陈汉国

    The other day, I heard from my cousin who traveled to the United States for study last month. She couldn’t wait to talk about the terrific experiences she had overseas.

    What impressed me most was the joy she had in describing her campus as a great place. For one, the diverse surroundings allow her to get to know peers, places, and student life. She said she expects to explore as many facets as she can through various activities. For another, student advisors serve as powerful resources to help students find their innate capabilities and to navigate them through the learning process. These friendly faces truly make campus a “home away from home” for students.

    On top of that, she has seen that students who participate in community services find the opportunity to facilitate cultural exchange, to learn and develop into a responsible person.

    “Overall, overseas campus life is not just about academia. Within a diverse setting, I never cease to learn and strive. It’s all about individual responsibility, academic achievements and making decisions that lead to success. Independent living and learning here are an essential part of growing up,” added my cousin.

    I think such enriching life experiences play an indelible role in shaping one’s life. Bringing students into direct contact with other languages and cultures is a crucial component of the learning process. Despite the booming trend for remote, online-based learning programs, many still choose to travel overseas to experience the cultural differences. They exercise their second language skills, broaden their horizons, stimulate their curiosity about the outside world and learn about cultural diversity.

    To this end, living and learning abroad are a great way to open one’s eyes. One will feel at ease after adapting to life there.