All people can feel a certain way when they are in an unfamiliar place that they have never been before, and it can have a great effect on them now and later in life. Maybe they are going for a vacation or maybe they are coming to a different country to come to school. This is the case for a lot of the students here at UMPI, who are from all different places in the world. One such case is junior Zhongyuyu Andrea Xiao, who has been here for three years now.
Just like many students, her journey here has been exciting and amazing, but also scary. Andrea says, “It’s an exciting thing to study abroad and it is popular for the Chinese to study in the U.S.”
Even though it can be exciting, there are some downfalls to coming here as well. “The first time leaving home, it made me feel free and happy. But with the time of leaving home increasing, the sadness also increases.” This can be true for many and even though it can be liberating to go to another country, there is that sense of home and not being able to go back for a period of time.
One of the reasons that Andrea came here was because of the snow. “I heard the snow here was so heavy, which attracted me a lot. There are few chances of snow in the place where I grew up.” She wanted to come somewhere that she could experience something new for the first time. That is something that most of us want to do, as well.
Andrea has also said that since coming here to UMPI. she has met so many people who are warm and welcoming. “People here are the same — nice and friendly — as Chinese people. But the reality is harder to make friends, because of the language limitation.” This seems to be a problem that Andrea and other Chinese students have. It can be hard when others cannot seem to understand.
Andrea knows that when she has graduated, she wants to go back to her hometown. “I prefer to go back to my hometown than staying here because I have family and 20 years of friendship there and I’ve lived in China my whole life.”
One of her best friends here that she has made, Xuetong Phoenix Zhang, thinks that she is a great person overall. “Andrea is such a nice girl and she is very smart. Even though she can be introverted, she is also extroverted when she wants to be. She calls her family every day to check in on them. On campus she gets along with most students and just has a passion for helping people when they need it.”
Even though Andrea is going back home to China when she graduates, she does not regret her time here. “Overall, my experience here has been challenging, but also rewarding and I do not regret my time here.”
Andrea has made most of her time here memorable, with students and professors that she has encountered. She thinks that Presque Isle and China does\\ have their differences, but knows that her time here has been worth it.
