Destination USA: Gain most from your college experience

Although I’m a US citizen, I happen to have the unusual experience of earning my high school degree overseas and starting my college experience in the United States. That’s not a typical experience for an American to have, but it gives me a unique perspective. And it gives me a sense of the challenges that […]

Although I’m a US citizen, I happen to have the unusual experience of earning my high school degree overseas and starting my college experience in the United States. That’s not a typical experience for an American to have, but it gives me a unique perspective. And it gives me a sense of the challenges that an Indian student might experience on a US campus.

American culture can feel foreign even to me, given that I’ve grown up overseas and my family doesn’t live in the United States. Thus, I find myself tackling this “new” culture all on my own.

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Sometimes, it’s hard to get myself to go out and experience the new setting I’ve found myself in, but when I do, it’s always worth it. I’ve found that if I’m nervous about experiencing something new, my university will usually have an event for students to participate in it.

University tour

For example, when I wasn’t sure about how to navigate the campus, I found a tour of the university for new students – some of whom I made friends with and never would have met otherwise. When I arrived at the event, we brought our course lists and showed them to some experienced students. They then gave us directions to each of our classes and we went off in groups to go find them.

Participating in this activity helped me a lot since some of the rooms I needed to find were in labyrinth-like buildings. Additionally, the exploration made me more aware of the campus’ layout. It felt much better to travel and bond as a group instead of going in alone and not knowing where I was actually allowed to be; the support made me feel more intrepid and willing to traverse my surroundings.

A friend of mine who I met at that event also wanted to try new things. In her case, she wanted to try fencing. For someone who’d never done it, it seemed like a difficult thing to try with zero experience, but the fencing club had her covered. All students could sign up no matter what their skill level was, and they taught her from the ground up. Now, she even competes in tournaments!

From experience, I know it’s easy to keep your head down and think that those activities aren’t for you. However, I also know that trying new things is one of the best ways to combat feeling out of place and find new friends. Focus on your education, of course, but don’t forget to take advantage of the university’s opportunities to experience your new environment!

– Ariel, US Consulate General, Hyderabad