We are pleased to post this blog from an international student offering a different perspective as we celebrate International Education Week [9]. Marika Mkheidze is a Global UGRAD [10] student from Georgia studying at Utica College [11] for the 2010-2011 school year.
I am an exchange student from Georgia. For those of you who do not know anything about this country, (yes, country, not the State) it is a tiny spot on the world map, located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.
I am spending this year in Utica, NY. It is quite a small town, with an even smaller college. It’s the perfect environment if you do not want to be distracted from your studies. I have been here for almost two months already.
Why did I choose such a name for this article? It’s because I, as a foreign exchange student, feel so much like Alice in “Alice in Wonderland” in some kind of strange and confusing, but appealing, world.
[9]I have noticed that most of the American students I meet consider Europeans and generally, international students, as some kind of aliens - visitors from an absolutely different planet. Due to some cultural dissimilarities, that statement may be quite true. But such dissimilarities are the most interesting parts of our world. In just two months, I can honestly state that I have “tasted” a full diversity of feelings. I have done things that I never usually do. In this short-term period I have become more accepting of a lot of things, and more independent. I have started showing my emotions more freely.
Now I understand that nothing is impossible in the USA. That is particularly true when you are here as an international student and trying to explore everything around you. Let’s go back to this “Alice in Wonderland” thing. Some of those fictional characters from the book really live beside us; they are present in my life here. I have met the white rabbit, frightened of upsetting the authority (let’s say Queen of Hearts). I have come across the Cheshire cat – with this mischievous but appealing smile, always coming out of nowhere and disappearing in the most unexpected moments. I have my own wise caterpillar - one you can always address for advice and one who will explain everything about these “different Americans”.
But here is the main difference between Alice and me – she really wanted to get out that strange world. However, I am enjoying every moment of my presence in the USA. Some of these moments are not that pleasant – I have had my hardest times here. But I still adore each of these moments.
So, if you have ever felt as Alice, lost in a whole new strange world, you definitely know what foreign exchange students feel in the USA. Therefore, most probably you will understand that there are more similarities between us than we think. All these adjectives - “American”, “European”, “Asian,” “African,” “Australian” may entail some stereotypes. But these stereotypes are worth breaking – because as soon as you break them, come out of your shell, you will see everything in an absolutely different light. You will be able to make new, interesting friends and discover the world you are living in. So, American students, don’t hesitate to become characters of “Alice in Wonderland” for international students. International students, let’s not be afraid of getting lost in this uncommon world.
The Global Undergraduate and Exchange Program in Eurasia and Central Asia [10] is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs [12] of the U.S. Department of State, and is implemented by IREX.