WHy I chose the USA to study

Today, a student approached me, “Mr. Chen,” He asked, “How do I become as talented as you? How can I get the knowledge?”

I walked with him to the beach, and when we reached the ocean, I pushed him under the water and held him there with his head. The student pulled himself out, gurgling for breath, and I pushed him under again. Again he surfaced, and I pushed him under a third time. Finally, when his lungs were nearly bursting and he was on the verge of passing out, I freed him and he lay there, gulping for air. I stood over him and said, “Man, when you want knowledge as much as you just wanted air, you’ll get it.”

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Well, relax.... I'm kidding. The truth is I'm going to show you a letter from an international student in the United States:

Hi, Justin!

I'd like to tell you why I chose the USA to study and why I chose my university.

My story might be very different from any other international student, due to the fact that I came to the USA at a much younger age than the age at which most students plan on coming here. When I was a child there was a civil war in my country of Rwanda in 1994, and I was one of the survivors. At the end of the genocide, the few family members I had left and I decided we had to get away from the bad memories of our native land. It was just too chaotic and being in Rwanda simply ached our hearts forevermore. So what better way to change environments than to choose a country that is far away from Rwanda?

After dealing with the challenges of learning a new language at age 15 in the largest high school in Northern Indiana; I was ready for more challenges because I knew it was only the beginning. I spent all of high school learning not only about American culture, but also the cultures of the many nations that are represented in the United States. Also, one thing that I probably never thought I was going to encounter in my lifespan was living in a community with people of various colors. When I was still in Rwanda we were all “Brown People,” as I like to call it. So, being part of this diverse population was another awesome experience.

I am glad that I was younger than I am today because all of these situations were exciting, a thrill, and a craving. However, today I look back and I can simply say that those were some of the heaviest rocks I will ever push in this adventure called LIFE. I look back and I can tell that those were obstacles, but I am glad I did not feel the pain when they were in effect.

One thing I can say, however, was the loneliness I felt from time to time. It was really hard to fit in as much as I tried. So I spent most of my free time caring for my siblings, doing a variety of chores, and really going the extra mile on my homework. Another thing I tried was joining a variety of extra-curricular activities (after school activities). Originally, I had plotted out that these school clubs were going to help me meet more people and help me practice my English. Later, I developed a mission to make friends from these various activities so that they could show me around the city, teach me more about the USA and maybe we could do things together in our free time. For reasons unknown, only international students were interested in me and in making friends with me. Out of frustration and loneliness, I gave up and I stuck with the international students which was not what I had originally wanted because we all had a similar struggle with the English language and so there was nobody to help us.

Now that I am a satisfied college student majoring in Finance at Indiana University of South Bend, I am glad that I responded positively to the invitation of friendship with the international students. I cannot imagine what I would have done without their humor, kindness, and open-mindedness that carry me to this VERY day! I have learned so much about them and where they come from including two other languages very fluently (French and Spanish). I have learned from their examples to embrace myself, to clarify my identity and to stay true to my inner conscious. Without their open hearts, I would have been a long lost child by now.

Now, I can tell you about the personal choice I made to attend Indiana University of South Bend (IUSB). It took a tremendous amount of thought, energy, and research. I concluded that my undergraduate studies could not have taken place any better institution than IUSB. Some of the reasons why I chose this university include its location, its tuition fees and its educational programs.

LOCATION
IUSB happened to be the best location for me because it is located near the friends I had struggled to make. It is located in the city I was starting to get used to. It is located ten minutes away from my family’s apartment, which is very convenient for me as far as driving back and forth considering the rising gas prices. Also, I have the privilege of family and friends’ support as I face my studies. I have the privilege of free homemade meals, with free shelter, transportation and much more. I also did not want to have to undertake a new environment in my life. I felt like it was about time to decrease all of those fluctuations for my well being. It is very important to research the location of the school you would like to attend. For example, I am also very supportive of small college cities as opposed to, for example, the location of Northwestern or Columbia Universities. Those universities do not attract me because I have a hard time imagining myself being studious right in the middle of the most active/vivid cities in the world- Chicago and New York respectively. Plus, it is easier to feel right at home when the city is more manageable (smaller per se).

TUITION and FEES
IUSB, being a public school, is very affordable. Scholarships are available for international students and jobs are offered on campus to international students first because IUSB keeps in mind that international students are usually not allowed to work outside their school campus. Even though an international student pays twice the amount an American citizen pays, it is worth it. Despite the double price tag, it is still probably one of the least costly American universities.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
At IUSB there is a very unique program called the SBEI (South Bend English Institute), which provides International students with 9 intensive months of learning the English language in its entirety. Upon acceptance, you pass a test which places you in level 1 to 9, depending on how your English is. Once level nine has been completed, there is a small graduation ceremony and certificates are distributed. The benefit of this program is that as an international student if you are interested in attending IUSB, the university will automatically give you a student visa. Also, if you are not yet in the USA, once you apply to the English Institute and you are accepted, they will immediately provide you with all the papers you need to request an immediate student visa to the USA.

SBEI facilitates your adjustment in the new environment and also the university will not require the international student to take the TOEFL exam in order to be granted admission. However, if you do not have an SBEI certificate you will need to score decently on your TOEFL exam as part of the application process.

In addition to the SBEI, IUSB really tries to make its school more pleasant for its students. There will be more campus housing as of fall 2008. There is an extensive international club and various other student clubs that certainly will incorporate one or two things you might be interested in.

Sincerely,

Gisele Elise Iliza