Why did you choose to attend CSU?
I did elementary school and high school in China and I planned to study in the U.S. afterwards. I was on the internet browsing sports when I came across CSU. It was the most approachable when applying and seemed fun, and I was able to communicate with the university and get all of my questions answered very easily.
What is it like being a student living in Global Village?
Having one-on-ones and community hours with a mentor, and then floor meetings with an RA is all pretty new to me. There’s more communication and you get to know the students around you since many are in the Pathway program like me, but then there are students that aren’t. I get to meet people that have different backgrounds than me and that’s interesting. I have never lived on campus while studying before so it’s very new. But since I have been an international student before while I was in China, I’m not a stranger to it. All of my time in high school I had met people from different places so I guess you could call it a second home to me. Being an international student before gave me a lot of confidence to make friends and learn how to approach new people. It gave me the social skills. I needed so that when I came to CSU I wasn’t too nervous and I focused more on expressing myself, like showing people who I am and being outgoing.
What has been the most challenging and most rewarding so far?
The most challenging has been getting enough sleep and managing my time! I don’t know why— maybe it’s because I have fewer classes than I did in high school and less of a routine, so I think that I have more time but then I really don’t. I should probably stop procrastinating! The most rewarding, though, has been hanging out with the friends I’ve made. It’s like, oh, I finally did it—I’ve always pictured myself going to a university in the U.S. and I’m here now—it’s cool and it happened really fast.
What would you like other students to know about your experience in Global Village?
It’s a very welcoming community and it’s very diverse. I think some international students worry about their background when coming here and don’t know what to expect. For a lot of students, they’ve only been to school in their own country and graduated high school from there which made them very nervous when they first got here. But then eventually they settle in and everything is good. Even though I’m familiar with being in new situations, it’s still nice to have a community that’s very welcoming, and mentors and RAs that are very passionate about answering my questions. It’s really easy to get information, have fun and get to know people. I feel like there’s less judgement and everyone is open-minded.