first encounter with an American on the plane in Houston. He explains that his first encounter was quite interesting and was in a way his first impression of America.
Society, education, culture are some of the major differences he has noticed. These include the amount of fast food chains that are a long all highways in Texas. One thing he has noticed is how people are so interested and fascinated by people who are different and those who may have an accent. People tend to be very intrigued by his story, and the way he interacts with people.
People in the U.S are in a way not too used to someone being genuinely kind, to a stranger or a friend of a friend. In Pakistan he explains “people are a bit more personable, and will be kind to outsiders,” the way society works and how people interact is just incredibly different.
Drinking in the U.S especially in a college atmosphere is a big deal “it seems that people become great friends when they drink together, it creates a special bond or something of that sort,” That seems to be a very big deal in the U.S.
As someone who is earning their Master degree here and earned their degree from Kingston in England, he is able to make a comparison of how education systems vary around the world.
Although, this is his second year here at SFA, he notices differences and learns new things about the U.S even today.