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The Battalion
Page 3 • Friday, December 13, 2002
semester in review
International students reflect on experiences of the fall semester
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By Lyndsey Sage
THE BATTALION
I Just as Texas A&M students travel abroad to
study, students from foreign countries come to
MM in hopes of enhancing their own educa
tion. As another semester comes to a close,
these international students contemplate the
Ipportunities and experiences they have had
while at A&M.
I Mayur Kamat, an international student from
India, can think of one word to describe his gen
eral impression of A&M: “awesome.”
I Kamat, who has been in the United States
jonly four months, said this has been one of the
best experiences of his 22 years.
I “The traditions, the student bonding, the
plethora of activities and the effort the
University and student organizations take to
make us feel at home away from home is com
mendable,” said Kamat, who is pursuing his
master’s degree in management information
systems. “There has never been a dull moment
ir these four magical months.”
I Kamat said he came to the United States to
|urther his education because he did not feel
satisfied with a bachelor’s degree alone. His
|rge for “higher and more practical-oriented
curriculum” brought him overseas.
I Since his arrival at A&M, Kamat said he has
|ad many interesting experiences.
I “Roaming around the first month on campus
lurrying a 12x6 map was unusual, for starters,”
he said.
I The United States is very different from his
native country in terms of customs, traditions
and lifestyle, Kamat said.
I “But after all, it’s humans who inhabit both
.(countries) and that’s where they are alike,” he
Said. “People from all parts of Texas remind me
so much of Mumbai (Bombay), which houses
one of the most cosmopolitan crowds in India.”
J Adam Adil, an international student from
■ndia who has been here five months, is study-
St^ r H n g f° r a master’s degree in ocean engineering.
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One of the major differences he observes
between India and the United States are the
greetings and the way students behave in the
classroom setting.
“Here, the usual addressing line like
‘Howdy,’ ‘How are you do’in?’ or ‘How’s it
goin’?’ are totally different from the way the
majority of Indians do. We, in our country,
would share a smile and greet in the native lan
guage or pass a ‘hi,’” Adil said. “Walking out of
a classroom when the class is mid-way through
or putting your leg above the chair when the pro
fessor is taking class (catches) many from (dif
ferent countries) off-guard.”
Although such acts may be common to
American students, they would be considered
poor classroom etiquette in India, Adil said.
Despite the differences in general classroom
etiquette, Adil said one thing he sees that A&M
has in common with his homeland is the overall
campus mood. He said the “fun-filled atmos
phere” could be one of the most common fea
tures of campuses across the world.
In reflecting on his time here, Adil said one
of his most interesting experiences was attend
ing Yell Practice.
“You really feel that you are part of the
Aggie tradition, and you really start to feel for
the Aggie football team,” he said. “Generally,
A&M is a really fun place, where you have
umpteen opportunities for fun, like Aggie
Nights and Yell Practice, which are really new
for (international students).”
Taraka Donti, an international student from
India pursuing his Ph.D. in biochemistry, said
he came to the United States in search of greater
opportunities, both scientifically and socially,
not available in India.
“Here, I have the freedom to study what I
want. In India, if you enter a field once, you can’t
change it, you are stuck with it for life,” he said.
One of the major differences Donti recog
nizes between the countries is the direction traf
fic flows.
“Even after three years here, sometimes I
ALISSA HOLLIMON - THE BATTALION
Yongqing Huang and Jing Chao Yang, international students from China and graduate chemical engineering
students, take a break from studying to play ping pong at the Student Recreation Center on Thursday night.
look the wrong way before crossing a road,” he
said. “If I’m in a car, I don’t have a problem, but
while crossing a road on foot, this thing hap
pens to me.”
Atil Nanchahal, a graduate student in biomed
ical engineering from India, agrees that the Aggie
traditions are one of the best aspects of A&M.
“Of what I know, no other college has such
strong traditions as us Aggies,” he said.
Nanchahal said he came here because the
United States, as a developed nation, has some
of the best educational facilities in the world.
He said he was initially taken aback by the
enormous size of the campus.
“It is one of the largest (college) campuses in
the United States, so everything is big, from
Kyle Field to the Rec Center to the dining halls
to the Student Computing Center to research
funding,” he said.
During his year and a half in the United
States, Nanchahal said he has noticed many dif
ferences between the two countries, including
transportation.
“All the motorbikes here are ‘huge bikes’;
we have small ones in our country,” he said.
Rima Ajlouni, an international exchange stu
dent from Jordan, has studied at Texas A&M for
the past four months. While Ajlouni may be
thousands of miles from home, she said she is
not home sick.
“What I really liked here was the way people
treated me ” said Aljouni, who is earning her Ph.D.
in architecture. “College Station is a very close and
cozy community. It really feels like home.”
IS THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE WORLD YOU K
CAN ONLY IMAGINE.
When you Cross Into The Blue In the United States Air Force, you
enter a new world. A world that’s a stop ahead. It’s a world where
you can make a career out of defending freedom and honor, with .
the most advanced technology 1n existence. When you Cross Into
The Blue, everything is different and Important. Especially you.
W
,C R .O S'S T N T O I H 6 b I
MSC CAMAC & MGC PRESENT
Aggie Grooves J
■ Opin lonC “
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Editor
no Editor
jhics Editor
Producer
a Glenn
iBaca.M^
' inen ' C0 !l
I Franck.^;
ee , jenny Wf
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,ey Waists •
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Dance Teams from all over campus competing for their favorite charity.
We don't think you’re ready for this jelly!!
iello, Cern 16 "
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linger^,
inter. Jir"'*
landsP^Uii
d exam
Performances include:
• Alpha Phi Alpha
• Aggie Wranglers
lambda Theta Phi
Fade to Black
Lambda theta Alpha
Sigma Lambda Gamma- classic Ballet “A Fairy Serenade"
Delta Sigma Theta
Ballet Folklorico Celestial
AND MANY MORE SURPRISES!!
Saturday Dec. 14 @ Rudder Theatre
Doors open @6:30
Show starts @ 7:00
$5 Admission/Tickets available at MSC Box Office
Parking by Kyle Field/ Rec Center
ALL PROCEEDS GO TO CHARITY!
Performances Judged by: MSC president Barry Hammond- Student Body {resident
Zach Coventry- Former Texas Aggie Yell Leader Boo Boo Davies
STARTS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13TH AT THEATRES EVERYWHERE
msc camac
camac.tatnu.edu
Questions or interested in performing? Contact Julian @ 845-1515
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