Horrible College Life Experience

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>Below are several quotations from my posts that illustrate some of difficulties that I have encountered during my first semester of freshman year. I am a student at a large public university in Texas, and the school has a reputation of a huge "party" school, in which it's easy to meet new people, and make friends. To my surprise, I found the opposite. </p>

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I am actually the current freshman at TTU as well. Interestingly enough, I have completely different experience than what you described here. I have managed to succeed in the academic life, getting all As with 18 hours taken, yet I didn't integrate well into the college life. I think it mostly has to do with the fact that most part of a student-body is composed of Americans; in other words, I didn't find many fellow foreign students there. Also, I learned to realize that most Texans have conservative beliefs that don't include welcoming foreigners with open arms. In the general picture, I was satisfied with the academics, but not with people there. I also found Tech's reputation of a "party school" completely false, since I haven't seen or been invited to a single party there. </p>

<p>Also, it's international students who often get As in all classes; for local students, it's a struggle.

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I was initially at another dorm, but I basically now reside in New Boston Hall, and to be honest, I really can feel the great difference in the atmosphere between the Boston Hall and Wall/Gates Hall or any other dorm. I found the students at Wall/Gates to be more "united" and having a greater interaction with each other; in my new dorm, Boston Hall, everyone is like more affluent and higher in class than students in other dorms, and students in Boston Hall are alien to each other and don't normally talk. However, Boston is much comfortable in its layout than other dorms (personal rooms, semi-private bathrooms, etc), but again, the atmosphere is not so warm there as it is in other dorms. </p>

<p>I plan to rent an apartment my second year, but I heard that you have to own a gun to be able to live safely off-campus, is that true? </p>

<p>I personally found it much easier to talk to someone in other dorms (besides boston).
As for approaching people in the classroom, it just happened that I took some classes that were mostly composed of international students, and this really was a set-back because I want to befriend mostly American students (from Dallas/Houston). </p>

<p>But when I managed to "spark" a conversation, it all was gone once the lecture was over, and everyone went their own ways, despite appearing friendly and such. This is what drives me nuts! How can somebody appear so friendly, and then just throw you away?!</p>

<p>I guess it's just a part of a culture of people there; there's definitely a very poor international body which is mostly composed of Indian/Bangladeshi students. The thing is that those students, despite being officially "internationals," are not really international students. For example, an Indian student who attended a British High School in Delhi and studied there 12 years in English Language, is not so "international" as compared to a student from Poland, who studied 11 years in Polish language, had no interaction with the native speakers of English, and just came to the U.S. And, it seems that tech's problem is that they have everybody mixed up, and "real" international students are really being put into a significant disadvantage than American students. For instance, let's consider a Thanksgiving holiday. An *average Tech student (definition of an average Tech student at the bottom of the reply), went to his/her home to have a "relaxing break" and eat turkey. Meanwhile, I and other fellow foreign students were left to starve, as the university closed all food places around the campus. I was personally left with no choice other than to go to the local fast food restaurant, which was 3 miles away (6 miles on foot both ways), and nearly escaped being hit by moving vehicles. I don't understand; why doesn't this city have a single pedestrian line?! I had to run across the highway, and sounds of honking and asphalt friction had horrified me; I said to myself, "What?! I could have died b/c of this?!" The way university managed the Thanksgiving for international students was totally out of the boarder; we were left to starve, and had to risk our lives to get some low quality fast-food burgers. </p>

<p>I also have concern regarding the medical services. We pay 1500$ as a "Health Insurance." Fact: when I was sick, I couldn't get a single anti-flu pill, and had to ask my roommate, who was generous enough to give me some. I don't understand what student is expected to do when he/she is sick, has an upcoming final exam in 1 day (that's when I got sick), and cannot make it to the wellness center, which doesn't work on weekend. Ambulance? "hm..only in case of an emergency, flu is not emergency" Professor: if you miss final, you get zero. Result: went to take final with 39 degrees of body temperature; is that what we pay for? How to deal with this, if you're sick?</p>

<p>As for academics, some professors have neither compassion nor any reasonable understanding of a student. Especially in English classes, this is blatantly evident; I found studying to be really challenging; I don't know, maybe I took it much seriously than the rest of other students, but this is a college after all! It seems as if 80% of tech's students really came there to socialize, have fun, and party 24/7. I also heard some disturbing news: 2.5 GPA+1500 SAT, and a student will be guaranteed an admission! I was like "what?!" What about the Extracurricular Activities? Application Essays? Personal Statements? Recommendations? SAT IIs? Nothing. IMHO, the university should really toughen the admission process, and really monitor what kind of people they are accepting. Maybe, Tech wouldn't be 175th in the nation then.</p>

<p>Anyway, I would really appreciate if you could comment/advise/give feedback on information that I presented throughout this reply.</p>

<p>*An average Tech Student
-->U.S. Citizen
-->Lives within 5-7 hour (driving time) radius of Lubbock (f ex. Dallas/Houston/Austin/etc)
-->GPA 2.5
-->SAT 1400-1550
-->Takes 12-13 hrs per semester/gets a D in 1 of these classes; earns ~10 hrs with Bs and Cs;gets As in summer while attending a local community college
-->Goes home 2-3 times a month</p>

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<p>Appreciate if you read this, and if you could provide useful comments/suggestions on my ordeal. </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Dude you go to Texas Tech… not Stanford, what did you expect?</p>

<p>Why would an international student even go there anyway?</p>

3

<p>You sound extremely arrogant/ignorant. I don’t even know where to start with the response so I won’t. It’s just amazing to hear some people’s mindsets. And to think that I thought that when people got to college they became more reasonable and logical.</p>

4

<p>

They have a good school of Petroleum, and also offer some scholarships. </p>

<p>

How? I was trying to be completely honest in conveying my experiences of my first semester in college. Unfortunately, we have to deal with the reality of the situation.</p>

5

<p>One of the things that can be surprising to foreign students is that the United States is so big, that every region can be quite different. Even though it is supposed to be a melting pot, geographic areas can almost be like different countries in Europe with their own unique flavor. Even within a state the size of NY, there are wide differences in cultural norms within “the American culture”) whatever that really means… and there are many pockets throughout the NY state composed of people of different ethnicities, religions and cultures. That is why everyone on CC is always talking about the “fit” for a college, which is meant as a personal feeling of belonging and being at home with strangers in a new setting. Read up on culture shock. Culture shock can happen to Americans within our own country and it can be very challenging for someone from another part of the world whose first language is not English. My D’s friend has been living here for almost 6 years and still has difficulty with subtle language meanings and jokes and is part of a community of immigrants who share her culture and where she spends a great deal of time, as it is still more comfortable for her. Is there any campus student organization for foreign students? or even in Lubbock, TX area which you could help with acclimation to the TX culture? Being away from everything familiar and then feeling isolated is not a great place to be. Try to find some resources on campus to assist you in making some connections and helping you to fit in. Our city has an International Institute which helps immigrants with all aspects of understanding the United States and is a good place to meet people sharing the same challenges you are facing. Best wishes!</p>

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<p>I guess I can see the Petroleum reasoning</p>

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<p>Well… I don’t see any big surprises in your post, honestly. Sorry you are in this situation, though. I am not sure what kind of suggestions you want… Texas Tech is what it is. You could transfer to another region of the country and likely find a more welcoming atmosphere, but be sure you visit the other school(s) first and meet some other international students to see how their experience is. I would suggest you try the northeast (Boston area) or California.</p>

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<p>@marybee3
Thanks for reply! :slight_smile:
A couple of points:</p>

<p>Culture Shock. For an individual to experience a cultural shock, there must be culture present in a particular area. The truth is that there’s absolutely no culture, no norms, and no morals present in that city (Lubbock). Some may argue that attending sports, having school spirit, failing classes, spreading STDs, and drinking beer is part of a culture there (by listing local “cultures,” I abused the word “culture” which is meant to represent something of a higher moral and education). If that’s the case, I don’t want to be part of this kind of activities. I have always tried to establish a high degree of integration, b/c it’s part of my morals to be integrated wherever I am. And I tell you honestly, I have experienced no cultural shock, nor did I feel home sick. From the moment I came to the U.S., I tried to act as if I were living in America for all my life. In no way do I consider myself to be an “immigrant.” </p>

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This kind of so-called organizations only exist to be used as an arguments against complains of immigrants who are experiencing social pressure from local people.
When I was sick, or was starving, nothing and nobody helped me out. </p>

<p>The only possible “cultural shock” is having those prices. Paying 66$ for 3 packs of cookies for breakfast?! And paying 40$ for a 10min ride on a cap. That was probably a real shock for me. </p>

<p>It’s strange that people believe in “hospitality to foreigners,” yet they never practice it.</p>

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<p>Yea, that is pretty spot-on for Lubbock. I don’t like it there. Austin is somewhat better.</p>

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<p>The only thing I can comment on is the Thanksgiving break. A university is not responsible for providing you food if you choose to stay over break. I have stayed over numerous Thanksgiving breaks at my undergrad and graduate school. Both of these schools did not provide food you are on your own that is just the way it is when you choose to stay over break. I have even been at a university that charged me to stay over break and they still did not provide food. Don’t be shocked if you go to another university and that they don’t provide food either over breaks.</p>

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<p>@Brittni1
How we were supposed to get food? If university managers didn’t ask this question to themselves, it’s safe to conclude that they don’t really care about us. Maybe legally they can say that “we’re not responsible”; but by all other means, it’s simply outrageous. They can’t just say “we’re not responsible,” and “do w/e you like.” By doing what I described, they first of all, embarrass their traditions, and create the worst possible impression of the holiday for a foreign person.</p>

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<p>OP, can you tell me what the difference between foreigner and immigrant/international student is, please?</p>

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<p>OP, agree that other colleges will not provide food over breaks. In fact, housing is not open at some colleges over breaks as well (especially the longer breaks). They expect you to eat at restaurants, or eat pop tarts & cereal in your room. :slight_smile: Although the dorm my kid lived in had kitchens, so you could cook over break if you could get to a grocery store. I will say that at a college with a bigger foreign population, you might find more students to join together with and go out, go to the grocery, etc.</p>

<p>I am also going to say that this is not just an American issue. My D studied abroad at a university in a European city, and the university was ZERO help in finding housing. It would be laughable to think they would provide any food or support over breaks, when they don’t even provide any housing options (or help in finding housing) to foreign students. So that particular item is not just an American or Lubbock issue. :)</p>

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<p>The universities just expect you to order pizza or any other delivery that is what my graduate school actually told any student staying over break to do. The universities don’t feel that they are responsible if a student chooses to stay over break. I guess I just got used to the fact that my undergrad nor grad school would provide food over break. Just so you know I am not an international student. When I was in undergrad I could not afford to go home and I was an RA over the break so I could make some extra cash and that was well worth it. In graduate school I go to school on the other side of the country so going home for breaks is not possible with the assistantship I have.</p>

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<p>I can agree that most universities don’t provide food/housing over the breaks. But really, it could have been somewhat excusable if it weren’t for numerous other outrageous things that I have experienced.

My university didn’t tell anything to anyone. If I had known, I would have bought some food beforehand. Pizza delivery takes an 1 hour, and it wasn’t available on the day of Thanksgiving.
University should have said “Dear International Students, Due to thanksgiving holidays food places will be closed blah blah blah…be sure to buy food beforehand.”
Instead they kept silence in “Texas style.”</p>

<p>If I had a car, it would have been much easier for me to move around the city. I am planning on buying one soon; however, nothing can excuse the facts that I presented throughout this thread.</p>

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<p>Don’t expect to have the university cater to you just because you’re an “international” student. There are other kids like you that chose to stay in the dorms over break. Find out your school’s dorm policies beforehand next time.</p>

<p>Whether you want to believe or not you are experiencing culture shock. And the fact that you don’t think the area you live in has any culture is ridiculous an somewhat condescending.</p>

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<p>Lol the university isn’t going to cater to all your needs and make sure you know 100% what’s going on all of the time</p>

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<p>The “culture” in “culture shock” is not high-brow fancified culture. It’s “they do it differently here.”</p>

<p>When I went to college, the school didn’t feed any of us (American or international) over Thanksgiving break, either. I went to a school where 88% of students live on campus, and only 5% of them have cars, so there were places within walking distance to get something to eat. At a school like TTU, where only 24% live on campus, and 42% of those on campus have cars, you can expect that getting where you need to go will require a car - that’s the TTU culture.</p>

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Yeah, they did. The Academic Calendar [2012-13</a> Detailed Calendar](<a href=“http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/calendar/12-13calendar/12-13detailed.php]2012-13”>http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/calendar/12-13calendar/12-13detailed.php) says “November 21 – 25, Wednesday – Sunday Thanksgiving holiday. No meals available at any Hospitality Services location.”</p>

<p>You can either adapt to the culture where you are, or go somewhere else - TTU culture is not going to bend itself to your liking. I suggest that you do more research into what your potential destinations offer before you go, though - what you’re describing in terms of university services is not unusual.</p>

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<p><em>applause</em> allyphoe I’m going to rep you for that. :slight_smile: +1</p>

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<p>

I just turned 18, and it will definitely take time for me to learn how to drive, and get my license. </p>

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First of all, I didn’t even know that such a calendar exists. We certainly don’t have such calendar outlines in my school, and so, nobody can really redirect the atrocious attitude from the university towards me, and imply that it was my fault that I didn’t look it up. The calendar that they gave to me on the orientation just says Thanksgiving 21-25; no information about meals or anything.
Instead of sending out useless “TechAnnounce” emails, they could have made a clear reachable to everyone announcement about such a “minor” issue, as having no normal food for 5 days.
But we should really ask ourselves a question, as to why does university close all food places on campus? Well, if at least 20% of college students had stayed during the break, then it would be financially reasonable for them to keep open 1-2 food places.
In fact, some students left home on 16th of November! I was preparing for Calculus exam, and seeing those happy students with their bags, leaving off by cars to their houses,–this was tantamount to “show a big tasty turkey to a hungry student, but never let him/her have a piece of it.” I had 3 exams, engineering project, and tell me how it was supposed to be a “relaxing break.” It should be realized that by this mistreatment, the cultural traditions of your holiday were greatly embarrassed, and presented in the worst possible way. </p>

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It’s definitely not unusual. Such “services,” from what I saw, are an integral part of Texas culture.</p>