I was skimming through random blogs about Towson University and student exchanges when I found Gary’s blog, One Life Log. In a post titled, Advice for Exchange Students, he lists a series of suggestions to help students discern whether they are ready for an exchange and how to make the most of it once they are.
Some of Gary’s advice does not apply directly to my situation here at Towson University, but many of them do in some way, shape or form, and they are all very insightful nonetheless. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to review Gary’s blog.
His first point of advice reminds exchange students to make the most of their exchange experience by being open to new and different things.
He says, “…there are new experiences out there waiting for you that you haven’t even imagined. Don’t block out these new experiences with prior expectations.”
Although I speak English as my roommates do, I didn’t think language barriers were really an issue, but there are many other things to consider, like culture, which Gary discusses in his first point of advice to readers: “The fundamental purpose of your exchange is to learn a new language and to experience a different culture.”
He says, “This is the big fundamental. This is the point from where most everything about your exchange will succeed or falter.”
In my mind, the cultures of Guam and Maryland aren’t much different since Guam is very much “Americanized,” but even from my first night in my new dorm with my new roommates, I could already see and sense our cultural differences.
We sit around the common area and talk to each other. Once they realize I am from Guam, I morph into the newest and coolest toy on the shelf. They are all eager talk to me at once, leaving me stunned and nearly speechless.
I talk with one of the girls and she looks me in the eye and says, “You have an accent.” I laugh enthusiastically because in that same moment, I was thinking the exact same thing. Every word she speaks in her “Valley Girl” intonation sends me back a few decades when the movie Clueless made its debut, and it takes me a while to translate what she says into my language.
Ironically, we both speak English, but we could barely understand each other. Without some cultural flexibility, we would never have been able to understand each other. Furthermore, it would be indication of my experience here in Maryland.
It is important to make the most of student exchanges by accepting cultural differences and using them as a tool to learn and grow and experience new things rather than a cause for isolation and turmoil. Since then, she and I have learned a lot of things about each other. As a transfer student from another school in Maryland, she offers a kind of insider’s look into the Baltimore county, and even helps me grocery shop when I need food.
Needless to say, had I reacted differently to my first meeting with her, or had been less welcoming, I would have never learned certain things about Maryland, the other colleges, where the nearest Target is, or how to navigate around campus in the midst of a sea of students all steadily making their way to class.
Therefore, I have to commend Gary on his post. In my experience thus far with my exchange program, his advice has been accurate and helpful. If you are an exchange student or thinking of becoming one, check out his blog post and take my advice by taking his advice.
Best of Luck!
