Hello! O-H-I-O!
I can’t believe that it's already been two weeks since I left home. It seems that I’m still full of curiosity and am eager to explore my new life in OSU. So fortunately I’ve got no time to get homesick. Looking back on the past two weeks, I had an amazing experience here and I really want to share with you.
HOST FAMILY
On the date of my arrival, our flight had a terrible delay (7 hours late). Fortunately, I had contacted a host family through IFI and I felt so relaxed when I saw Don, my host, holding a sign with my name on it. I met my host family Jennifer and Don later and they picked me up at the airport after midnight. It's so nice to have them after a long and tiring flight. I’ve stayed with them for three days and I was treated like a family member. Their help and concern made me feel so warm, especially for a girl who just left her hometown and stepped on a new country.
MY ACCOMMODATION—UNIVERSITY VILLAGE
I've booked my apartment in University Village three months before arrival. UV is a nice choice for international graduate students. It is not far from the campus and the UV shuttle runs every 20 minutes to take students to the campus. There is a supermarket “Kroger” and a department store “Big Lots” located just outside the village. However, it’s a totally empty apartment without any single furniture so my biggest target was to find a mattress to sleep on.
ORIENTATION WEEK
Orientation week was super busy and exciting. One of the most interesting things that I remember was the “O-H-I-O” slogan (when one person shouts “O-H”, the other person must respond with “I-O”) Well, that’s the spirit of OSU. As for my program’s orientation, I was quite impressed. The MHRM(MLHR) program is highly career-oriented. We were asked to write the resume, marketing plan and cover letter during summer holidays and were suggested to get prepared for job interviews even before our first class. Some senior students and alumni were invited to the orientation to give us a good understanding of the program and help us set expectation and goals. Though a little puzzled and nervous, I found the Career Management Office helpful and it’s exciting to think that I could find an internship in the USA.
WHAT I HAVE LEARNT
The first semester has already begun and I’m still trying to get used to the new model of teaching in the USA. Each class involves lots of interaction and it’s impossible not to get involved. I understand that it won’t be easy for international students because of the barrier of language and culture. Every day, I encourage myself to step out of my comfort zone and do more networking. Everything is hard in the beginning, but I believe that I will make a big progress if I keep trying.