international student

Instead of getting entirely swallowed into the environment, Berkeley taught me to confront it and generate a new "self" out of it. Breaking away from the one-dimensional mold, I finally learned how to be everything and anything all at once. 

One month into my time at Berkeley, I’ve already found so much to love. As an international student who has lived in Asia for most of my life, Berkeley’s cityscape is vastly different from any I’ve seen.

Summer also meant being away from home, having to deal with college applications or courses, having to interact with people I’d usually never interact with and dealing with a lot of situations that I generally like to avoid. Although I continued to love the beautiful weather and the thrill of traveling, I quickly began to long for my more ordinary day-to-day life.

After returning home for winter break, I began to notice that college culture was wildly different in British colleges. Here are eight things that shocked me about British universities as a UC Berkeley student. 

As an international student, I’ve had my fair share of long flights. Although they may not be the most pleasurable, they've gotten easier over time.

Many employers are hesitant to hire international students, but the reality is that international students may be well worth the investment for the company.

Attending an international school was a unique experience, one that opened my mind up to many cultures and taught me to keep an open, global mindset.

International students, many of whom returned to their home countries, have seriously compromised their rights and wellness due to a lack of accommodation. 

Just like when it sued to protect students, the UC system cannot be a bystander — we must fight for all of our students, international or otherwise.

Although these trivial things puzzled me initially, everything's slowly falling into routine and Berkeley's beginning to feel like home!