Heleen Ettes (English major) from Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Junyan Gao (Psychology major) from Soochow University, China; Luke Hale (Chemistry major) from Murdoch University (Australia); Laurenz Rosemann (Mechanical Engineering major) from Hamburg University, Germany; Joon Hyung (Brad) Kim (Business Administration major) from Korea University Business School, South Korea; and Yuchen (Winters) Huo (Finance major) from Lancaster University, United Kingdom
Q) What do you like about Binghamton University thus far?
Laurenz “I like having several assignments spread throughout the semester. In most of the universities in Germany, you’d have only one unbelievably difficult final exam at the end of the semester.”
Luke “I agree. Having bits of everything from daily assignments to quizzes mixed throughout the semester actually gives me time to study and really grasp what I’m learning.”
Heleen & Junyan “I like that the school offers a lot of extra academic help, such as giving extra credits and curves.”
Q) What special items did you bring from your home country besides necessities? Or what didn’t you bring from your home country that you regret you didn’t?
I didn’t know Binghamton gets that much cold and snow
Heleen, Luke & Brad “I should have brought more winter clothes. I didn’t know Binghamton gets that much cold and snow.”
Brad “I brought some presents from Korea. I’d give them to my friends here in Binghamton before I leave after the semester is over.”
Heleen “I didn’t think to bring Dutch snacks with me at first. After I arrived here, my parents brought me some Dutch cookies and peanut butter, which are my favorite food.”
Q) What is one piece of advice that you would give to prospective Binghamton-bound study abroad students?
If you don’t have a car, think twice before you decide to live off-campus!
Laurenz “Get as many tips as you can from other students who studied abroad. I regret that I didn’t spend enough time preparing for my study abroad. I just packed my clothes and shoes a couple of days before I departed Germany, but now I realize that’s not a good way to prepare your study abroad…”
Junyan, Luke & Winters “If you don’t have a car, you should think twice before you decide to live off-campus. There are buses running everywhere, but I think having a car would be much more convenient if you live off-campus.”
Laurenz “Oh, and you should attend the General Interest Meetings if you are interested in anything. Even if you’re not too much into, let’s say, sports, movies, or whatever, you will build networks with your peers anyhow, and I think joining a student association is one of the biggest benefits you will get as a Binghamton student.”
Q) Would you recommend your American
friends to study abroad? If yes, then what do you think they will
benefit the most from studying abroad based on your own experience?
Now I know how to cook myself and get up early for class myself
Brad & Winters “You will “really” get to experience different cultures once you leave your home country. The U.S. does attract a lot of people from various places around the world, but actually immersing yourself into another country is completely different from just seeing international people walking around you.”
Junyan “You will experience different educational setting, too. It can be challenging but you will really appreciate the experience in the end. You will have better understanding of how the American educational system is different from others.”
Luke “Also, you will gain much independence. I am 19 years old and have lived with my parents my entire life. But now I know how to cook myself and get up early for class myself :).”
***Thank you Heleen, Junyan, Luke, Laurenz, Brad, and Winters for having such an interesting and engaging interview with us! We hope you all will enjoy your semester in Binghamton University and have every possible positive experience you can have while you stay in the United States!***
[read_also color=”” link=”https://binghamtoninternationalblog.com/celebrating-christmas-in-copenhagen”] Celebrating Christmas in Copenhagen![/read_also]