From China to small-town Kent
From: Post time:2009-12-11
|
|
You need specific documents. You need to send these documents to your school. You need the proper knowledge of the United States, and you have to be able to express that knowledge.
You need to mail your transcript, take the SAT's and complete the basic application. When approval is given and the plan is a go, there is just one minor factor left that is standing in the way of your future.
You need a visa.
Without a visa, your documents, scores, knowledge and applications are all worthless.
Eighteen-year-old Hanya Liu received her visa, and so her journey to the United States was no longer a dream.
A noisy airport was the first step of her 13 hour-plus transitional plane ride to begin her new collegiate life. From Nanjing, a capital city of the Jiangsu providence in China, to small-town Kent, Ohio, Liu left her life, family and friends for a chance at a new opportunity in a new world.
She was by herself in confusing airports and surrounded by a secondary language. With long customs lines and inevitable plane delays, Liu said she knew it would pay off when she graduates in four years with a degree in communication studies.
Liu said she has been interested in communications since she was a child. She's hosted performances, been a part of the Chinese Model United Nations and participated in several debates throughout her education.
Her high school education was from the High School Affiliated to Nanjing Normal University. Her school was public, and the reason for its name is because most high schools in China are connected to a Chinese university. While private schools are held in high regards in the United States, she said public schools are China's top schools.
When the end of high school approached, a Kent State professor came to her school and spoke to students about studying abroad in the United States. Liu saw advertisements and came to the meeting where the professor spoke about the school, environment and location of Kent State. She decided to make the big move abroad for the education and the experience.
"When I was in high school, some students wanted to go abroad to help their university studies," Liu said. "I want to have a different experience. Since I have been studying in one (geographical) area for eight years, I have to experience a new life."
Liu's father, Baosong Liu, works at a local television station in Nanjing, while her mother, Han Dong, is a government official. Liu is the only child in the family.
"In my generation, most Chinese just have one child in their family because of some kind of policy, but in my parents' generation, they always have some siblings, so I have many cousins," Liu said with a laugh.
When Liu first arrived to Kent State, nerves took over as she tried to navigate her way around campus. And if it wasn't a hard enough transition, Liu's luggage was lost at the airport, so she had only her carry-ons to unpack in her single room in Leebrick Hall.
"It was just really terrible," Liu said. "When I first came here, to the U.S., no one told me what to do."
With no luggage for two days, Liu had to attempt to settle into college by getting her Flashcard, filing for health insurance and attending the international students' orientation.
"It was horrible when I came here," she said. "I didn't know what to do here at all."
It was a different country with different surroundings and a different language. Liu said in her country she spoke English very well among the other Chinese students. But coming to a country where it's the main language, Liu realized how little she really knew and understood.
"I think the most difference is language," she said. "We think we can speak English well, but there are very few cases where we can talk with a native English speaker."
But once orientation was over, her luggage was returned and insurance was filed, classes began and Liu seemed to settle in to her new location and life.
"I felt everything is in orbit," she said.
After about one or two months, Liu said she felt things were more common even though she was still homesick.
From living in a single, Liu's ability to make friends wasn't easy with the lack of a roommate to kick things off. Liu, however, is in the International Hospitality Program where she is given international partners to meet. These partners are from the United States, and they are the people Liu can go to if she needs help with something. This is the way she found out about some beginning events where she could meet people and branch out.
Liu said she had a couple of friends from her country who currently go to Kent State as well. Also, smaller freshman classes allowed Liu to have group discussions and get to know her classmates in a tighter, more personal environment.
"I feel much better now," she said. "Since I haven't entered college in China, I don't know exactly what universities are like. I don't have any conceptions or opinions about that. Many students here have already experienced their university life before, but I just graduated from my high school and came here. University life is really different from high school. I can have more space and more choices for my courses."
The International Students and Scholar Services has an office where students can go for questions about the school, whether it's navigation, living, classes or other school issues.
Kristi Campbell, assistant director of international affairs, works with the ISSS, and she said in an e-mail that their office is the first place international students go.
"We greet them at the airport and continue with check in, orientation and the first day of classes," Campbell said. "We will help guide the students in the right direction and try to answer as many questions as possible.
"The students have a hard time adjusting to our campus, or culture, and a new lifestyle, and we want to make the transition as easy as possible."
Although Liu said she is more comfortable at Kent State now that she's been here almost a full semester, she's still very homesick. Christmas break will be the first time she's seen them since August. Since her flight is so long, shorter holiday breaks, such as Thanksgiving, aren't worth the effort it takes to go home. Her flight, which goes from Jiangsu, China, to Chicago to Cleveland wouldn't give her enough time to actually be home.
It isn't worth it "to sit for 13 hours, where I can move just a little," she said. "And I can't sleep on the airplane. It's very different from my bed."
The 11-hour time change is a factor, too. It took Liu about a week to adjust to the time change, even though she said she heard it would take at least two weeks.
"I'd usually get tired around one or two o'clock," she said. "That's the time when we would sleep."
The perceptions of the United States for Liu before she arrived were polar opposites. She heard stories and read the media, but basically, one opinion was of excitement and the other was hard work.
"I believe the university life will be more difficult and hard than high school work," she said. "We have to go to a deeper knowledge."
The difficulties from the differences between China and the United States can affect each international student in different ways.
"I forgot some of my perceptions of before," Liu admitted. "You have real life here, and you experience new emotions and ideas."
Culture differences also play a part in Liu's experiences in the United States.
"Some details shocked me. For example, students like to sit on the floor," she said. "Some students are really not afraid of cold weather. When I need to well-sweater, they just wear a t-shirt."
When Liu came to the United States, she was obviously the minority.
"This is the country of immigrants," she said. "In my country, most are native people."
She said you can always see it when they have international students or foreigners who are American or European.
Sarah Sexton, junior history and pre-law major, said she definitely notices international students on campus, but not in a bad way.
"I try to talk to them," she said. "I'm really interested in other people's cultures."
Sexton added she is going to be an international student herself when she studies abroad next semester.
With the help of professors and a few familiar friends in classes, Liu said any uncomfortable feelings seem to disappear. One of her professors allows her to e-mail any questions she has from the class.
"It is a big lecture class, almost 300 students. I can't just raise my hand about language barriers," she said. "He always gave me really detailed and informative answers. It really helped."
Social networks and hobbies also help Liu adapt. Her hobbies, including going to the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, chatting with friends and watching movies, allow her to fit in a little better every day. Social networking sites, such as www.renren.com, the equivalent to Facebook for the United States, give Liu a chance to chat with her Chinese friends from home.
"I think it's the change, the change of the feeling," she said. "One day or one week, you will feel a jump from the old condition to the new condition. It just suddenly feels like, 'Oh, I'm adapted to the environment.' All of sudden you feel that you have jumped out of the uncomfortable condition and adapted to the new environment."
|
|
|
|
|
