As the coronavirus situation is slowly easing up and people are getting back to their daily routines, more and more people are deciding to study abroad. I am one of them. I am a third-year international student from Japan. I had longed to study abroad in the U.S., but I was worried about making friends, the difficulty of the classes, and how stressful the culture shock would be. Here are three things I wish I had known before coming to the U.S. to help those of you thinking the same thing.
Making Friends
When I received my acceptance letter from UCI, I did not know a single person here. I was worried about making relationships here from the beginning, stepping into a place where everyone already knew each other, using unfamiliar English, and making friends with people from different languages, cultures, and backgrounds. However, you don’t have to worry about that. You will make a lot of friends. UCI has a lot of opportunities to make friends, such as club organizations, classes, and events, and many people are interested in you and make an effort to talk to you because you are from another country!!
Academics
UCI’s classes are challenging but enjoyable.
I grew up in Japan, where supposedly it is hard to get in but easy to graduate from university. However, here in the U.S., I had heard that it is easy to enter but difficult to graduate. I was surprised at the number of assignments compared to Japanese universities. I thought that the daily 20 pages of reading and the daily preparation and review would help me pass the tests, but boy was I wrong. I found it very difficult to pass the test. However, the classes are enjoyable, and the professors are very supportive. UCI professors are friendly, and you can solve what you don’t understand and learn new things by visiting during office hours!
Culture Shocks
Culture shock is often given a negative connotation, but I found it to be positive. You can learn a lot from the cultural differences you are exposed to. For example, the way people act and interact with oneother is very different here in the U.S. than in Japan, where I was born and raised. But by trying to adapt yourself to a new culture, you learn what kind of person you used to be. You will be able to look at your home country and yourself objectively and understand yourself more deeply. And once you get used to the new culture, I think you’ll love the country even more!
I have been at UCI for a month now. I know that leaving your home country, adjusting to a completely different lifestyle, and being surprised by the differences can be a challenge, but I am proud of my decision. With this confidence, you will meet new people and have a wonderful experience! I hope this article will help those who are going to study abroad!