Going to a 4-year University in America is a promising and predominantly an unforgettable experience that one can have.

In the USA, there are two major types of Universities: there are 2-year colleges (also referred to as Community Colleges) and the 4-year universities like James Madison University.

Some people prefer to start with community college. One of the reasons for that is because community college is way cheaper than university. The typical path for them is to start with community college for the first 2 years, taking some General education requirements and then transfer to a 4-year University and take their major courses. JMU made that path possible because it accepts credits from many community colleges especially the ones in Virginia. The good thing about JMU is that there are community colleges not too far from campus so one can be taking classes at JMU and also take classes in community colleges in the vicinity at the same time. That’s one good way to save money. In the US, it can be really easy to save money, you just have to know the system and look for the information.

However, attending a 4-year University since the beginning, I think would be good for several reasons:

1. after a 2 years community college, we have to transfer to a 4 years University anyway.
2. by being in a place for a longer time we get more familiar with the environment, with the people and we also learn more about that university’s system. It is harder to make yourself a name by building a good academic record and a social “crew” when you are new somewhere, but if you are there since the beginning that for sure makes it easier.

Purple and gold - graduation at James Madison University

Talking about 4 years University, at JMU a week ago we just had a graduation ceremony. Saying good bye to people I met since freshman year was a little hard but that was a wakeup call for me. That wakeup call was to take advantage of every single moment while I’m here at University because after all, these 4 years pass by really fast. These four years may not be the longest in our lives but they certainly can be the most memorable four years of our lives. I’m saying that because I am one year away from graduation and I feel sad already about it.

We have to use these 4 years very wisely and make it become if not the best four years of our life, the most profitable for our future. I’ve known people who used these 4 years to improve themselves or to make friends and party or to figure themselves out or to get ready for a longer path of study just like myself and my goals of going to medical school.

One thing is sure, when we become degree holders, we are not the same person who first walked in the gates of the University with a thirst to discover to learn and to adventure. I have learned so much and grown in so many ways – LIFE, here I come!

International students from Asia performing in the cultural show at JMU

The presence of international students at James Madison University is highly felt wherever you are. By walking on campus, one can appreciate different faces from different countries. JMU is one of those places where people will ask you where you are from, not because they think you should not be here but because they are marveled about your presence in the US and want to know even more about you.

With a growing number of international students, we felt the need to be heard more. To show the international students community how important they are, organizations at JMU often host culture shows to educate people around how it is overseas. The culture shows are usually performed by students of the organization presenting the show. This year both the African continent and the Asian continent got to display their student talents at the show and entertained the audience with a rich culture and really pretty clothes that are not common in the USA:

Teaching the university about Africa

• At the beginning of February, the African Student Organization (ASO), composed of members from Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, many countries in Africa and even some American members organized “Taste Of Africa”. The show was mostly about some misconceptions people have about Africa. We educated the audience about the “Africa” that they do not show on TV, the “Africa” seen as continent (not a country) rich in culture and the Africa that attracts many westerners. At the end of the show we all enjoyed some African traditional dishes such as peanut butter sauce and some other diverse food.
• Later on the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) came up with a precious culture show named “Hunger Culture” (similar idea as the “Hunger Games”). They had dances with Vietnamese attires and they did some other performances.
• The Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) celebrated the Chinese New Year with Singing contest and some Chinese food.
• ISA (International Student Association) culture show is coming in March.

By having all these “culture shows” organized by the students, we spread awareness of some cultural habits in our own countries.

Besides the one day celebration of the culture shows, JMU goes even a step further by having classes with the goal of teaching students about other cultures and issues they are facing. For example the “Africana program” teaches students about a side of Africa that they do not know about.

Yours truly - sharing the richness of African drum music

At JMU, we also have something called “Conversation Partner” that matches an international student with an American student and they have to meet once a week and share about their cultures. It’s a great way to learn about a culture because we get to interact with an “insider” and we can ourselves teach our friends what we’ve learned about other cultures. When it comes to spread awareness, “word of mouth” is a powerful means.

The International students might be far from home, but the growing international students’ community at JMU helps us feel more like home: “Motherland is far from the eyes but is and will remain close to the heart”.