A Bayan Student Abroad

By Ali Al Rawahi

The news came on a hot summer’s day like cool rain on my heart. I packed for a journey to discover a new world. I geared up my mind for an experience which I would cherish for a life time. I have always had the desire to study in the United States. Participating in a program sponsored by the American government filled me with honor and responsibility to represent my country.

The sixteen hours flight didn’t curb the enthusiasm. The anticipation grew by the hour. I set foot on American soil for the first time on Aug. 13, 2010. Everything looked bigger; it had seemed so tiny from the airplane window. Washington D. C. was indeed the right preparatory stop for life in America. The program coordinators from the Department of State and the American Councils gave the 88 participants from 19 countries a thorough orientation about studying and living in America. They also organized daily activities to visit monuments and museums in Washington D. C.

Then the participants were scattered across the USA with five students to a university. It took us 30 minutes to fly from Washington D.C. to New Jersey, where Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, my university, is located. It is the largest private university in New Jersey. The campus is by Teaneck River, surrounded by trees and nature. It has a big library for general purposes and a small one for business.

There are many clubs, organisations, and groups in the university and I am a member of two of them. The first one is called ‘Sands of times’ a cultural group which has organised outstanding events such as a visit to the New York Botanical Garden, attending a classical music concert, and soon to come a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and a play called ‘A Body of Water’. I am also a member of a group that organises cultural events but is mainly responsible for issuing a literary magazine every semester called ‘Knightscapers’.

In addition, the university sponsors a number of activities and events that are open to all students. For example, I have participated in a trip to the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Central Park, thematic restaurants such as the Medieval Times and many more.

To appreciate such an opportunity you have to be open to all that is new and unfamiliar. The cultural experience is far better that any academic one. Getting involved in the community is the key to expanding one’s experience. Despite the homesickness and nostalgia, I know deep in my heart that I’ll benefit later.