Studying in the U.S.: A New Student's Perspective

One Year of Grad School Complete!

2010-08-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

Finally, with the end of my summer semester, I am done with the first year of my grad school. As I look back, right from the moment I landed in the United States it has been a rollercoaster ride; whether it was opening a bank account, commuting through the city, getting an SSN card and state ID card, experiencing my first snowfall, getting accustomed to the international classroom culture, and living with the roommates-- everything had its own challenges and rewards. However, these vivid experiences have added great dimensions of audacity and optimism in me as a person; studying abroad has made me more confident and significantly amplified my world-wide knowledge. That is why, I guess, people often say that studying abroad is an experience of its own kind, and every student must try and explore this domain.

There is a wise saying, “persistence and perseverance will find way through all odds”, and I have experienced this ever since I have been to United States. One significant experience worth mentioning is my work as an International Education Fellow; it not only provided an opportunity to experience the U.S. work culture, but also shaped my administrative and organizational skills. It is only because of my fellowship work, and my supervisor Beth, that I got to write the chronicles of my experiences in the United States. I am glad to have had such a wonderful mentor and a work experience.

As my fellowship comes to an end this August, I am drawing a close to my blog entries as well. It is our mutual hope that this blog has been helpful in some small way to students who dream to come to the U.S., specifically to The Chicago School to pursue their higher studies in Psychology.

My first year has been truly memorable with many joyous occasions and few bitter ones. I am grateful for this experience to study at The Chicago School and experience life in the United States. And I look forward to the new challenges and adventures that await me in the impending school year ahead.

Summer Semester

2010-07-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

This year for the first time I took summer classes; back home I have always enjoyed a three month long summer break with no summer classes. In a way, having summer classes has helped me stay occupied enough so that I do not miss my family and friends as much.
Some programs at U.S. universities may have mandatory summer classes, while some offer voluntary ones. At The Chicago School, summer classes are mandatory for Masters, as well as Doctorate students. Although summer semesters are short and require less credit hours compared to the fall or spring semesters, many students choose to take more classes in summer to expedite their graduation process. I chose to take only the five required courses to keep things light. Also, as an international student I had to enroll for minimum of five credits (three courses) this summer to maintain my immigration status.
On one hand I was excited to have few courses; on the other hand I was apprehensive about accomplishing the credit requirements within such a short period of 8 weeks. However, along with studies I also managed to indulge myself in summer cleaning, shopping, following the FIFA World Cup games, and recreational jaunts. This period was filled with spectrum of leisure activities and curriculum work similar to the sunny and rainy patches of Chicago weather. The summer semester breezed passed me without even a tinge of realization, and I have my final exams approaching next week.
Nonetheless, with all the summer fun I faced one loss, “Khubbie” (my pet goldfish mentioned in earlier blog) passed away. Khubbie’s decease has left Nemo all alone in the aquarium, so we are planning to get a new goldfish soon for his company; but before that some serious work for my summer finals.

Spiritual India in Chicago

2010-06-07T12:33:00.000-07:00

This summer, I also got an opportunity to visit couple of Indian temples in and around Chicago, which I earnestly wanted to go to since I came here. Last weekend, I visited ‘Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple’.

This temple is located in the south of Chicago. My friend, Sneha, and I took BSNF Metra (http://metrarail.com/metra/en/home.html), which is used to travel within the state of Illinois. We started at 7 in the morning, took 8.30 am train from Union station on Canal Street. The train journey from Chicago downtown to Aurora railway station is of approximately one hour. It takes 10 minutes by cab to reach to the temple, and approximately 30 minutes by foot. We chose to go by a cab.
The shrine is very beautiful; it is built in traditional south Indian style and resembles the holy Balaji Temple of Tirupathi. The temple was extremely calm and pleasant with devotees trickling along. The silence in the temple accentuated the rhythmic chanting of ‘shlokas’(Indian religious prayers and songs) by the sages. The chants filled my heart with tremendous positivity and strength. After the prayers, we sat in the temple for a while enjoying the divine and ethereal beauty of the temple. After ‘darshana’ (prayers and offerings) we went to the temple’s canteen to have some South-Indian snack. We had ‘Idli’ - a south Indian savory cake popular throughout India (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idli), ‘Medu-Vada’ – (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medu_vada), and ‘Sambar’ - a vegetable stew or chowder based on a broth made with tamarind (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambar_(dish)). The snack reminded me of India so much that I truly miss everything……sometimes!!

There is also ‘Shirdi Sai Samsthan Temple’ in the vicinity, so we chose to walk down to the Sai temple - http://www.saisamsthanusa.org/newsite/aboutus.htm.

We reached there by noon and got to attend the afternoon prayers. This temple is simple single storied with a big idol of 'Lord Sai’. The idol is placed in the main hall, and it resembles the one at Shirdi, India. After the afternoon prayers were over they served ‘prasad’ (snack served at temple) of tamarind rice, lemon rice, porridge, and yoghurt rice. At this temple, the food is usually prepared at the temple, or sometimes it is a potluck lunch by the devotees. After a wonderful lunch at the temple we called for a cab and took 2.20 pm Metra (BSNF) back to downtown Chicago. It was one of the divine Sundays, spent in the holy temples, enjoying the essence of spiritual India in Chicago.

Recreation and revival this summer

2010-06-07T12:30:00.001-07:00

After a 3 week summer break, my summer classes start the first week of June. Even though I had my practicum during the break, it was a good respite from assignments and studies. During summer break, my friends and I spent most of our weekends hanging out and playing board games. One of our friends had arranged some of the most interesting board games like ‘Ticket to Ride’ and ‘Settlers of Catan’. I had learned to play ‘Ticket to Ride’ during the international board game night event at my school. This game is an interesting and innovative way to learn about different parts of the United States. One has to build train routes from one state to the other and whoever makes longest route covering maximum number of states wins the game. It may sound very simple, but it involves lots of strategical and meticulous planning. I thoroughly enjoy playing this board game. In fact, I think, I hope one day to find an Indian version of ‘Ticket to Ride’.

‘Settlers of Catan’ is one of the most complex board games I have ever played; it wasn’t that easy to learn this game as it involves many rules. The game is about building your cities and establishing a settlement that has knights and resources, so that when pirates or a barbarian attacks the city is capable of surviving the attack. Consequently, you earn more points. Playing board games is one of my favorite recreational activities. All of us had a fun time playing, strategizing, and competing against each other. The snacks and drinks added to the board-game gala!!

Another yummy day-out in summer!

2010-05-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

My friend, Amrita and I went to The Counter, a special burger restaurant. There you are greeted with a clipboard that outlines an extensive list of patty (vegetarian and non-vegetarian both), cheese, toppings, and burger fixings that includes type of breads that will allow you to build your own exclusive burger. I tried Veggie Patty (rice and black-eyed beans) with some roasted red peppers, tomatoes, grilled pineapple, and dill pickle chips (pickled cucumber: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dill_pickle) for my toppings. I chose a basil pesto sauce and English muffin bun to complete my burger. I was apprehensive about how the combo would taste, but to my surprise, the burger actually turned out to be delicious and it gratified all my curiosity to try my style of unique burger. Along with good range of burgers, this place has a warm ambience, making it a nice place to hangout with friends and family.

http://www.thecounterburger.com/concept/

Two semesters down

2010-05-05T18:04:00.001-07:00

I am glad that I am done with my final exams for spring semester, and with that my first year of graduation. Now, I will have a summer break for a month, and my summer classes will start from June. However, my summer practicum will continue through out May.

I have been doing my practicum at a learning academy with children with behavioral and developmental challenges for 6 months now. At my practicum site, I have had a good opportunity to experience the US education and work culture. I have picked up some commonly used US terms like “pop” for carbonated drinks/soft drinks and “garbage can” for dustbin. I have also learned to write dates as mm/dd/yy instead dd/mm/yy. I try to use culturally relevant terms to communicate with the children and colleagues effectively. One time while giving an instruction to the children, I said, “Please stand in a queue.” All the little kids stood there staring at me. Soon one of my colleague prompted them, “Boys and girls, line-up please.” My colleagues and I had a good laugh at this.

Its fun that how simple things are communicated in different ways across different parts of the world. Indians may face initial faux-pas in the US because we are trained in the UK English; nevertheless, people here are quite open to diversity and variations. And, it has been easier for me to learn these cultural nuances with the help of my supervisors and colleagues at work. We work hard for the whole week and socialize on the weekend, which provides me with some more opportunities to clarify and adjust to cultural differences in the U.S.

Although these are minute differences between the cultures, I find it interesting to mention it on my blog. I am sure many of my international friends would have had similar experiences. However, I feel it is priceless to travel abroad for further studies as it broadens ones horizons, adds to the cultural experiences, enhances intercultural communication skills, and shapes the ability to adapt and learn.

Studying in the U.S. – How satisfied are you with your graduate program?

2010-04-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

This week, The Chicago School (TCS) is conducting a Student Satisfaction Survey. TCS usually conducts this survey at the end of every semester. This survey aims to collect students’ opinion and feedback (U.S. students and international students) about the performance of all the faculty members across all the departments. Click here to see the previous survey result: http://www.thechicagoschool.edu/resources/content/1/8/6/6/documents/research_bulletin_april07_prelim_findings_student_sat_academic_survey.pdf.

Although I have had a positive experience at the school and with my faculty members so far, I know that there are some international students who have expressed concerned about the sensitivity of the faculty or professors towards international students. Additionally, I know that some of my classmates have expressed dissatisfaction about the Applied Behavior Analysis program, as it does not correspond with their expectations regarding the program. I am glad that the Office of International Research administers this survey so that students have a chance to express their concerns. The results of this survey are mostly made available online for students to view. It can also be helpful in providing prospective students with a more balanced outlook of student satisfaction than simply talking with one or two current students at an institution.

Often, on the basis of one negative experience many continuing students develop a strong attitude against the course or a particular faculty and may inadvertently share this impression with other peers further spreading the anxiety amongst other students; this may impact the decision of perspective students in choosing the program or the university. I think that relying completely on one or two student’s opinion may be highly subjective and detrimental. In such a quandary, I would suggest one must also refer to the “student satisfaction survey results” or “Performance Survey”, usually posted on university/college website under the column – “about faculty”. To my knowledge most of the universities in the U.S. often conducts periodic surveys and facilitate the objective information about the faculty and department services on their website especially for perspective students.

In the process of choosing an appropriate university or a program, one may also contact the department head or concerned professor to gain first-hand information about the course and the scope for international students; especially when you are selecting a course that is new for you and your background and exposure in that particular course is limited, for e.g. Very few students may have precise knowledge about applied Behavior analysis science, so may select on the basis of some or the other students’ opinion, and later may end up not liking the course or switching the field. However, I am not suggesting disregarding the continuing students’ opinion completely. I chose TCS and ABA program by relying on the combinations of information from website, professors of the program, and few continuing students.

Overall, I am satisfied with my program requirements. Although I may not be impressed by the entire curriculum in my program, I am learning significant things that are required for shaping my knowledge in the field of behavioral science.

Some countries are gifted with a massive ‘Civic Sense’!

2010-04-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

I live on the UIC campus, and my grad school is in downtown, so I commute via CTA train everyday. Yesterday, on my way to college, I saw that two to three CTA maintenance men were swabbing and cleaning the station entrance area with disinfectants. Furthermore, ever since I have come, I have noticed that almost everyone, as young as 3 year old to 70 year old uses a garbage bin. I have hardly seen anyone litter around on the street. I find this highly appealing specifically because, this attitude is missing in many of my community people. It’s been years now that civic sense has been an issue of debate and discussion amongst young educated people in my country, focusing on inculcating cleanliness and hygienic practices within the community, using placards like – “Green Mumbai clean Mumbai”, “Your city is your home, treat it like your house”, Your community is not a garbage-bin”.

I realize that there are some antecedents that need to be considered before making such comparisons like: country’s infrastructure, population rate, economy. However, in my opinion, civic sense plays an important role in guiding such behaviors; it should be felt by every individual from within to keep the community environs clean. I call this attitude a ‘civic sense’, which is beyond any of the above antecedents. It is inculcated within the family and reinforced in the society. Government rules and policy and their strict implementations plays predominant role in shaping community sense – a sense of responsibility towards one’s state, country etc. I really wish that the young people who are working towards such a noble cause – ‘awakening the civic sense in every possible Indian’ will see a ray of hope one day. I dream of that day!

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

2010-03-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

My spring break ended last weekend. On Friday, after my practicum, we went to one of my colleague’s place. On our way we bought some tortilla chips, salsa, and a bottle of sweet white wine. Afterwards, she prepared a delicious Mexican dish of chile, corn and cheese flautas for the dinner. It is a wonderful vegetarian dish that I surely hope to enjoy again!

After the Friday night gathering, I had a hard time getting up next day. But, when I got up and looked outside my window, I was astounded by the weather. The city was sun poking through the clouds made everything look like it was glistening from the rain that had fallen the previous. After I got dressed, Naomi and I had some Hot Masala Chai (Indian Tea) and breakfast and set out to explore Chicago for St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Usually St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, but the parade was held on the 13th since it was the weekend closest to St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick’s Day is named after the most commonly recognized patron saints of Ireland. It became an official feast day in the early 1600s. It is widely celebrated in places where there are large numbers of Irish immigrants like: Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and Montserrat, among others.

The parade began at noon. All of Chicago was out on that day. There were hordes of people around the Michigan Avenue, where the parade took place. Everybody was wearing green; some were in green hats, some in green beads, while some were dressed entirely in green clothes, including green shoes. I was very curious to know about the association of the green colour with the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, so I gathered some information about it.

Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day. St. Patrick used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish. Hence, wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs has become a ubiquitous feature of the day. People say that in 1798 in hopes of making a political statement Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March with the phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing.

In addition to all the green clothing, the city of Chicago dyes its river green as well, and has done so since 1962 for Saint Patrick's Day. Originally 100 pounds of vegetable dye was used to turn the river green for a whole week but now only forty pounds of dye is used and the color only lasts for several hours.

Taking part in the St. Patrick’s Day festivities this past week reminded me how enjoyable it is living in Chicago. I love everything about this place--the spirit of its people, it’s many cultural celebrations, the climate and array of food. What a great way to end my spring break!

Spring Break

2010-03-10T09:46:00.000-08:00

This week school is closed for Spring Break. Although, I am not able to leave town for a warm, sunny destination like many students do, it was glad to kick off my Spring break celebrating my friend’s 25th birthday on Saturday. The theme of the party was to incorporate the number 25 in our attire. I wore a T-shirt with the number 25 printed on it, while others painted the number 25 on their faces, arms and clothes. There was a huge truffle cake, soft drinks, and some Indian snacks for the party. As a birthday surprise for Venkat, the birthday boy, we prepared a slide show from an assortment of his photographs with all his friends, spanning his two year long journey in Chicago. The slideshow turned out really well and it lit up everyone’s face with a big smile and moist eyes, cherishing the two years of memories in Chicago. Then, we all rocked the floor on famous Bollywood numbers and sang few old Hindi songs. The party went on till 2 a.m. We did not leave any opportunity to capture all the happy moments of his birthday celebration.

The Saturday night fun quickly ended after I reached home and found an email from my professor stating that the rough draft of an assignment I attached on E-college (web-based classroom software) had not been uploaded, so my professor could not review it. As such, he told me that I would have to finish my final draft with any edits from him. This left me with a feeling of apprehension, as I will have to take excessive care to do the final draft correctly. I hope that I utilize my spring break well to finish my assignment. Along with my assignment I also plan to rest well, eat some good food, and watch some movies during the break. The weather is warming up and the sun has made some appearances over the last couple days, so I’m hopeful that my Spring break won’t be too bad after all.

Fellowship work and board game recreation!

2010-02-08T23:04:00.000-08:00

As my spring semester is progressing my task list is getting longer, full of assignments and homework. Last week, In the midst of my daily school work, we had an International Board Game Event.

This event was organized by International Students Services, where I work as an for 10 hours a week. As part of the organizing team, I assisted in planning, preparing flyers, catering, arrangements, and hosting the event. This event not only was a good recreational break, but also an opportunity to sharpen my administrative skills – My Fellowship work in International Student Services is truly a good learning experience for me!

The International Board Game Night turned out to be a joyous event. There were lots of interesting board games selected from different parts of the world, like: Dominoes, Carcassonne, For Sale, Snakes and Ladders, Ticket to Ride, etc. Placards were placed at the tables where each game was being played; each game was hosted by a predetermined person. I was host of the game, “For Sale”, a European style card game

The event took place in the evening and as such, sandwiches, chips, cookies, and soft drinks were served at the event. Munching and playing simultaneously added more fun. I was impressed that regardless of the hectic school schedule, many students made it for the event. A group of 10 students from Peru, who were at the school last week for an educational and cultural competence seminar, also participated in the board game event. It was a pleasure to interact and exchange some cultural views about the board games with the Peruvian students.

There is a popular misconception that playing board games is childlike. But, according to me, it is a great brainstorming and creative leisure pursuit. I was amazed to see that some students were completely engrossed in planning strategies to win the game, and some were also using pen and paper to strategize while playing. Very Interesting!!

Overall, for me participating in this event was refreshing and innovative break from my daily, monotonous routine. I wish more such events keep happening at TCS, and I hope that I keep up my good work as a fellow in International Student Services.

New Year: My new beginnings!

2010-01-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

My classes for spring semester started last week. Although I was sad to see my vacation come to an end, I looked forward to meeting my new professors. This term, after consulting with my course advisor, I finally chose four courses constituting 11 credits. In addition I am investing approximately ten hours for practical experience and ten for fellowship work.

My classes this week were pretty easy. We primarily reviewed the new syllabi and course requirements. I found all my professors knowledgeable, thorough, and supportive. The course work will be challenging, but after talking to my professors I feel confident that I’ll be able to successfully tackle my assignments this semester. My interactions with my professors continue to affirm my initial perceptions that the faculties at TCS were phenomenal when I was first considering application to the school. I am so glad to be a part of The Chicago School student body.

My Pet Goldfish Terror!

2010-01-21T10:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday night was scary and stressful because silly Nemo and Khubbie (my 2 pet Goldfish) swallowed one of the fish tank gravel. Earlier that morning, we noticed that Nemo was looking sick, would not swim and stayed in one corner of the tank. So, we cleaned the tank and started looking online for some information on types of goldfish illnesses. Then in the evening, while having diner my friend Mandar (from California) and Gina (roommate), I saw Khubbie chocking with a gravel stone stuck in its mouth. We immediately started looking for an appropriate tool that would help us remove the gravel stone off Khubbie’s mouth. We had to be extra careful, as we couldn’t keep fish out of the water for a long time. Luckily we had Mandar, who had fish tank at home and is used to handling fish and so he could handle them efficiently. Finally with the help of nail clippers he pulled out the gravel from Khubbie’s mouth.

It didn’t take us too long to figure out that maybe Nemo has also swallowed one of the fish tank gravel. And, to our surprise Nemo’s condition was even worse as rock had slipped deep down Nemo’s throat. Now, we needed some really effective tool that could slip in Nemo’s mouth to extract the rock. At this time, all we knew was, we have to save our fish from chocking. We researched online and found that Goldfish being scavengers have a habit of digging into rocks in search of food, may be in the process both Nemo and Khubbie inadvertently swallowed the tank rocks. Both my fish were terrified and so were we! We took the pitcher in the bathroom as it had bright lights; we also set the table lamp as focus light to see through Nemo’s mouth, and used a tweezers to pull the rock out. In between the rock extraction process, Mandar had to take excessive care of putting the fish back into the water frequently, so that they could breathe. Eventually, with all the stressful, but diligent efforts we successfully extracted the rock from Nemo’s throat as well. Phew!

We all couldn’t believe that we actually saved our fish. We were happy to see our fish back into the tank, safe and alive! We removed all the gravels out of the tank. I would never be able to forget this eventful night, spent in struggling to remove the rock off my pet fish’s mouth/throat.

Holiday fun!

2010-01-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

For the holidays, one of my friends came over to visit me from California. We went to the Lincoln Park Public Zoo in the evening to see the zoo lighting, for which the zoo is famous. I enjoyed the evening at zoo; the magic of colorful lights, soft white snow, and a nice music playing in the background. The zoo has impressive specimens of reptilian and primate world. It is definitely one of the nice peaceful getaways in Chicago.
To know more about Lincoln Park Public zoo visit: http://www.lpzoo.org/

One day we also went to the UIC student union recreation center and spent some real good time bowling and playing pool.

For New Year’s celebration I prepared some chocolate walnut brownie at home and enjoyed a quiet New Year’s Eve diner and wine with few close friends.

Before my actual course work begins, I also utilized my spare time to visit the Office of the Secretary of State facility for issuing my state ID card. The information and forms for Social Security Card, State ID card, and Driver’s license is available on the Chicago school’s website. Most of the necessary information for the international students is available on International Students Service webpage.

http://ego.thechicagoschool.edu/iss

My first white Christmas in Chicago!

2010-01-21T10:17:00.000-08:00

The morning of Dec14th, I woke up to see a few inches of snow all around. I was excited to experience the first snow-fall of my life. Chicago has its own beauty in winter. It looks as if everything is made up of white cotton candy. With the help of my friends and colleagues I was well prepared for the winter, I bought good winter coats from Burlington Coat Factory, the one located at Gurnee http://www.yelp.com/biz/burlington-coat-factory-warehouse-gurnee .
The Burlington Coat factory is located at various places in Chicago, which can be found on its website below: http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com/

The week before Christmas holidays was full of sweets, cookies, gifts and greetings from friends and colleagues. I was happy to receive my first Christmas surprise from my supervisor, Beth Tinkham, in International Student Services at Chicago School. In the morning when I reached at office to assist her at work, I found a gift box, which looked like a Chinese take out box. The box contained a gift card to Starbucks Coffee and different types of delicious, tempting cookies, including sugar cookies, rum balls, ginger snaps, mint chocolate drops, and citrus macaroons. Later this week I attended Christmas party at Hope institute, my practicum site, and ate additional sweets and cookies including sugar candy, bonbons, truffles, and almond bark. It felt really nice to receive such warm Christmas greetings from everyone. I truly enjoyed my first Christmas celebrations in Chicago. Soon after the celebrations, school closed for the holiday break.

One Semester Down!

2009-12-17T17:54:00.000-08:00

The last two weeks of this semester have been crazy with final papers, projects and exams. I had two written papers and three project submissions for my finals, which was quite overwhelming! One of these projects one was the Fish Training Project I previously mentioned. After three weeks of intensive training, my fish successfully learned two tricks. The first trick was to swim up to the fish tank door after listening to the click sound of me opening the door; the other trick was for the fish to pass through a hoop in order to get food. I was thrilled to conclude my project successfully. My experience in training the fish also reinforced my belief in principles of behavior and learning theories. If applied meticulously these theories can enhance learning in any organism.

The two other projects I had to complete were based on my case studies at my practicum site; they also turned out well. The projects were followed by two written papers. The papers were lengthier then expected and covered all the topics of the fall semester. Finally, after a three hour long exam last Wednesday, I completed the last of my finals. After having been deprived of sleep for more then two weeks, I couldn’t think of anything but sleep.

The weekend after finals, I took a much needed break and went ice skating at Millennium Park with my friends. We reached there at 5 pm, but had to wait for about an hour in the queue to rent skates. The ice skates were available for rent for $10 for an unlimited time. If you have your own ice skates then you can save time waiting in the queue for skate rental. However, I didn’t mind waiting in line as it provided me a chance to watch others on the ice rink. It was really enjoyable to watch people displaying their skating talents. There were children as young as 7 to 8 years and adults as old as 60 years.

Once I got my skates I couldn’t wait to be on the ice rink. I had to tie my skates really tight to fit on my feet. Although initially I was scared to let go of the railing, eventually I could balance on the blades well. As I have previously roller skated in my school days, ice skating was like reliving my childhood days of sports and adventure. Ice skating is not very different from roller skating--just that it requires more balance since you are on a thin slice of blade placed vertically underneath your shoes. In the beginning I fell four times, but all the pain was worthwhile, as at the end I did skate without touching the railing even once. We spent some good 4 hours on the ice floor, with a nice music played in the background! I was so thrilled by this outing that I am planning to go there again next weekend. This reminds me next weekend will be all the more fun, as one of my Indian friends studying in California is coming to Chicago for Christmas.

Thanksgiving – eat, sleep, and be merry!

2009-12-10T13:31:00.000-08:00

The last Thursday of November marks the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. My American friends told me that Thanksgiving is all about food and family--a short break for recuperating from the stressful work and an opportunity to give thanks for blessings in one’s life.

The week before Thanksgiving, I noticed that everyone, including my professors and people at work, were in the holiday mood. In discussing plans with my classmates, I learned that almost everybody from my cohort was visiting their families, and was looking forward to spend some time relaxing over the weekend. It was just enough reason for me to miss my family back home. However, I was grateful that Gina, my American roommate, had invited me and Naomi, my Indian roommate, to join her at her family’s home for Thanksgiving.

We visited Gina’s family on Thursday. We took a Metra train to Naperville, a city in the southwest part of Chicago. Gina’s mom then picked us up at the train station. The car ride from the station to Gina’s house was awesome—I immensely enjoyed the beautiful views of all the houses and Thanksgiving decorations in the verandas. After a half an hour ride we reached at Gina’s home. Her house was large and nicely decorated. Her parents were busy cooking a turkey and other delicious food so we utilized the time to tour her house and backyard. Afterwards we played lots of games on Wi-Fi (Video games) and enjoyed some a snack of hot chocolate and cheese and crackers. It was surprising that we were hungry again in just 2 hours. By that time, the much awaited dinner was ready.

We all gathered at dinner table, offered prayers and enjoyed the Thanksgiving feast. The table was full of bowls of different kinds of food, which looked and smelled delicious. Turkey was the main course. However, thankfully for vegetarians like me; there were lots of vegetarian dishes too. I enjoyed mashed potatoes (boiled potatoes with cheese and garlic flavor), green bean casserole (beans and crunchy onions cooked in the mushroom sauce), cranberries, Waldorf salad, and sweet potatoes. Everything was just irresistible!

After diner we all sat and talked, watched some movies, and enjoyed warm tea. It was a very relaxing day filled with great food and conversation. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to participate in this American holiday with Gina and her family.

The following day, I ventured out to participate in shopping on what is known as “Black Friday” because of all the great sales. Shopping the day after Thanksgiving is very chaotic; people are all pepped and set out early in the morning to get good deals on their purchases. I was quite thrilled to know that everything was extremely reasonable. I bought myself winter boots and a sweater for a real deal! Since we were in Naperville, we decided to visit shopping malls there, before coming to downtown. I bought my shoes from Nordstrom. Gina and her mother helped me choose proper winter boots, having no exposure to snowfall buying boots was really challenging. It is advisable to go for winter shopping with someone who is from Chicago or have been here for couple of years. Winter clothes are available in great variety and reasonable prices at most stores so having someone to assist you in the decision process can be helpful.

Shopping in general is fun in Chicago, There are really good shopping malls making it an ideal location for shopping. However despite good deals, it is always a good idea for students to stick to the budget.

After a long tiring shopping day we returned home. I was so tired that with all the pleasant memories of my thanksgiving holidays I collapsed in my bed and was fast asleep.

In reflecting upon the Thanksgiving weekend, I can truly say that Thanksgiving is a great time to eat, sleep, shop, and be merry. It also provided me with a much needed break in preparation for finals! I couldn’t have asked for anything more from God, I consider myself truly blessed for having such loving and friendly people around.

Trip to St. Louis – Educational and Recreational experience!

2009-11-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

As a part of the course requirements for one of my classes, I had to attend at least one professional conference from the list of conferences assigned. Earlier in the semester I decided I would attend the MOABA (Missouri Applied Behavior Analysis) conference in St. Louis, Missouri as it was towards the end of the semester. I thought this would give me two months time to settle and adjust well with the routine before I travel to the new city to attend the conference. However, before I knew it, the dates for the MOABA conference were upon me. I was excited to know that some of my classmates were also attending the same conference and delighted to learn that my roommate, Naomi, decided to join me for the trip to visit her family friend. I was curious to see the city and the popular monument, the St. Louis Arch, also known as “The Gateway to the West”. It was overwhelming to manage a trip in the middle of such a crazy time of the semester. However in the end, I found my two-day visit to St. Louis was a very memorable and refreshing (much-needed) break.

We decided to travel to St. Louis via Megabus, a double-decker coach bus. After a long day at school we started our journey at 5 in the evening. I was feeling extremely sleepy, but the interaction with some of my classmates was so interesting that it kept me up. I am glad that I chose to go to MOABA, as it was a wonderful opportunity to get to know others in my class and socialize with more people.

We reached St. Louis Union Station at 11 pm. It was freezing cold outside so our group of 11 students quickly hailed two cabs to the hotel. We were pleased to reach the hotel so soon and rushed out of the cab and hurried to the reception so that we can go into our rooms. But we soon realized that we were at the wrong Holiday Inn. It was interesting to know that St. Louis had two hotels with the same name, but it was a very frustrating situation to face at that hour landing a strange city.

Fortunately the receptionist was very helpful and called for another cab. We all were helpless and couldn’t do much other than waiting outside in the hotel lawn. We were so irritated with the cab driver and started venting our anger and frustration about the situation. Our conversation soon moved to the comparison between the St. Louis and Chicago and we all agreed that Chicago is much livelier and a better place to live. Girls will be girls – we were so busy with our interesting random discussions that we almost forgot about going to the actual Holiday – Inn (Vikings) and that we were waiting for the cab. We had to wait for about an hour for another cab to go the Holiday – Inn Vikings. We were in a great relief to see a cab after such a long wait at that hour in the night, making our journey truly eventful.

Me and my roomies – A Wonderful Trio

2009-11-11T11:10:00.000-08:00

It has taken me several months, but I am finally settled into my daily routine. It’s been great having the apartment, internet, utility, groceries, phone, and all the other basic necessities in place. And, I am fortunate enough to have wonderful roomies like– Naomi, and Gina – we make an awesome trio. After long, hectic hours at school and practicum, it’s a great stress-buster to sit down with them for some tea and small talk.

Yesterday we went to Devon for grocery shopping. There are lots of Indian and Pakistani grocers in that neighborhood. Indian spices and other foodie-goodies are available in huge variety; it looks like a mini-India. We bought some fresh vegetables like Eggplant (Brinjal), Okra (Lady Finger), ginger and garlic. My trip to the market reminded me how surprised Gina and some of my classmates were when they first learned that egg plant is a common food in India. They were all very curious how we prepare it in India. I am delighted by their curiosity and happy they are interested in my culture.

It has also been fun to learn more about U.S. culture from Gina (my American roommate). We often discuss and share a lot about our cultures and practices. Ever since I have been to the U.S. I have heard a lot about most awaited “Thanksgiving” holiday. We are planning to visit Gina’s place for Thanksgiving. I am very excited and looking forward to being a part of this traditional American holiday celebration.

Practicum Work

2009-11-11T11:09:00.000-08:00

After a tedious week full of midterms, this week was comparatively relaxed—allowing me to more easily focus on work at my practicum site. I conducted some assessments and made exciting intervention plans for the children with whom I am working.

The senior therapist and colleagues at my practicum site are very friendly and supportive. My work there has been good exposure for me to the U.S. work culture. I’ve found that people here are very professional, and at the same time, open to other persons’ thoughts and ideas. Sometimes, I do feel apprehensive in my interactions with my colleagues due to some subtle cultural differences, but overall I’m very encouraged that my colleagues have been so open to others from diverse backgrounds.

Goof up at USPS!

2009-11-04T11:32:00.000-08:00

Last Monday I went to USPS (United States Postal Services) to mail an important document home. I gave my debit card for the payment, but to my dismay the transaction failed. To make matters more embarrassing, I did not even have enough cash with me to pay for the service. I felt terrible. I couldn’t even cancel the order as the order was already placed and was fed into the system and I had to pay. I inquired for nearby ATM and requested the lady at the counter to wait and I will quickly go and get the cash from the ATM. I reached at the ATM only to realize that ATM machine was out-of-orderL!!! I wondered how and what would be the best way to get quick cash; I was very confused whom to ask for help in such a critical state. I was pacing in the hallway of the building and I instantly ran to the Center for International Studies hoping to see Kayoko – the ISO coordinator and one of my fellow international students. To my relief she was available and only person whom I could have asked to borrow five dollars. She was truly a savior for me.
The next day, I headed to my bank and got the debit card issue fixed. As it turns out I needed to reset my pin number. What a relief it was to get this sorted out. Never before had I been in a situation where despite of having money, I was not able to use it. These easy quick electronic facilities can be very frustrating at times. I learned an important lesson– to carry at least 20 to 30 dollars extra so I can be prepared should something like this happens again.

Course work and Midterms

2009-11-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

In the midst of celebration and enjoyment of Diwali last week, I almost forgot about my midterms. Although the week was very hectic with two projects and an exam, I survived. I am noticing, however, as the semester unwinds that sometimes life gets very busy with work and I get very little time for myself. Nevertheless, I am enjoying my courses—I’m finding they are both interesting and challenging. In particular, I’m really enjoying my Observation and Measurement class. It has a lot of new technical terms and in-class activities that are increasing my understanding about behavioral studies. The professor is very cooperative and so far I have been able to maintain my grades. I hope that I continue to do well in the class. Being a new student in the U.S., I have been facing some challenges in terms of using U.S. English in my writings, in lieu of , British English as we use in India. I can’t tell you how many times I have written “behaviour” instead of “behavior”! Hopefully by the end of this semester I will get use to writing in the US style. The writing course that I am taking this semester, which is required for all new students, has particularly been helpful in this regard.

Rewind: My First Diwali in Chicago

2009-10-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was my first Diwali away from home. I was highly upset and was missing my family, and friends badly a week before Diwali. Back home in India, a week before Diwali is so busy with all the preparation and decoration for the festival. It is full of lights, fire-works and crackers, lots of sweets, and social gatherings and parties. But, for the first time, I was alone; I did not even realize that Diwali was just few days away. I had just ended my phone conversation with my parents, and with a deep sigh I logged in to my college email account. I was surprised to receive an invitation for Diwali celebration by Asian Association and International Student Service. The moment I saw the invitation, I registered for the event and was really looking forward to celebrate Diwali with other students.

The event took place in one of the college classrooms on Thursday, 15^th October 2009 at 5 pm. I volunteered my help in coordinating the event. We all met an hour before the event, did decorations, music, and arranging refreshments. The event was open for all the students (Indians as well as non-Indians). I was pleased to see that American students also participated in the event. We all had fun take part in Rangoli (making different designs with color powder) and decorating Diya’s (small earthen lamps). Then, we all offered our prayer to the God, sang traditional Indian Song (Aarti) and had food together. The event was good gratifying moment for me. I am glad that I joined the students’ association and very much content that I participated in the Diwali celebration. I look forward to more such thrilling experiences while my long effortful study life in Chicago, away from home.

Rewind: Recuperating from loneliness and feeling home-sick

2009-10-27T21:12:00.001-07:00

For students like me, who haven’t been abroad for studies and are traveling for the first time, things can really be challenging and the first few months can really be strenuous. There can be too many things happening at the same time, coping with the totally new surrounding, adjusting with the new culture, understanding and following the U.S classroom culture and academic expectations, and at the same time doing all the necessary things for your banking and housing, grocery shopping, and other additional errands. I have been lucky enough to have found supporting people around me and this has helped me cope with my initial anxiety, and feeling homesick. There were several occasions, where I would suddenly blank-out; I’d feel lonely and miss my home. But rather than focus on my homesickness, I choose to engage in my studies and class work as a means of keeping myself occupied. Initially I would keep to myself, but soon realized that it made me feel all the more depressed and lonely. It is necessary to socialize, to help revive your energy after a long week of hard work.

The best way to socialize is to join a group or club and participate in other events organized by your college. I’ve found this to be the best way of meeting and interacting with other students and developing a social network. It is safe and economically feasible. Participating in the International Student Organization (ISO) and Asian Association events not only has provided me with a social outlet, but also helped me resolve some of my difficulties.

Rewind: Fish Training Project

2009-10-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

As mentioned previously, for one of my classes I am to train a fish. Having never had a fish for a pet, I was happy for the opportunity, but equally nervous. Finally, after collecting enough information about different types of goldfish, I purchased two goldfish during the first week of October. I named them Nemo & Khubbie (means foodie in “Hindi”). Nemo and Khubbie have kept me busy observing and exploring various ways of training them. I have been excited to observe and record their behavior, as they learn different ways of responding to me and my roommates to receive the food. It’s been three weeks and I am already getting attached to them--as strange as it seems, I can’t imagine my day without feeding Nemo and Khubbie. Watching them swim and play in the tank has become a favorite pass-time for me. It rejuvenates me from my everyday long tiresome days. (Orange – Nemo and White – Khubbie)

Rewind: Classes Begin

2009-10-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

After much preparation and anticipation, my first day of class at The Chicago School finally arrived. I was full of enthusiasm and zeal to meet the course professor and my classmates. However, I was also nervous, as it was my first class and I was totally unaware about the classroom culture in the U.S., except from what I had briefly learned at international student orientation.

My class was located in the Merchandise Mart, a huge multi-purpose building across the street from the main building, so it took me more than 15-20 minutes to locate my classroom. Although I had left for class with extra time to spare, I ended up arriving 5 minutes late. When I entered my class, students were introducing themselves, their background and why they chose the program they were in. I was surprised by the sociable and gracious conduct of the professor with his students. It recalled a conversation I had previously had with a friend in India who had told me the classroom culture in the U.S. is more student-led and less instructor-led than in India... She was right!

I also got to personally experience the comfort level U.S. students have with their instructors. Professors are addressed by his/her first name, unlike in India where that is not considered acceptable. It was a bit of a culture shock, but I found it an interesting experience. I think it is good for students to have more of a voice in class as it helps them to develop a greater level of self confidence.

Rewind: Banking

2009-10-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

After International and New Student Orientation, I had one more week to explore Chicago before classes began. The week passed very quickly, as I was quite busy moving into my new place, getting a cell phone and mattress, and picking up necessary groceries. Additionally, I was preoccupied with trying to find a bank to deposit my traveler’s chueque and Demand Draft. I finally settled on Chase Bank, which has been a pleasant experience so far. I have discovered that policies may differ widely by bank. As such, it is advisable to visit the bank’s website and gather some basic information about the available options before visiting bank personally. Some banks accept the passport and copy of SEVIS I-20 as proof of identity, which is required to open an account; other banks require a U.S. Social Security Number (SSN), for which most international students do not initially qualify. This made things very frustrating. Nevertheless, once I got settled into my new apartment, I felt much relief.
Sleeping on my own mattress again was wonderful!

Here are some of the important websites for getting settled that I found very helpful:

www.att.com (This is a website for atnt mobile services, lot of good offers for students)
www.dealsofamerica.com, www.buy.com, www.bath&beyonds.com (Best site for buying basic home utilities, mattress, bath, etc)

Rewind: Orientation

2009-10-08T11:26:00.001-07:00

After exploring Chicago for 2 weeks, looking for an apartment, shifting and settling, I was excited to attend the International Student Orientation, which would be my first orientation at the school. I was curious to know about other students, meet students from different parts of the world, and share my experiences. The orientation was on 21st of August 2009. We had to reach at 9:30 in the morning. When I entered the reception counter I was pleased to meet Beth Tinkham, the international student advisor--a great support system for international students. I got to know her closely during the admission process and subsequent emails about visa procedures. She is amazingly empathetic, enchanting, and an exuberant person. She takes effort to understand students’ problem, will do her best to help students; and is extremely patient and approachable. And, she looked exactly the way I had thought she would--amicable, serene and pleasant person.

The orientation started with nice breakfast of pastries and hot coffee. After checking and breakfast, we went through an introductory round. I was thrilled to know that there were students from all over, and I was glad to meet couple of students from India too. The orientation was very informative. It covered all important-to-know topics for international students like: immigration rules, visa status, work opportunities and work rules for international students. I was very excited to interact with other students (second and third year students who were helping with orientation) and learn about their experiences in dealing with immigration issues.

I loved the presentation done my one of the senior students. She spoke about cultural differences between countries and how such differences can make it challenging in adjusting to life in the U.S. Overall, I found the orientation very interactive. It was a good experience as other students were warm and social. I made couple of friends too that very day. We were also taken for a tour of the campus, which was great since I hadn’t previously had a chance to tour the school.

At the end of the day, students had the option of going on a Chicago River/Lake Boat Cruise. What a great way to end the day and see the city. I was mega-thrilled by the sky-line view from the cruise. It was one of the most wonderful days of my life. I could not have asked for a better start to my experience at the school.

Rewind: Getting settled

2009-10-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

Before coming to Chicago, I gathered lot of information about accommodation options in Chicago, going through Google maps
(http://maps.google.com/help/maps/transit/chicago/#utm_campaign=en&utm_medium=ha&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-sk-trs&utm_term=chicago). I had also discussed my accommodation options ahead of time with my friend, who lived in Chicago. She offered to let me stay temporarily at her apartment when I arrived, but also suggested that I move with her into her new apartment in a month. She tried to explain where it was located, but I was quite lost. I had lot of questions for her, but I knew that I will get my answers only after arriving in Chicago.

I reached Chicago on the 14th of August, about two weeks before classes started. My friend’s place was a good temporary refuge, but it was difficult to have to do without my own mattress, closet or a cabinet for the first few weeksL. I did not even unpack my bag for days. I had to share my friend’s mattress, which wasn’t ideal, but when you are left with no other options, you take what you can get. After a long tiring journey and overwhelming time on the Chicago airport, my friend’s room and her mattress was a transitory relief. It took me 2 whole days to adjust to the situation.

Looking for an apartment was a big challenge. Being an international student and unfamiliar with the city, I was completely incapable of selecting what was the best location for me to live. My budget was constantly on my mind. Like every other student, I wanted a reasonably priced, but decent place to live. Finally after running around to consider my options and checking out Craigslist (www.craigslist.com), I chose to move into with my friend in her 2 bedroom apartment on the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) campus, near Taylor and Ashland. I travel on the El via the pink line to my school, which takes me about 20 minutes to get there.

Since arriving in Chicago, I have found the city has very good public transportation--quick, safe and easy to use. The city has its own systematic arrangement using different colors to distinguish betweens different train/bus lines. Although Chicago is thought to be an unsafe city by many people, I have found through my experience of the last 2 months, staying and commuting in the city has been safe and pleasantJ. I think it is natural for us humans to be worried about mishaps. However, any corner of the world can be unsafe. We need to stay aware and vigilant and take charge of our own safety. This is one thing the city has taught me. Nevertheless, ever since I have been here, I have seen Chicago police 24-7 on patrol, which has been very comforting.

Well, I am sure every international student has his/her own experiences about this city. Some have a good start, whereas some have a tougher time in their initial days. We all learn from each others’ experiences. I benefitted because I had some guidance and support from the people who had directly/indirectly faced similar challenges. I am glad to have got this opportunity to pen down my experiences for future students.

Coming back to the Pink-Line reference: Well, The city, like any other cities is divided in to 4 main zones North, East, South and West. The CTA buses and trains are two main transits for commuting within the city. The CTA trains are color coded according to the direction. http://www.transitchicago.com/

CTA train color bars

F.decorate(_ge('photo_notes'), F._photo_notes).notes_go_go_go(3310631998, 'http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3625/3310631998_926e05ac6a_t.jpg', '3.1444');

I created this tonight. Each bar represents one of the train lines of the CTA. The width of the bar represents the length of each train line.

Rewind: Overwhelmed at O’Hare

2009-09-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

After months of hard work, preparation and anticipation, just arriving at the Chicago airport felt like a big achievement--almost as if it was my final destination. However, I soon came to realize that it was actually just a starting point of much that I would have to learn. Although many international students have previously had opportunities to travel internationally and/or spend time in the U.S. before they begin their studies, I have never been to any other country before. As I was soon to find out, this would result in many unexpected, but not insurmountable, challenges.

When I first stepped into the Chicago airport, I experienced a state of mixed emotions. On one hand, I was feeling excited about reaching Chicago. At the same time I was feeling overwhelmed by a number of unanswered questions in my head: What will my school be like? What kind of people I am going to meet? Here I was surrounded by hundreds of people, but suddenly I felt all alone in this strange land. While Chicago was where I always wanted to come, I found myself constantly comparing it with my home town in India.

As I was walking out of the exit, I impatiently looked for my friend, the only person I knew in this country prior to my arrival. After 15 minutes, I thought I should try to call her and began looking for the public phone. I managed to locate a payphone, but quickly realized that I didn’t have the appropriate change to make the call. To make matters worse, I couldn’t find anywhere to make change. There was only one food counter, which had a big board hung outside stating that they didn’t give change for dollars. I felt helpless—I had no phone to call anyone and no way for my friend to get in touch with me.

Determined to get the necessary change, I chose one corner of the airport for my rescue, waited there for couple of minutes trying to look for an approachable person from the strange mob of people passing by me. I finally found one young college age girl. She was waiting few steps away from the corner I was waiting. I gathered all my courage and spoke to her. She took one dollar note from me and handed me lots of different looking coins causing me to panic as I had no idea which one was a quarter. I was too anxious to even think to read the coin and so I asked the girl. She smiled and pulled out two quarters from the handful of change she had given me. I eventually managed to get a hold of my friend, but from this silly experience I learned not to take such trivial things, such as familiarizing myself with local currency ahead of time, for granted.

Rewind: Navigating public transportation

2009-08-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Having never physically seen The Chicago School campus before, I planned to go visit the school the day after I arrived and got settled into my friend’s apartment. I inquired of my friend the best way to get there and she suggested that I buy a 3-day pass for the elevated trains (El).

Although she briefly explained how to use the ticket, doing so proved to be a challenge for me.
I was able to successfully make my way to the nearest train station, however, I could not figure out how to use my pass. After trying various ways of inserting my card into the machine, I decided it was better to ask then waste more time. Thankfully there was a CTA guide at my station, who was very helpful. He not only guided me as how to use the train pass but also handed me additional information about CTA routes.

While I was in my country, I hadn’t even thought of such small things. Well, I have come to know that every country has its own infrastructure and methods of doing things. It takes time to get use to the transition. However, if you know about the kind of difficulties one may face, it becomes easier to cope with it. And thankfully now, as I look back on this event, I can laugh.