my experiences studying abroad

[dave]

Since this is a website for Malaysian students studying abroad, I though I might share my experiences with you guys.

This is my last semester at Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania. I got accepted to other schools but my dad was pushing me to come here cos of financial reasons. I took Dad's advice. Best decision I made in my life.

Some of you might be thinking, where the heck is F&M? I'd never heard of it before. Why should I go somewhere that is not well known? Well, I was thinking the same when I first came here. I wanted to transfer to another school ASAP. There were only 3 other Malaysian students here. But I found myself loving this place more and more. Now I can't leave it.

F&M is small, about 1500 students. My first months here was a total culture shock. My roommate was an @<hidden>$$hole and kept to myself mostly because I didn't have anyone to talk to. Then slowly, I started to make friends with the other international students, then moving on to the minorities and finally I got to know the Americans. Now, I can't walk 10 steps without bumping into someone I know. The great thing about this school is, because of its size, the student community here is tight and everybody is really friendly towards each other. Soon the lack of other Malaysian students didn't bother me anymore. I decided to make full use of my study abroad experience by making friends from various backgrounds.

F&M is also a liberal arts college. What is that? Liberal arts means that you have major, but you are free to explore/take whatever courses that interests you. I am a Chemistry major. There are the same number of professors in the dept as the number of chem majors in my year. You really get to know you professors. I have also taken other courses like film studies, Japanese, English, history, etc. They were geat because I wouldn't want to learn nothing but chemistry when I am here. There is a wide world out there that is waiting to be explored.

My study abroad experience is not all rosy though. I found myself changing so much I can't recognize myself anymore. Not physically but mentally. I started to adopt different values than have different opinions about stuff. This has lead to conflicts with my parents and also with myself. I haven't been home in 2 years and I think that I have changed so much that it'll be hard to adjust back to Malaysian life again. Does anybody have any experiences like that?

[dave]

Since this is a website for Malaysian students studying abroad, I though I might share my experiences with you guys.

This is my last semester at Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania. I got accepted to other schools but my dad was pushing me to come here cos of financial reasons. I took Dad's advice. Best decision I made in my life.

Some of you might be thinking, where the heck is F&M? I'd never heard of it before. Why should I go somewhere that is not well known? Well, I was thinking the same when I first came here. I wanted to transfer to another school ASAP. There were only 3 other Malaysian students here. But I found myself loving this place more and more. Now I can't leave it.

F&M is small, about 1500 students. My first months here was a total culture shock. My roommate was an @<hidden>$$hole and kept to myself mostly because I didn't have anyone to talk to. Then slowly, I started to make friends with the other international students, then moving on to the minorities and finally I got to know the Americans. Now, I can't walk 10 steps without bumping into someone I know. The great thing about this school is, because of its size, the student community here is tight and everybody is really friendly towards each other. Soon the lack of other Malaysian students didn't bother me anymore. I decided to make full use of my study abroad experience by making friends from various backgrounds.

F&M is also a liberal arts college. What is that? Liberal arts means that you have major, but you are free to explore/take whatever courses that interests you. I am a Chemistry major. There are the same number of professors in the dept as the number of chem majors in my year. You really get to know you professors. I have also taken other courses like film studies, Japanese, English, history, etc. They were geat because I wouldn't want to learn nothing but chemistry when I am here. There is a wide world out there that is waiting to be explored.

My study abroad experience is not all rosy though. I found myself changing so much I can't recognize myself anymore. Not physically but mentally. I started to adopt different values than have different opinions about stuff. This has lead to conflicts with my parents and also with myself. I haven't been home in 2 years and I think that I have changed so much that it'll be hard to adjust back to Malaysian life again. Does anybody have any experiences like that?

[jiinjoo]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for sharing. Where exactly is F&M? Closer to Pittsburgh side, or Philadalphia side, or in the middle (the nothingness part)?

I thought CMU was small - apparently it is even smaller than CMU - After 3 years in CMU I had the experience of seeing people I know everywhere I go too eventhough the school is about 4 times F&M.

Learning a new perspective is perhaps the most important part of your overseas education, don't you think so? I guess I don't have much of a parent disagreement problem since I grew up disagreeing with them all the time. :D

You mentioned hard to adjust back to old environment - perhaps try changing your environment to suit you? :wink:

[jiinjoo]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for sharing. Where exactly is F&M? Closer to Pittsburgh side, or Philadalphia side, or in the middle (the nothingness part)?

I thought CMU was small - apparently it is even smaller than CMU - After 3 years in CMU I had the experience of seeing people I know everywhere I go too eventhough the school is about 4 times F&M.

Learning a new perspective is perhaps the most important part of your overseas education, don't you think so? I guess I don't have much of a parent disagreement problem since I grew up disagreeing with them all the time. :D

You mentioned hard to adjust back to old environment - perhaps try changing your environment to suit you? :wink:

[littlebigone]

My study abroad experience. I was an A student. Now I'm no more an A student. :( It's not that I'm not capable but I find that with a whole new environment, you lose all the expectations that were piled on your shoulders from before. I had now no expectations whatsoever. So i skip class and lectures. But I still managed to get through by working on my own. My grades have suffered but I don't feel stressed out. It feels weird not overachieving. If I could do it again, I would make sure I had worked harder to get more impressive grades.

I was also in a a greek fraternity - Delta Chi. The fraternity introduced me to lots of things that I should say is not too legal here in the US. I learned a lot about American life and all about people. I had a lot of fun and did a lot of wild things. I was naive before I joined the fraternity but I think I learnt a lot of real life lessons through it.

I must say that right now, I'm working on pulling my life together. I work hard at classes not, though I still miss the occasional lecture. What pisses me off is that there are many people out there who are getting better grades than I am but whom I think are not that smart or good anyway. I guess this goes to show that hard work goes a long way.

Right now, I'm focussing my energies on the final year and a half of my studies here in the US. I think i might have to look for a job because Petronas recently outsourced it's computer departments. Sigh, life isn't what you always planned it out to be.

Although I didn't have a clear picture of my future, I at least saw a couple of paths ahead of me that I could possibly choose. Rite now, it's as if a landslide has covered all these paths. I respond by grabbing my shovel and looking for my own path.

[littlebigone]

My study abroad experience. I was an A student. Now I'm no more an A student. :( It's not that I'm not capable but I find that with a whole new environment, you lose all the expectations that were piled on your shoulders from before. I had now no expectations whatsoever. So i skip class and lectures. But I still managed to get through by working on my own. My grades have suffered but I don't feel stressed out. It feels weird not overachieving. If I could do it again, I would make sure I had worked harder to get more impressive grades.

I was also in a a greek fraternity - Delta Chi. The fraternity introduced me to lots of things that I should say is not too legal here in the US. I learned a lot about American life and all about people. I had a lot of fun and did a lot of wild things. I was naive before I joined the fraternity but I think I learnt a lot of real life lessons through it.

I must say that right now, I'm working on pulling my life together. I work hard at classes not, though I still miss the occasional lecture. What pisses me off is that there are many people out there who are getting better grades than I am but whom I think are not that smart or good anyway. I guess this goes to show that hard work goes a long way.

Right now, I'm focussing my energies on the final year and a half of my studies here in the US. I think i might have to look for a job because Petronas recently outsourced it's computer departments. Sigh, life isn't what you always planned it out to be.

Although I didn't have a clear picture of my future, I at least saw a couple of paths ahead of me that I could possibly choose. Rite now, it's as if a landslide has covered all these paths. I respond by grabbing my shovel and looking for my own path.

[wesleyanne]

yes dave, I HAVE heard of Franklin and Marshall! In fact it was one of the colleges I was about to transfer out to, before I decided to just stay at the current place Im at and spend a year abroad in a different country instead. Franklin and Marshall is another one of the colleges that offer a very good financial aid package. and the admissions officers there are SOOOO nice :)

For me, I'm here at an all womens college, in the middle of nowhere with less than 700 female students! beat that! hahaha :) We spend almost 24/7 in college, seeing the same old faces day after day, and you know people here have no life when the most anticipated event for most of the girls happen to be the annual charity bachelor auction where ppl actually spend hundreds of dollars bidding~ trust me, whenever there's a guy on campus, people actually stare and talk about it :D hahahaha. We also have men curfew hours ;) hahahhahaha

Soooo, like you, I was pretty much miserable coming here, considering I NEVER intended to come to the states in the first place, sacrificed a relationship and stepped out of my comfort zone.

Hence, I was pretty much bitter during my first 2 years, and so desperately wanted to go back, but since both my dad and my mom have spent a considerable amount of time here, i guess he knew what he was doing when he insisted that the experiences abroad would be beneficial in the long run.

Oddly enough, now that I'm about to graduate, I must say that he WAS right :) While sometimes I get quite annoyed that he would pick first tier colleges for my brother and picked THIS particular college for me, of all places, Im still very grateful for the experience. also since my family is sooo diverse in every aspect (religion, race, schools of thought etc etc etc) I don't really find any problems adjusting back. In fact, I think it has improved my relationships with my family and their social circle since a majority of my parents and siblings' friends are also abroad, although most of them annoy me to death when they keep comparing me being in a not so well known place as compared to themselves. ;)

Hmm..since we're talking about college life, I'm the ONLY msian in the whole college, which I think is awesome~ ;) the sisterhood community here is also great, and there's a joke about pyjamas being our school uniform. Seriously, we actually do go to class in our pjs ;) I know I've done that before!!! haha :) dressing up and wearing makeup here is extremely uncommon, if you do, people think you're either going for an interview or you have a date. Professors here invite us back to their homes, cook for us, and seriously treat us as part of their family. Thats ANOTHER good thing about being in a tiny college. Also, I once had a Spanish class with a total of 4 students, and I felt like I was having a private tuition lesson instead :) Professors here also give out their home phone numbers and we can call them anytime we want to, when we're having troubles with our studies.

However, overall, be it in whichever university, in whichever country, the experiences are priceless. I guess education doesnt just limit itself to books, but also to every aspect of life. You grow, you make mistakes, and most importantly, with the very global world we are living in right now, you learn to adapt to different cultures :) yes, we could have also learnt that if we never went abroad, but going abroad, i feel, makes us "grow up" a whole lot faster! and yes, I have finally learned to love being here :) and to add to the frat life issue, its important to take note which frat you join (professional or social), and its very easy to get carried away with the frat events, but if you know how to prioritize, I personally believe that you end up gaining a lot :)

and oh yes, I'm actually writing something similar to this (the influence of American culture on international students) for a professor and will be giving out a survey soon, so please look out for it and help me answer some of my questions :) thanx!!!

[wesleyanne]

yes dave, I HAVE heard of Franklin and Marshall! In fact it was one of the colleges I was about to transfer out to, before I decided to just stay at the current place Im at and spend a year abroad in a different country instead. Franklin and Marshall is another one of the colleges that offer a very good financial aid package. and the admissions officers there are SOOOO nice :)

For me, I'm here at an all womens college, in the middle of nowhere with less than 700 female students! beat that! hahaha :) We spend almost 24/7 in college, seeing the same old faces day after day, and you know people here have no life when the most anticipated event for most of the girls happen to be the annual charity bachelor auction where ppl actually spend hundreds of dollars bidding~ trust me, whenever there's a guy on campus, people actually stare and talk about it :D hahahaha. We also have men curfew hours ;) hahahhahaha

Soooo, like you, I was pretty much miserable coming here, considering I NEVER intended to come to the states in the first place, sacrificed a relationship and stepped out of my comfort zone.

Hence, I was pretty much bitter during my first 2 years, and so desperately wanted to go back, but since both my dad and my mom have spent a considerable amount of time here, i guess he knew what he was doing when he insisted that the experiences abroad would be beneficial in the long run.

Oddly enough, now that I'm about to graduate, I must say that he WAS right :) While sometimes I get quite annoyed that he would pick first tier colleges for my brother and picked THIS particular college for me, of all places, Im still very grateful for the experience. also since my family is sooo diverse in every aspect (religion, race, schools of thought etc etc etc) I don't really find any problems adjusting back. In fact, I think it has improved my relationships with my family and their social circle since a majority of my parents and siblings' friends are also abroad, although most of them annoy me to death when they keep comparing me being in a not so well known place as compared to themselves. ;)

Hmm..since we're talking about college life, I'm the ONLY msian in the whole college, which I think is awesome~ ;) the sisterhood community here is also great, and there's a joke about pyjamas being our school uniform. Seriously, we actually do go to class in our pjs ;) I know I've done that before!!! haha :) dressing up and wearing makeup here is extremely uncommon, if you do, people think you're either going for an interview or you have a date. Professors here invite us back to their homes, cook for us, and seriously treat us as part of their family. Thats ANOTHER good thing about being in a tiny college. Also, I once had a Spanish class with a total of 4 students, and I felt like I was having a private tuition lesson instead :) Professors here also give out their home phone numbers and we can call them anytime we want to, when we're having troubles with our studies.

However, overall, be it in whichever university, in whichever country, the experiences are priceless. I guess education doesnt just limit itself to books, but also to every aspect of life. You grow, you make mistakes, and most importantly, with the very global world we are living in right now, you learn to adapt to different cultures :) yes, we could have also learnt that if we never went abroad, but going abroad, i feel, makes us "grow up" a whole lot faster! and yes, I have finally learned to love being here :) and to add to the frat life issue, its important to take note which frat you join (professional or social), and its very easy to get carried away with the frat events, but if you know how to prioritize, I personally believe that you end up gaining a lot :)

and oh yes, I'm actually writing something similar to this (the influence of American culture on international students) for a professor and will be giving out a survey soon, so please look out for it and help me answer some of my questions :) thanx!!!

[mpalanieppan]

<Digression>

aiyo littlebigone, petronas also outsource their IT department? Walau, i thought that was a problem only in US....

<\Digression>

Certainly studying overseas opens up your eyes...at least it opened my eyes...to pursue what you like to do, what you want to do, instead of just worrying about performance, impression, expectations of others etc.

[mpalanieppan]

<Digression>

aiyo littlebigone, petronas also outsource their IT department? Walau, i thought that was a problem only in US....

<\Digression>

Certainly studying overseas opens up your eyes...at least it opened my eyes...to pursue what you like to do, what you want to do, instead of just worrying about performance, impression, expectations of others etc.

anticipated event for most of the girls happen to be the annual charity bachelor auction where ppl actually spend hundreds of dollars bidding~ trust me, whenever there's a guy on campus, people actually stare and talk about it :D hahahaha. We also have men curfew hours ;) hahahhahaha


Bachelor auction? So Wesleyann girls pay hundreds of buck to get a date. Where are these guys sourced from?
Weird things do happen in women's college, don't they?

anticipated event for most of the girls happen to be the annual charity bachelor auction where ppl actually spend hundreds of dollars bidding~ trust me, whenever there's a guy on campus, people actually stare and talk about it :D hahahaha. We also have men curfew hours ;) hahahhahaha


Bachelor auction? So Wesleyann girls pay hundreds of buck to get a date. Where are these guys sourced from?
Weird things do happen in women's college, don't they?

[wesleyanne]

anticipated event for most of the girls happen to be the annual charity bachelor auction where ppl actually spend hundreds of dollars bidding~ trust me, whenever there's a guy on campus, people actually stare and talk about it :D hahahaha. We also have men curfew hours ;) hahahhahaha


Bachelor auction? So Wesleyann girls pay hundreds of buck to get a date. Where are these guys sourced from?
Weird things do happen in women's college, don't they?

haha..er..okay, maybe "THE MOST anticipated event" would be the wrong words to use. its more like, one of the highly anticipated events of the semester, aside from benefit ball, homecoming etc.

Its hard to describe in words, but there are some girls that actually literally go crazy during the auction. I think the highest price someone has paid for a guy would be $500. BUT the money goes to charity (childrens home). The guys are usually from Mercer, another university in Macon. Its a pretty fun event just to go watch!

I wouldnt say its because we're in an all womens college that these sorta things happen. I know that I was also at an all womens university in Korea (the largest womens university in the world) and I truly could not tell that I was at a womens university except for the fact that every student in class happens to be female.

I feel its just that we're in an all womens college in the middle of nowhere, in a small southern town, and a lot of us, at least during the semester get bombarded with work that we dont go out, that add to these crazy events ;)

but seriously, being in an all womens college gives us less distractions, and truly allows us to be ourselves, hence we get to really focus on what we really want and fully developing ourselves.

[wesleyanne]

anticipated event for most of the girls happen to be the annual charity bachelor auction where ppl actually spend hundreds of dollars bidding~ trust me, whenever there's a guy on campus, people actually stare and talk about it :D hahahaha. We also have men curfew hours ;) hahahhahaha


Bachelor auction? So Wesleyann girls pay hundreds of buck to get a date. Where are these guys sourced from?
Weird things do happen in women's college, don't they?

haha..er..okay, maybe "THE MOST anticipated event" would be the wrong words to use. its more like, one of the highly anticipated events of the semester, aside from benefit ball, homecoming etc.

Its hard to describe in words, but there are some girls that actually literally go crazy during the auction. I think the highest price someone has paid for a guy would be $500. BUT the money goes to charity (childrens home). The guys are usually from Mercer, another university in Macon. Its a pretty fun event just to go watch!

I wouldnt say its because we're in an all womens college that these sorta things happen. I know that I was also at an all womens university in Korea (the largest womens university in the world) and I truly could not tell that I was at a womens university except for the fact that every student in class happens to be female.

I feel its just that we're in an all womens college in the middle of nowhere, in a small southern town, and a lot of us, at least during the semester get bombarded with work that we dont go out, that add to these crazy events ;)

but seriously, being in an all womens college gives us less distractions, and truly allows us to be ourselves, hence we get to really focus on what we really want and fully developing ourselves.

[littlebigone]

Certainly studying overseas opens up your eyes...at least it opened my eyes...to pursue what you like to do, what you want to do, instead of just worrying about performance, impression, expectations of others etc.

see this is what I thought at first too, but going home and seeing my friends all grown up and living "real" life. I was beginning to wonder whether our eyes will be opened up even if we had studied at home. It might just be the fact that we are living alone and have freedom to do anything we want. I really have no answer to this. Any comments?

[littlebigone]

Certainly studying overseas opens up your eyes...at least it opened my eyes...to pursue what you like to do, what you want to do, instead of just worrying about performance, impression, expectations of others etc.

see this is what I thought at first too, but going home and seeing my friends all grown up and living "real" life. I was beginning to wonder whether our eyes will be opened up even if we had studied at home. It might just be the fact that we are living alone and have freedom to do anything we want. I really have no answer to this. Any comments?

[silverblue]

Certainly studying overseas opens up your eyes...at least it opened my eyes...to pursue what you like to do, what you want to do, instead of just worrying about performance, impression, expectations of others etc.

see this is what I thought at first too, but going home and seeing my friends all grown up and living "real" life. I was beginning to wonder whether our eyes will be opened up even if we had studied at home. It might just be the fact that we are living alone and have freedom to do anything we want. I really have no answer to this. Any comments?

Well I think that this is all part of growing up... I'm sure all our peers are going through the same stages too. But I guess what makes it different for us abroad, is that we are going through all these transformations and the 'finding yourself' part, far far away from all the things and people that are familiar to you...

Actually, I find that the most intriguing part of being abroad is because of all the amazing things that I can actually explore and learn here. It's like there're endless possibilities to what you can achieve and what you can experience here that you cannot find at home!

I get culture n diversity, I get a variety of education from hardcore technology to gothic landscape architecture to art, psychology and french, I get to visit exotic and historical places, I get leadership experiences, I get food from around the world, I get to see Bill Gates and Bill Clinton at my University, I get to be involved in varsity sports at an international level, I get to sing in the Chapel Choir, I get to take salsa and merengue, I get to go snowboarding, I get to build labyrinths on campus, I make ever-lasting friends halfway round the world, I cherish my family more, I get international working experiences, I get to talk with a different accent (lol) and above all I get to be myself because no one expects anything from me here...

College life is supposed to be the best times of our lives. Why make it stressful or limited by just studying all the time and not going out there and making full use of your time abroad? There's just so much more out there than just textbooks and grades. If you don't try to make your life abroad as colorful as possible, you are really missing out. :wink:

[silverblue]

Certainly studying overseas opens up your eyes...at least it opened my eyes...to pursue what you like to do, what you want to do, instead of just worrying about performance, impression, expectations of others etc.

see this is what I thought at first too, but going home and seeing my friends all grown up and living "real" life. I was beginning to wonder whether our eyes will be opened up even if we had studied at home. It might just be the fact that we are living alone and have freedom to do anything we want. I really have no answer to this. Any comments?

Well I think that this is all part of growing up... I'm sure all our peers are going through the same stages too. But I guess what makes it different for us abroad, is that we are going through all these transformations and the 'finding yourself' part, far far away from all the things and people that are familiar to you...

Actually, I find that the most intriguing part of being abroad is because of all the amazing things that I can actually explore and learn here. It's like there're endless possibilities to what you can achieve and what you can experience here that you cannot find at home!

I get culture n diversity, I get a variety of education from hardcore technology to gothic landscape architecture to art, psychology and french, I get to visit exotic and historical places, I get leadership experiences, I get food from around the world, I get to see Bill Gates and Bill Clinton at my University, I get to be involved in varsity sports at an international level, I get to sing in the Chapel Choir, I get to take salsa and merengue, I get to go snowboarding, I get to build labyrinths on campus, I make ever-lasting friends halfway round the world, I cherish my family more, I get international working experiences, I get to talk with a different accent (lol) and above all I get to be myself because no one expects anything from me here...

College life is supposed to be the best times of our lives. Why make it stressful or limited by just studying all the time and not going out there and making full use of your time abroad? There's just so much more out there than just textbooks and grades. If you don't try to make your life abroad as colorful as possible, you are really missing out. :wink:

[jiinjoo]

I was beginning to wonder whether our eyes will be opened up even if we had studied at home. It might just be the fact that we are living alone and have freedom to do anything we want. I really have no answer to this. Any comments?

You get out what you put in, regardless of home or overseas.

I guess most of the time when people relate their "special" experience overseas, they meant something that they actually did, something that they explore on their own iniciative. In other words, the "possibilities" overseas is different from those that's found in local univ, but it is also possible to shun away from it and learn less than someone back home.

I often have discussion with a friend working here who graduated from UTM, how interesting life is when you can't select roommates, easy curriculum, have chance to participate in the democratic exercises, and in many ways, seeing issues from a very different perspective from myself, who has been mostly a "media" person, eventhough I try to diversity my reading as much as possible. And vice versa, he is always learning new ways of doing things (well... might be just the "american" way, but it's certainly different in some ways), learning new possibilities, contemplating new points of view from our conversation.

Bottom line is, you've have to take initiative to go experience life (no I don't mean go just drunk) when you're overseas. However, if you really want to learn a lot (open your eye big big), sharing with others is the best - and ReCom is the best place to do just that 8) (how's my sales pitch recently? :P)

[jiinjoo]

I was beginning to wonder whether our eyes will be opened up even if we had studied at home. It might just be the fact that we are living alone and have freedom to do anything we want. I really have no answer to this. Any comments?

You get out what you put in, regardless of home or overseas.

I guess most of the time when people relate their "special" experience overseas, they meant something that they actually did, something that they explore on their own iniciative. In other words, the "possibilities" overseas is different from those that's found in local univ, but it is also possible to shun away from it and learn less than someone back home.

I often have discussion with a friend working here who graduated from UTM, how interesting life is when you can't select roommates, easy curriculum, have chance to participate in the democratic exercises, and in many ways, seeing issues from a very different perspective from myself, who has been mostly a "media" person, eventhough I try to diversity my reading as much as possible. And vice versa, he is always learning new ways of doing things (well... might be just the "american" way, but it's certainly different in some ways), learning new possibilities, contemplating new points of view from our conversation.

Bottom line is, you've have to take initiative to go experience life (no I don't mean go just drunk) when you're overseas. However, if you really want to learn a lot (open your eye big big), sharing with others is the best - and ReCom is the best place to do just that 8) (how's my sales pitch recently? :P)

[__earth]

I get culture n diversity, I get a variety of education from hardcore technology to gothic landscape architecture to art, psychology and french, I get to visit exotic and historical places, I get leadership experiences, I get food from around the world, I get to see Bill Gates and Bill Clinton at my University, I get to be involved in varsity sports at an international level, I get to sing in the Chapel Choir, I get to take salsa and meringue, I get to go snowboarding, I get to build labyrinths on campus, I make ever-lasting friends halfway round the world, I cherish my family more, I get international working experiences, I get to talk with a different accent (lol) and above all I get to be myself because no one expects anything from me here...

this is so true. Back home, of course our peers will have some local experience. However, they wll lack things that they won't find back home. Abroad students get to see the world, open up their mind to many situations and cases unavailable in a conservative society.

Back home, the case of meeting Malaysian leaders are close to nill but in the US, every month, or even every week you'll get the chance to meet politically infuential people. For instance, this week, Madeline Albright is coming to Michigan to present her annual lecture. Of course, Bill Gate$ has been to a few other colleges.

We have the advantage in the long run. Though our peers back home have the local experience, we could easily catch up later. They however, won't be able to catch up with us unless they too spend some considerable time outside of Malaysia.

Living far from home hardens you, living in a environment you are totally comfortable with pampers you.

However, im not saying abroad students are necessarily better than local students. It's just that, overseas students have certain advantage that will prove useful if one knows how to manipulate that advantage.

[__earth]

I get culture n diversity, I get a variety of education from hardcore technology to gothic landscape architecture to art, psychology and french, I get to visit exotic and historical places, I get leadership experiences, I get food from around the world, I get to see Bill Gates and Bill Clinton at my University, I get to be involved in varsity sports at an international level, I get to sing in the Chapel Choir, I get to take salsa and meringue, I get to go snowboarding, I get to build labyrinths on campus, I make ever-lasting friends halfway round the world, I cherish my family more, I get international working experiences, I get to talk with a different accent (lol) and above all I get to be myself because no one expects anything from me here...

this is so true. Back home, of course our peers will have some local experience. However, they wll lack things that they won't find back home. Abroad students get to see the world, open up their mind to many situations and cases unavailable in a conservative society.

Back home, the case of meeting Malaysian leaders are close to nill but in the US, every month, or even every week you'll get the chance to meet politically infuential people. For instance, this week, Madeline Albright is coming to Michigan to present her annual lecture. Of course, Bill Gate$ has been to a few other colleges.

We have the advantage in the long run. Though our peers back home have the local experience, we could easily catch up later. They however, won't be able to catch up with us unless they too spend some considerable time outside of Malaysia.

Living far from home hardens you, living in a environment you are totally comfortable with pampers you.

However, im not saying abroad students are necessarily better than local students. It's just that, overseas students have certain advantage that will prove useful if one knows how to manipulate that advantage.

[yytan]

Agree with almost all of you. This is the best 4 years of my student life, in terms of learning experience, a little in knowledge, but mostly in life. The resources here is plentiful and it's up to onself to explore and capture the opportunities.

Since I agree with most of you, there no point repeating myself after everyone. But one thing that I disagree is how many said it will be difficult to adjust to Malaysian life. We manage to blend in here, enjoy the life here, learn the culture here, culture of others from other parts of the world, pick up some beliefs, live the life different than those from home that we once used to, that shows our flexibility and ability to adapt to new environment and the sense of adventure to explore, learn and live. I think I have dual-personality now. One Penang kia, one Bostonian :)

Going home is just the same thing. Plus, that's where we are from. Yes, it is going to be different, some may get culture shock going home. But the true good ones, are the ones who can live in any parts of the world, especially the place where you are from, where your family is, where you grew up in, where your root is.

[yytan]

Agree with almost all of you. This is the best 4 years of my student life, in terms of learning experience, a little in knowledge, but mostly in life. The resources here is plentiful and it's up to onself to explore and capture the opportunities.

Since I agree with most of you, there no point repeating myself after everyone. But one thing that I disagree is how many said it will be difficult to adjust to Malaysian life. We manage to blend in here, enjoy the life here, learn the culture here, culture of others from other parts of the world, pick up some beliefs, live the life different than those from home that we once used to, that shows our flexibility and ability to adapt to new environment and the sense of adventure to explore, learn and live. I think I have dual-personality now. One Penang kia, one Bostonian :)

Going home is just the same thing. Plus, that's where we are from. Yes, it is going to be different, some may get culture shock going home. But the true good ones, are the ones who can live in any parts of the world, especially the place where you are from, where your family is, where you grew up in, where your root is.

[jiinjoo]

Ying Ying, you remind me of a discussion I had in S'pore, when we were discussing about leaving home to study abroad (including S'pore). I asked the question how young should a person leave his home? Form 1? Form 3? JC1? University? We were comparing some personalities of Sec Scholars (i.e. asean scholars who came to s'pore after form 1 or form 3) vs the JC ones, putting up a big generalization that you are more prone to lose your identity with your hometown (in this case, you're less a penang kia than a bostonian) if you left home during high school.

Can it be that this culture shock phenomena is just a matter of degree? How clear is the definition of "roots" in the last sentence you made? More importantly, is it necessary to reduce the impact of this "culture shock", for example trying not to prolong your stay overseas, or go home more often, call home more often etc.? (Not that I suggest you do that... it's up to you)

[jiinjoo]

Ying Ying, you remind me of a discussion I had in S'pore, when we were discussing about leaving home to study abroad (including S'pore). I asked the question how young should a person leave his home? Form 1? Form 3? JC1? University? We were comparing some personalities of Sec Scholars (i.e. asean scholars who came to s'pore after form 1 or form 3) vs the JC ones, putting up a big generalization that you are more prone to lose your identity with your hometown (in this case, you're less a penang kia than a bostonian) if you left home during high school.

Can it be that this culture shock phenomena is just a matter of degree? How clear is the definition of "roots" in the last sentence you made? More importantly, is it necessary to reduce the impact of this "culture shock", for example trying not to prolong your stay overseas, or go home more often, call home more often etc.? (Not that I suggest you do that... it's up to you)

[silverblue]

Culture shock?? HHmm... I never thought that I'd ever be able to experience culture shock upon going back to my own country at all. I mean... 4 or 5 years abroad may change your perspective of life, attitudes, open your eyes, etc, but I don't think I'll ever find myself feeling strange or having needed to re-adjust to things back home. Afterall, Malaysia is where I grew up in and there's not much that I've never seen/experience before in my country that would shock me when I go back (except development, of course :wink: ).

Perhaps having lived several years in a 'developed' nation like US may raise your standards a little. But ultimately, we'll still feel most comfortable at home.

Anyway, honestly, when I went back home last winter, coming home from abroad somehow gave me a tinge of pride and a certain unexplainable boost to my ego. Perhaps it's because when we are abroad, we feel kinda small amongst so many other extremely smart ppl...but when we go back, most ppl tend to look up to us etc.... I almost felt as if I was the 'heroine' of in family.

I think that most of us will feel the same way... that when we go home for good, we'll always feel special because we were fortunate enough to experience something more than our peers... and that's stg really nice to cherish..

[silverblue]

Culture shock?? HHmm... I never thought that I'd ever be able to experience culture shock upon going back to my own country at all. I mean... 4 or 5 years abroad may change your perspective of life, attitudes, open your eyes, etc, but I don't think I'll ever find myself feeling strange or having needed to re-adjust to things back home. Afterall, Malaysia is where I grew up in and there's not much that I've never seen/experience before in my country that would shock me when I go back (except development, of course :wink: ).

Perhaps having lived several years in a 'developed' nation like US may raise your standards a little. But ultimately, we'll still feel most comfortable at home.

Anyway, honestly, when I went back home last winter, coming home from abroad somehow gave me a tinge of pride and a certain unexplainable boost to my ego. Perhaps it's because when we are abroad, we feel kinda small amongst so many other extremely smart ppl...but when we go back, most ppl tend to look up to us etc.... I almost felt as if I was the 'heroine' of in family.

I think that most of us will feel the same way... that when we go home for good, we'll always feel special because we were fortunate enough to experience something more than our peers... and that's stg really nice to cherish..

[yytan]

I think this discussion should be kept at experience studying abroad and not the transition of going home. Jiin Joo's point about leaving home earlier would make us lose our hometown identity, is true in general. Lifestyle, circle of friends and values change. But not everyone is like that though. I'm glad most of us here do not feel the shock going home. I do know hear friends say it is hard to adjust to the environment back home, maybe I shouldn't call that a shock, but no matter what we call it, my point is that, live like a chameleon. Blend in and live life to fullest, no matter where you are.

Reading back on the previous postings, for the students who are thinking or deciding to study abroad, it would minimize the bitterness of the start of the life here if you pick a place that you think you would like, and talk to existing students before deciding. I think among us in Recom, we have quite a number of schools covered, if not, we would have friends elsewhere. Like when I mentioned when I was on the phone with Dave, the place, the lifestyle around, matters more than the school.

Jiin Joo, forgot to tell you earlier. Very good sales pitch you delivered in earlier posting.

[yytan]

I think this discussion should be kept at experience studying abroad and not the transition of going home. Jiin Joo's point about leaving home earlier would make us lose our hometown identity, is true in general. Lifestyle, circle of friends and values change. But not everyone is like that though. I'm glad most of us here do not feel the shock going home. I do know hear friends say it is hard to adjust to the environment back home, maybe I shouldn't call that a shock, but no matter what we call it, my point is that, live like a chameleon. Blend in and live life to fullest, no matter where you are.

Reading back on the previous postings, for the students who are thinking or deciding to study abroad, it would minimize the bitterness of the start of the life here if you pick a place that you think you would like, and talk to existing students before deciding. I think among us in Recom, we have quite a number of schools covered, if not, we would have friends elsewhere. Like when I mentioned when I was on the phone with Dave, the place, the lifestyle around, matters more than the school.

Jiin Joo, forgot to tell you earlier. Very good sales pitch you delivered in earlier posting.

[masdie]

I enjoyed reading this thread. You people have very interesting experiences.

Anyone here hates their school/college?

I hope to hear more about your experiences.

[nalgene87]

Thanks for bumping up this thread mas! :D

Oh well, my mum has been pestering me to get a girlfriend here in M'sia before I get to the States as she's afraid that I might get a foreign girlfriend!!!

[budakkerek]

wah, my mum's pestering me to drop my Aussie bf! Don wan laa...:cry:

[masdie]

my mum has been pestering me to get a girlfriend here in M'sia before I get to the States as she's afraid that I might get a foreign girlfriend!!!

8O You are a BOY?? I thought you aa...erm....nvm

[nalgene87]

8O You are a BOY?? I thought you aa...erm....nvm

Eh, another gender generalization/stereotype?? :lol:

[taufiq]

Gender assumption maybe...

Btw living in the other part of the world makes it possible for us to evaluate our country from an outsider point of view.

We might be able to think more critically as well as being able to give constructive (as well as destructive) comments about our own country - rather than just backing up our country without a strong basis.

[topdog]

- rather than just backing up our country without a strong basis.
or bashing it without a strong basis...

[Thirdshifter]

8O You are a BOY?? I thought you aa...erm....nvm

Eh, another gender generalization/stereotype?? :lol:

i thought he was a she too.. masdie.. you're a girl right?

[masdie]

8O You are a BOY?? I thought you aa...erm....nvm

Eh, another gender generalization/stereotype?? :lol:

i thought he was a she too.. masdie.. you're a girl right?

OI!! Which part of me look like a girl HA?? I am a perfectly macho man.

Or are you trying to make fun of me for thinking that nalgene is a girl?

I don't understand.

Anyway, I think we better stick to the topic. I want to hear experiences please. Thirdshifter, you seem to hate 'ghetto' schools, care to explain more?

[Thirdshifter]

Thirdshifter, you seem to hate 'ghetto' schools, care to explain more?

I don't like the idea of sending anyone to a school in a bad neighborhood. If i was to have a child (god forbid) i would send the child to a school where the enviroment is not ghetto... however i doubt that would be possible since everywhere is turning into a ghetto.

About you being a girl.. i don't know i just thought you were.. masdie sounds like a girlie man. :P

[taufiq]

Off topic:

In Indonesia, masdie fill definitely be a man
because Mas is how you call a man (like Mas Taufiq or Mas Thirdshifter)

Masdie sounds like a guys for me though.. maybe because i know a guy called masdi and mazdi from before.

Back to topic:

Since i live in Cleveland where there is a ghetto neighborhood nearby, i think the environment is not so healthy for a young kid to grow up. Personally i like a non-ghetto surrounding better.

[nalgene87]

Oh well, I always thought that nalgene sounds like a guys name, possibly because i always bring that bottle of mine for hiking and such :lol: .

Taufiq, mind telling me about OHIO? Haha, I will be heading there this fall!! How is it like to live in OHIO compared to the rest of the states?? Thanks!

[taufiq]

Hey.. you are coming to Ohio?
Which part?
Cleveland is boring... as far as i can tell... haha

and Cleveland is pretty well-known as a place where you can have all 4 seasons in just one week.

It is snowing right now.. and unlike other places, the snow has just started yesterday.. Maybe winter has just arrived here... It was nice and clear and sunny and everything during January

Hey.. are coming to study here?

[nalgene87]

If Cleveland is boring, Columbus is even more boring and I am going to a place an hour's ride away from Columbus. Gambier, close to Mount Vernon if you know where it is! :p Yep, I am going there to study and I am most likeing going to be the only Malaysian.

How's the cost of living at Ohio? Is it substantially higher/lower than other parts of the States?? And how's life there? Pretty laid-back yeah? How about the people's mentality there? Does it varies a lot from people in the NorthEast?? Thanks!![/b]

[Thirdshifter]

Does it varies a lot from people in the NorthEast?? Thanks!![/b]

they voted for bush.

[budakkerek]

isnt nalgene the name of Draco Malfoy's mom? 8O

[nalgene87]

Can someone please tell me about partying scene in colleges in the States? How wild is it? Thank you.

[el_empty]

what party scene? whaa?....

(el_empty works like a dog at his desk... he shouldn't even be here, procrastinating in recom)

depends from college to college. typically, it's a madhouse.

[DecentMerson]

Can someone please tell me about partying scene in colleges in the States? How wild is it? Thank you.

alright... need a disclaimer here... drinking is bad for health... and i'm in no way encouraging anybody to do it... and it's against some religions and binge drinking is dangerous... and in the states, u must be 21 or above to drink.

parties.. what a topic for me to talk about while i'm trying to stay away from it for a couple of weeks...

it can be as wild as how wild u want it to be... because u can always be the wildest one in the party... and the crowd will follow...
and depends on what kind of party you are going.... some parties have a theme... others, it's a competition of some beer games...

A general huge house party will be very much of what you will see in American Pie, but probably less nudity and sexual activity, but doesn't mean that there's none... there are, but less concentrated, and less public...

but most of the parties i've been are much darker, as in less lighting as compared to that in movies, and better music...:)
... basically, there will be beer games in the party, most popular would be beer pong... or quarters... or some other kinds... (try wiki beer pong...) other than alcohol, there are some other kind of substances too...

generally, public schools have wilder parties than private schools...

frats may have better parties because they got more moolah... and nicer house...

[nalgene87]

Gosh, all right, let's say I dislike drinking and wild partying. Will I be socially awkward if I dont drink and party to a large extent? I mean I am not a nerd or geek either... just that I prefer going out with friends for movie, dinner and such... not to the extreme like....


Are scenes like these common in colleges/unis over at America? Including Harvard and the likes?

And oh, I just found out that there's an Amish community in Kenyon!!

http://community.webshots.com/photo/498603918/1503958434074464599PVqHpA

So exciting!! :lol:

[lyzzy]

Gosh, all right, let's say I dislike drinking and wild partying. Will I be socially awkward if I dont drink and party to a large extent? I mean I am not a nerd or geek either... just that I prefer going out with friends for movie, dinner and such... not to the extreme like....

http://community.webshots.com/album/135746086kWVTbT

yeah of course there are people like that around... just takes a little more effort to find these people..
________
buy vaporgenie (http://www.vaporshop.com/vaporgenie-vaporizer.html)

[nalgene87]

yeah of course there are people like that around... just takes a little more effort to find these people..

All right, I think I got used to the fact that party exist all around us. Got over with the shocking revelation already! :lol:

[el_empty]

if you're going to a liberal liberal arts school, watch out for naked streaks! often spotted in the library during finals reading week. better yet naked frisbee.

[aquila]

Oh crap! was that what it was? One semester, I saw a random naked guy running in the library during finals week.

[Shoblast]

There was this guy and a girl running down Swanston Street (THE main street in Melbourne city) coming from Melbourne Uni, in protest of something.

What they was protesting i never noticed because they were running down the main street stark nekkid. During winter.

[el_empty]

what i like about studying abroad... flash mobs!!! The Great Feb 18th 2006 New York City Pillowfight ~!

{ warning: bandwidth killer }

http://static.flickr.com/37/101502274_7834c44a45_o.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/36/101502318_ee69733bf3_o.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/37/101502331_8052003819_o.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/41/101502306_480660d826_o.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/40/101502397_c8385ee2c1_o.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/37/101463506_4affae0779.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/32/101461122_f1eea10316.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/43/101384968_46e1f3380e.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/38/101384261_5fdd0b7ffd.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/33/101384536_0981d26c53.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/39/101381184_4872d93e15.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/41/101381996_a8ba8320f6.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/31/101379272_0bb6dbc859.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/33/101379223_560162fff2.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/37/101374996_537335a9a1.jpg

*disclaimer: this is in no way typical here.*

[Shoblast]

Holy shit, theres even a rainbow trout in there! Fun!

[aquila]

Duke made it into the Guinness records for pillow fight some two years ago. Did Columbia form a new record?

[DecentMerson]

Oh crap! was that what it was? One semester, I saw a random naked guy running in the library during finals week.

lol... saw one at the dining hall the other day... didn't give him much attention as i was hungover... :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streaking

oh yar... and pranks too...

http://voonseng.blogspot.com/2006/01/u-like-pac-man.html


i always like to bring this to attention... :)

[Thirdshifter]

well.. just have some condoms ready.. for the unexpected sex with a whore you just met at a party you didn't even go to.

[nalgene87]

All right, obviously these are some of the things the admissions office are trying to hide. So for those who have never been to campus when you first apply for college, did it work out for you??? Any culture shocks when you first arrived?? :lol:

Also, what are the things should you buy in M'sia before going over? Stationaries? Shower Cream and such?? What are the things that will be cheaper over at the States?? I know for fact that Levi's Jeans are only going for USD 10 right??

[DecentMerson]

All right, obviously these are some of the things the admissions office are trying to hide. So for those who have never been to campus when you first apply for college, did it work out for you??? Any culture shocks when you first arrived?? :lol:

Also, what are the things should you buy in M'sia before going over? Stationaries? Shower Cream and such?? What are the things that will be cheaper over at the States?? I know for fact that Levi's Jeans are only going for USD 10 right??

Levi's Jeans going for USD10?? where?? u sure those are genuine?? so far, all i could find is $50 for 2.

well... culture shock, not so sure how i should decribe it... actually, a bit disappointed... actually, with tv shows and internet, there isn't much that can really shock u guys now... so, don't expect too much...
things u shld buy??? well... i would say books... if u can find the international edition, go for it... it's about 20% of the original price... in other words, a good 70-80% discount!!!

[nalgene87]

Levi's Jeans going for USD10?? where?? u sure those are genuine?? so far, all i could find is $50 for 2.

well... culture shock, not so sure how i should decribe it... actually, a bit disappointed... actually, with tv shows and internet, there isn't much that can really shock u guys now... so, don't expect too much...
things u shld buy??? well... i would say books... if u can find the international edition, go for it... it's about 20% of the original price... in other words, a good 70-80% discount!!!

Thanks DecentMerson! Hmmm, yeah, that's what my sister told me... that during sales, branded stuff are quite cheap... Like my sister bought a genuine Ninewest handbag for my mum for something like 10 plus USD. And regarding books... I know this varies from uni to uni, but then will we receive our booklist before the start of Freshmen? :lol: I intend to puchase it in NUS or something... Yeah

[forever_jas]

w0w.. rea||y nice u guyz can study abr0ad..how i wish i got that chance... waiting for spm results..no FAMA support..=P

[el_empty]

And regarding books... I know this varies from uni to uni, but then will we receive our booklist before the start of Freshmen? :lol: I intend to puchase it in NUS or something... Yeah

minerva bookstore in kl will be cheaper. near globe silk store

[nalgene87]

Thanks elempty!! LOL, Malaysia doesnt look that big, yet I seldom venture beyond Johor Bahru... :oops: Havent even been to East Malaysia yet...

[el_empty]

And regarding books... I know this varies from uni to uni, but then will we receive our booklist before the start of Freshmen? :lol: I intend to puchase it in NUS or something... Yeah

minerva bookstore in kl will be cheaper. near globe silk store

yap no problem. if you head to kl ( which i'm sure you will ) i think it's situated on jalan tuanku abdul rahman, a.k.a. batu road among the older folk.

my paul krugman text book was usd90++ in the states, but i got my paperback version for rm60. it's funny, the book talked about the effects of arbitrage on american sellers.

[nalgene87]

Wow, what a difference! US's txtbooks are so expensive that even there's an article on it on Sunday Stars! If that's the case, I should be able to save some $$ because my financial aid package for books and supplies amounts to USD 1200 a year!! All right, so I shall just get everything from Malaysia. And also... I just realised that I have some textbooks that I most probably wouldnt need it anymore: Economics - John Sloman, Ramsden Chemistry for A levels and Halliday's Fundamental of Physics... Can I resell it in the US like what you have said about arbitrage in the States? :lol:

My favourite econs txtbook so far is the one written by Robert Franks (I havent had the chance yet to read texts by other authors LOL)... Yep, he's teaching at Cornell and he did write loads of stuff about Cornell in his Microeconomics book - stuff like Cornell's tennis courts and tuition policies... Cool!!

[Thirdshifter]

expect to meet em0s.. and n00bs.. and 1337 people.. also the girls in colleges are extra friendly and they are supr horny all the time..

the colder the campus is the hornier the girls are..

my nickel.

[nalgene87]

http://www.middleburycampus.com/media/paper446/news/2006/02/23/News/Incident.Reveals.Racial.Tension-1624364.shtml?norewrite&sourcedomain=www.middleburycampus.com&page=3

http://www.middleburycampus.com/media/paper446/news/2006/02/23/Opinions/Editorial-1624408.shtml?norewrite&sourcedomain=www.middleburycampus.com

Racism at Middlebury. Is it common for minorities to be discriminated against in universities abroad?

And mind you guys, Middlebury is supposedly one of the best liberal arts colleges in the States.

[lyzzy]

Well... Middlebury is also well-known for being very 'white' - my friend (who's also white) labels it as the 'upper-middle-class white kids' school.

I haven't personally encountered any racism (or even had any doubts about it), and have yet to hear any of my friends personally complaining about racism
________
Livonia Engine (http://www.chevy-wiki.com/wiki/Livonia_Engine)

[__earth]

And regarding books... I know this varies from uni to uni, but then will we receive our booklist before the start of Freshmen? :lol: I intend to puchase it in NUS or something... Yeah

minerva bookstore in kl will be cheaper. near globe silk store

yap no problem. if you head to kl ( which i'm sure you will ) i think it's situated on jalan tuanku abdul rahman, a.k.a. batu road among the older folk.

my paul krugman text book was usd90++ in the states, but i got my paperback version for rm60. it's funny, the book talked about the effects of arbitrage on american sellers.

damned humor.

any, over the internet, the texts are always almost cheaper than your average local bookstores.

[DecentMerson]

yup... the book is always cheaper over the internet... (that's the case for new books..)

most students buy used books... in this case, u must know where to find, and what kind of buyer to buy from if u are buying it over the internet...

[Thirdshifter]

go to the newsgroup and get the ebook and print them. I think almost all new books are being pirated..free..

however, i recommend buying a original though, not used.. because used is sort of like file sharing..

remember you buy the right to only read the book, not re-sell it.

[__earth]

go to the newsgroup and get the ebook and print them. I think almost all new books are being pirated..free..

however, i recommend buying a original though, not used.. because used is sort of like file sharing..

remember you buy the right to only read the book, not re-sell it.

Digressing but I don't think so. What's wrong is reproducing without permission. Reselling is not reproduction without permission.