American studying experience

Written by Tim
Q: Why do you choose Taiwan to have a gap year?
Well, I am supposed to graduate this year. However, I would like to gain more life experiences. Besides, I am not clear about what to do in the future. Therefore, I do my best to become an exchange student this semester. Actually, I prefer going to Japan rather than Taiwan, but my mom pointed me out I should go to Taiwan because of several reasons.

First, I can able to visit my relatives because I haven’t seen them in five years.
Second, I can speak Chinese fluently though I don’t practice a lot in America. But my mom would speak Chinese with me sometimes while I am home.
Third, Chinese has the most potential languages nowadays. I am able to speak Chinese now, but I hope I can understand Chinese characters.

Q: What other language have you learned?
I had learned German while I was studying in the middle school. To be honest, I was intended to learn German because all of my cool friends were learning German. But my father reminded me of the potential market of the Hispanic people in America. After the elaborate consideration, I opt for Spanish courses.
On the other hand, some Americans are not into learning other foreign languages. Owing to the requirements of schools, that’s why they are reluctant to learn the foreign language. Besides, the choices among the foreign languages are not diversified enough. Take my university for example, it offers something such as German, Spanish, and Italian. Hence, students don’t have a lot of choices.

Q: What was your expectation before you went to Taiwan?
Actually, I have been to Taiwan for four times. The only thing I remembered Taiwan is the weather, hot and humid in summer. For the rest of everything, I am not experiencing enormous culture shock because I’ve known most of the things in Taiwan. However, I didn’t understand the weather can be extremely freezing and chilling in winter. Before coming here, my mom asked me to bring more blankets. I didn’t understand the coldness of the winter until I am here in Taiwan. It dawned on me that my mom’s advice is really helpful for me.

Q: During the preparation, what make you the most impressed?
I was very frustrated by all of the paperwork. I decide to become an exchange student in June, 2007. At the beginning, I get the recommendation letter from my professor, and I send it into international affair. Then I get my admission letter from National Chung Hsing University. It is a hard time for me to get everything over. But my dad would comfort me and tell me that I need to be more patient for the process of NCHU, and probably I would be the first English native speaker at NCHU.
As for the adjustment of my mindset, I am very nervous at first due to the unstable feeling of studying abroad. Nevertheless, I would like to gain some new experiences in life, and I am convinced that I will become more independent through this journey.
Tough things look so great, I still need to make a sacrifice. One of my good friends says to me, “who I am gonna talk with if you’re gone.” It’s just as well that the convenient Internet is almost available everywhere, so we can still communicate with each other through e-mail and Facebook.

Q: What kinds of characteristics do you have to make you an exchange student?
I think the open-mindedness and language skill. According to the psychology, one would feel very excited while you experience another different culture. Gradually, one would feel nostalgic because everything is strange and not so convenient. Under this condition, one starts to undergo the culture shock. Therefore, the two features are quite import for people who would like to study abroad.
As to what influences the most to my personalities, I would say televisions, Internet, and virtual computer games instead of literature such as Shakespeare and Mark Twain. Well, I know how I should absorb and I have the independent thinking to distinguish the right and wrong.

Q: What do you think the advantages and disadvantages of Taiwan form your viewpoint?
I love the traffic systems in Taiwan. It’s very convenient for me to go everywhere in the city. And the convenient store is also available everywhere. It’s conveniently itself. For example, I would like to print out something from my external driver. Then the casher just prints it out without any effort. I was so amazed by the multi-functional choices in the convenient store. Compared to my university, Virginia Tec
However, I would say most Taiwanese don’t have their critical things and behave not mature enough in their ages. Take the school shooting in Virginia, people don’t take it serious while mentioning this incident, or that incident is the only impression that Taiwanese all know. I just feel it’s unfair to me because Taiwanese don’t understand what my university is like and they just make their own judgmental conclusion to my university on the basis of the incident which they don’t try to comprehend the cause and effect.

Q: What makes you impressed among people, events, and objects?
The most beautiful place in Taiwan would be Taitung. I haven’t been to the clean place in my life. It’s almost like Shangri-la. That place really drives me crazy and I take a lot of pictures there in reminisce of the views in the future.
People that make me the most impressed would be Fiona, who has the same class with me in the Globalization Marketing. Her language is really outstanding compared to most of the Taiwanese. Besides, she is also bale to speak French fluently. That impressed me a lot.
Finally, I would say the international student, Mel, who has traveled a lot around south eastern Asia alone. To me, I can’t do that right now. For one thing, I don’t have so much money now. For the other thing, I am not sure I am as brave as he now to travel around all of those places.
In sum, I really appreciate those people I met and those places I have been. Everything seems too good to be true. Sometimes, I can’t believe I am in Taiwan now. I love Taiwan very much. And I don’t want to go back yet, but my visa would expire soon. Then I am supposed to go back to Virginia Teck to graduate this year. I am gonna miss all of everything in Taiwan.

Q: What do you still have to do before you leave from Taiwan?
I hope I can visit more places in Taiwan which are full of amazing stuffs. Besides, I want to talk with everyone who has talked with me since I was in Taiwan. I am so curious about what they are doing now. Besides, I also want to visit Japan with Tom and Mel who are also the exchange students from Australia.

Q: What will your plan be after you go back to America?
I am supposed to graduate from Virginia Teck . My dad encourages me to continue studying for my master’s degree. Probably I also can work for the government with my cultural background, and I will be used to the job easily. As for my long-term goal, I want to be a professional author writing articles or show stories. I know it don’t have a lot to do with my major now. But we will see. Maybe I will major in some fields which can make me a professional author.