Goof up at USPS!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)