It is difficult to make a transition from one culture to another and from one country to another. However, when I found out that my application to an international university had been approved, the dormant feeling was happiness at the new opportunity. I was excited because I had only experienced the American experience from books and films and I was eager to travel to the country and live the American dream. My initial excitement has proved to be continuous and has carried me through all the years of study as I constantly find new things to be excited about. Coming to study in the US has had a positive effect on me.
Learning a new language has been one of the biggest effects of coming here. I had studies elementary English back in Kuwait and I was good at speaking it. After arriving here, I realized there is a big difference between learning a language and using it to communicate. People were excited about my accent initially and I strived to improve and increase my communication skills and took many English lessons. Today, I am a fluent English speaker and at times I can speak with no accent. While I am proud of my heritage, and I want people to appreciate me as a Kuwait native, it has been god to learn a new language because learning English was an important part of the experience of living in a different country and a different culture.
Time management in Kuwait is not as strict as in the US. When someone says they will meet you at four, they usually mean thirty minutes before or after four. On the other hand, one rarely needs to manage time because people are not fixated on time. In the US, everyone has a strict timeline and they are always following it. Therefore, time planning is an important part of the American experience because of the seriousness that the local culture attaches to time. Now, I have learned to plan for all variables and to avoid creating inconveniences. When there is traffic, I have to leave early and not say I was later because of the traffic. The academic curriculum also increased the relevance of planning time because it was strict and the timelines could not be altered. Therefore, coming to the US has made me good in time management.
In my time living here, I have made many new friends and shared many new experiences. How I understand the western culture because of association with friends. I have also accessed qulity services such as new and advanced devices such as smart phones, from using the devices, I have learned how to keep connected to friends at all times and how to improve my grades by accessing online portals for my college studies.
Despite the positive things, I have missed home throughout my stay here, especially during the winter when it gets very cold. In Kuwait, the weather is relatively hot at all times. I miss my family a lot and I constantly write them and send progress reports. However, they are happy that I am enjoying learning in a new culture and I will see them soon.
Coming to college in the US is a positive experience for me. I have made many new friends, learned a new language and appreciated the use of technology in learning and communication. At the same time, I have learned to manage time more efficiently to increase the number of things I can do at any given day and to avoid inconveniencing others.