A Midterm Update

So now it's officially the middle of my first Semester in the USA. Man, that has been a ride - first coming here, adapting to the new living and studying standards, getting to know the American way of life and the behavior... But there is absolutely nothing I could ever regret. And that should already mean a lot!

The living is totally fine, I could get used to living on the basis of "sharing is caring" pretty fast so that I even started enjoying the way more socially active life than back in Breda. Eating at the Foodcourt (Kantine) on Campus is fine, the food and its variety are pretty awesome, and pumped up with all that Starbucks coffee variations, it couldn't be simply better.

The studying process is quite different and, well, challenging. Not that it is too hard or else, more, way more, comprehensive than the amount we used to at our beloved and surely missed Avans. The Midterm exams we had to accomplish were for a great part taken online, sometimes with a time limit of 75 minutes, sometimes as reports, essays or "take home exams" giving time up to two weeks. Therefore, the quality awaited is rather higher than just for an hour exam. Business Law courses have been lots of fun and a challenge themselves, the Political Science and Philosophy courses are that what we could not foreseen at all. But slowly we got into it.

Additionally to the great amount of classes, I have been taken various positions at some political clubs on Campus. The Model United Nations Club provided the possibility to represent the Western Carolina University at the Annual UN Conference in NYC during the Spring Break from March 28th until April 2nd. I cannot describe the excitement as well the fear within myself right right now!!

Yet, the busyness of 75 hours per week seemed to be not enough for the unstoppable Olga, so I started teaching Ballroom classes and choreographing a Ballroom part for a major dance festival taking place on Campus of WCU on April 30th. The dancers have been starting so promptly and have shown such great talents that I am not sure what to await within 2 months, but I am convinced that it is going to be more than awesome! Thank you guys for a great contribution!!

The people overseas are more than nice, very open-minded and constantly willing to offer help. Maybe it is just me, but I am sure that you receive the emotions you trying to give to people yourself. So maybe it is a both-side story. If you want to ask me about dating traditions and morals over here, I can just say - it is d i f f e r r e n t. If someone wants to experience, please come for a visit and experience yourself!

The area of Smokey Mountains provides so many possibilities to bring some color in your life. From rafting, climbing, fishing, camping to visiting the most beautiful nature parks I have ever seen and much much more! If you have some time, please check the following URL to see in pics what I am speaking about: http://www.visitnc.com/

It is amazing!

Today is the great milestone day aka the start of the greatly awaited Midterm Break of 3 business days and a weekend..altogether 5 days of freedom, yay!! Even though, instead of having sunshine above our heads, we woke up to a completely white world..8 inches of snow! Many people rushed home in the early morning in order not to get stuck on Campus, others had bad luck are are still trying to find the right moment to sneak out and get themselves safely home.

Lucky me, I planned to stay back at the dorm, get some qualitative (and quantitative!) sleep, as well as be able to study for a while.. Boring?! Nooo, with a great hope that the weather may finally change to Spring, I will be staying outside and enjoying some walks in the woods.

So, how have you been, my mates? Please feel more than invited to leave a scrap and keep me posted. Miss ya'll so badly!!

Have a good working/relaxing/studying/sleeping week, everybody!

Bye bye from snowy white Cullowhee, brr!

Article as Published in the AVANS Update in January 2010

Living in the USA - The blog of an unrestricted ambitionist.

January 22, 2010 “The First Impression”

When Europeans think about living in the United States, we generally tend to come up with a large number of clichés that we associate with Americans. Most of these ideas are associated with the “American Dream” which for most part we correlate with large famous cities. For example, we tend to think about New York City, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, and lastly Hollywood as the typified American City. We principally know these cities as centers of commerce, fun, adventure and finally a place where dreams can be actualized.

After having spent a month in America as a knowledge hungry upper class student, I can say that some of the clichés that Europeans have are not all wrong. Yet, stereotypes that Europeans have range from the good, the bad, and the ugly. The one thing that truly stands out to me is that if you have positive attitude, ambition, and drive you can truly succeed in this country. Looking at the vast amount of people from the different backgrounds allows me to say that, if one is willing to adapt to American society and with the willingness to work hard one can go as far as they want.

One of the things that really stand out in living so brief a time in the United States is the realization that this country is so vast compared to most European Nations. It features a variety of dialectics, foods, and cultures from anywhere in the world. When I first arrived in the United States I spent five days touring New York City before traveling to Cullowhee, NC to begin my college career. I really enjoyed the city that never sleeps and was impressed by the variety of different languages, cultures, and locations.

After I had left New York and arrived in NC, I was struck mostly by how Western Carolina University was basically a small city and not at all what I expected. When I say I did not expect living in a small town by living at the University, essentially Western Carolina is the antithesis of university culture in Europe. In Europe we do not have college campus where students live, work, eat, and socialize.

To put into perspective of what I think of Cullowhee, I am referring to my past three years spent in the petit Dutch city Breda.

What I truly enjoy about living in the middle of nowhere is being surrounded by the Great Smokey Mountains that envelop this campus. I still cannot stress enough that the idea of campus life is truly foreign to me since, as I was already explaining that students do not live on campus when attending university. There are no inter university rivalries involving sports teams, and the idea of social events on campus is in fact new to me. It amazes me that there are unlimited wireless Internet connections available to surf the net or the availability of looking at restaurant menus online. The variety of restaurants and grocery stores offering a diversity of choices to students is impressive. It appears to be a pleasure having a Starbucks on campus where you can enjoy a coffee and the environment it provides for working on various assignments.

The dorms are different, but just fine. I, for instance, have a single furnished room sharing the restroom with my suite mate. The lessons are not that different compared to our beloved Avans University concerning the teaching methods, but the amount of homework might be an issue, especially at the beginning of the semester.

Having five courses plus a business law course in addition as well as being a member of United Nations Society, and other political student organizations, I have almost no free time. Yet, I appreciate being busy, working hard in order to gain the most valuable and essential experience I could ever dream about while being attending college.

Of course I could mention the great TV shows, movies, shops and cars driving around and appearing “so American” to European fellows, but I think this can be already presumed. Consequently, it is essential to pay attention to differences in culture, mentality and not to wait that everything we might think is great would be seen here as awesome, as well as the other way around. Although being alert in the beginning would be already enough.

In this way, those are my first impressions and experiences overseas that I appreciate sharing with you. I hope I have given a certain insight to the life of a European student in the USA and am looking forward to broadening our horizon in a near future.

Goodbye for now from the sunny and warm (+16C dg!) Cullowhee!

Catamount

Continued...



The next two connected fights to Asheville, NC (in a 45 mins drive from the Western Carolina University Campus) we provided by US Airways again. Comments needed? I guess NO. So I arrived at the Campus at 1 a.m. including a quick stop at the famous Walmart; got the key of my single room and fall asleep as soon as I felt something reliable to lie down on. And indeed, past 4 days have been very busy, challenging, and well, different from all we have had in Breda.
Originally, I grew up as a “big city girl” and, therefore, am totally not used to see the mountains out of the window neither walking up & down the hills and being nearly forced to ask some people to give me a ride to the next shop (which is Walmart).
But there are more positive aspects needed to be mentioned. Firstly, the people are very friendly and supportive. The dorms are just fine (even though the whole idea is very unusual for Europeans and make you feel wonder why do you suddenly get your name with a smiley face on the door of your suite – that is quite common and meant to be seen as socializing issue), the food is delicious including the variety suitable for everyone (of course there is fast food, but not predominantly; you can find anything you would like to consume) and the nature of woods and mountains is very beautiful. The classes seem to be interesting as well as challenging. Taking six courses at once (intentionally added additional ones), planning to work about 12hrs a week as well as participating in some organizational evens and taking some golf courses or working out in the studio will make my schedule extremely busy ending by almost 60hrs a week! But I am truly looking forward to it and am sure that this opportunity has to be and will be used in a proper manner!
Enjoying the weekend, exploring the Smoky Mountains, doing some shopping... that’s the plan for the upcoming 2 days. And let the “fun” begin on Monday!

Have a pleasant end of the week, “y’all!”

No Apples to Big Apple, Madam!

The Beginning


Like all the moving out procedures, this particular one involved some very sad and emotional moments as well as hope and excitement. The last days in Breda flew like in a moment and the tears were fallen somewhere between packing all the “important” belongings and throwing away all cloth that were not meant to be taken with. I just can remember the sound of the shutting front-door of my beloved apartment in Breda and the realization that the keys were intentionally left inside that woke me up and made understand what is really going on.

The transatlantic flight was just fine. Ironically, the critical security officer has not allowed to take ….not a perfume, not a lotion … but APPLES to NYC! Weird but true.
Nevertheless, very beautiful view out of the illuminator could not be any better. Thank US Airways and the delays, there was no possibility to unpack not to mention to relax at the hotel in NYC, so accompanied by some other fellows I headed to the Times Square with the dream to see the famous falling Ball.
…the only thing is, apparently that was also the dream of some 300.000 people who got there pretty early and have occupied the whole centre. Therefore, we just managed to get to the 42nd Str/Broadway.
In Eastern European countries they always say that “the new upcoming year will be spent as good as you have met it i.e. celebrated it” – so no worries if you see me standing on one leg waving with both hands this year.. it was just meant to be!
The next 4 days were just a w e s o m e! The City does never sleep and so do not the people over there…you can get almost anything at any time you wish! Avoiding some typical tourist targets, we have seen the most popular locations. The breathtaking view on the City from the 86th floor of the Rockefeller Centre would be an example…feeling simply on top of the world!
Unfortunately, the weather has been way too cold to enjoy some outdoor activities. The icy wind makes you realize pretty fast that you are on an island…but, nevertheless, the experience has been more that delightful!

To be continued...

Welcome to my USA blog!

My dearest fellows,

I am deeply grateful that you have visited my newly established blog!

The first experience gained by writing the assignments for the EU Policies Minor has turned out to be an interesting one for both readers and myself. Therefore, I was looking forward to starting a new blog describing my journey as a student following a Double Degree program in the Unted States for the upcoming 1.5 years. I am sure it will contain a lot of happy as well as difficult or said moments, but altogether it would be worth writing about it and, perhaps, it may encourage some of you to follow my steps! Hope we'll all have fun!

P.S. So the journey is planned. It starts already in a very typical "Olga-loves-adventure-style" by flying to New York City on December 31st with a short connection in Philadelphia expecting to arrive in the Big Apple at 6.30 p.m. local time.. then New Year's Eve at Times Square and other 4 days in "the city that never sleeps" may follow until I'll be arriving at the campus of the Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC on January 4th on an early eve.

Updates will follow...

Goodbye for now from Breda, The Netherlands!