I can’t really pinpoint where to begin with this beautiful city, but as my second week comes to an end I can only say this place has only amazed me more and more with each passing day.
Residing in the city of Ho Chi Minh and being surrounded by the locals has allowed me to have one heck of an experience thus far. Through the food, the culture and the people I’ve met, this experience has reminded me again how much I love traveling!
Last month, 16 students from my city planning program and one of our professors had a chance to go to New Orleans for the National Planning Conference (NPC18). Thanks to SDSU (we won part of a Student Success Fee grant) we were lucky to attend this important event in our field! Having a lot of stress before all finals and graduation, we enjoyed the chance to relax under New Orleans sun.
Continue reading “Getting a Taste of Europe Without Leaving the States”
A couple of days ago I was talking with my groupmates about the future. We are supposed to graduate this May and we were discussing our plans. One girl said that she declined a job opportunity from a company in San Diego in order to return to the Bay Area to live closer to her family. She said that she wants family support; she loves adventures and traveling, but she prefers to be more of a homebody.
I was surprised by it, because in our field it is hard to find a good full-time job. However, on the other hand it is understandable. Finding your comfort zone is very important to succeed in life — especially when your relatives support you.
However, I’ve always thought that challenging yourself is the main point to be successful in this life. As a Russian international student, I live thousands of miles from my family, my best friends, my lovely room and my comfy bed. And I do not regret it. I got so much experience and new skills in every aspect of life, that I would not change even a bit of my current life.
To start from the beginning, my journey in the U.S. started in January, 2016. I was enrolled in pre-master’s language class at the American Language Institute (ALI) to prepare for my Graduate Record Examination. However, such place is good only if you are ready for studying on your own, because you are the only one who needs it. Without any extra effort you can get a certificate from Language School easily, but it does not give you a chance to pass other exams needed for applying to grad school.
People there were nice. Teachers were all adorable, interesting people, who were always ready to help you with any question.
This spring, the International Student Center hosted the International Student Essay Contest where students were encouraged to describe life “in their shoes.” The response was overwhelming and inspiring. Be International is excited to highlight SDSU’s outstanding international students by presenting some of these submissions. In our first installment in this series, we meet aerospace engineering graduate student Mohamed Amine Abassi. Abassi shares his harrowing experience in the Tunisian military and how, through perseverance, he was able to break free to pursue his dreams in the United States.
Continue reading “International Student Voices: Mohamed Amine Abassi”
The global experience, as told by SDSU students 