I had to finish and prepare a lot of things before I came here: passport, visa, and other things that I had to bring. I had quite an experience when I applied for my visa; I did not get the visa when I applied for it for the first time. I was afraid that I could not come to the United States, but I got the visa when I applied for it the second time. This experience made me ponder about my study abroad. If I could not enter the United States that easily, then it would not be easy if I wanted to study there. I shall not underestimate my study there. I have to be diligent because I want to be a successful person in the future.
The first thing that came to my mind when I was on my way here is about making friends. How could I make friends in this school? I was afraid because I could not speak English fluently, but my worry did not become true. My positive thinking turned my worry around. I could get along with the people around me at Hesston College. When I arrived in the dormitory for the first time, my Resident Assistant (RA), Kayla, took me to my room. She was and still is a nice person. She showed me where my room was and helped me to bring my stuff. It was kind of awkward because usually I was shy to people whom I just met. My RA was not the only one helping me; the other faculty members were also very helpful.
I got a room in the third floor with a roommate, Jordan. She came from Goshen, Indiana. We met each other on August 18, 2012. She arrived here a bit later than me. However, we could get along easily. Even though we came from different countries, it could not prevent us from being best friends just like now. In the dormitory, normally there are two people in one room. We can have our own room if we want. During the first year, the international students would usually have American roommates. One of the purposes was that it would help the international students to learn English more, especially in speaking.
I am taking a nursing major in this college. I will study here for two years, and then I have to transfer to another college/university. The classes started on August 20, 2012. But, on August 18 and 19, 2012, there were freshmen games. All of the freshmen were playing some games together. The purpose of the games was to get to know the other freshmen in the college. We also played other games that taught us to work together as a group. Those games were a lot of fun. I met many new friends not only from America but also from another country.
I did not realize that the days went by really fast. I had classes from Monday to Friday. I was rather worried about the classes here. For example, I was afraid that I could not understand what the instructors said and how I could do the homework and the tests. But, my anxiety slowly disappeared as time went by. I kept trying to do my best here, get the best score, and reach my goal.
Finally, I had finished my fall term for the first year. I did all four of my final exams in a week. One thing that I am aiming for now is to get the best GPA possible at Hesston College. I have learned a lot of experience after finishing the fall term.
Anyway, I miss my family in Indonesia so much. My family and I keep in contact with each other using Skype. It can relieve that feeling of missing my family. I love my family. In this Christmas break, I still cannot meet my family back home. I am living with a host family together with my friends from Indonesia and Korea. I am sure I will gain more new experience from that.
