Last weekend, my friends and I we went to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. It was awesome. We had a great journey. Their campus is so big and their style is more townie.  We got to see their Medical school department, the place that I may be going for Med School if I am really lucky. It is quite different from James Madison University but I still prefer JMU. At JMU the atmosphere is different. People are smiling all the time even when they don’t know you. UVA is also said to be hard academically. But the experience one gets at JMU is unique. Because here at JMU, there is this sense of community and everybody knows each other. The good times one gets at JMU are unforgettable. Most of the people I know who graduated last year, complain about how much they love JMU and still come visit at least once a semester.

In memory of “spring fest” , couple years ago, JMU invented something called “Madipalooza”. Spring fest in 2009 was a disaster because people partied too hard. Some even came from other states just for that. In order for the school’s reputation to stay good and to control better JMU decided to make it On campus. On April 15^th we had our Madipalooza event. It was awesome and so much fun.  There was a concert, bouncy castles, free food etc… The thing that caught my attention the most was the food contest. We had to eat five hot dogs and the first person to eat it wins a prize. It was such a great Saturday.

For us international students, a focus group session was held last week as well. It gathered only international students and we discussed about our experience in the United States and at JMU. The aim was to see how well we are doing here and how was it at the beginning. Most of the people said that the language barrier and nostalgia were their biggest challenges. Even people form English speaking countries had problems with English here. I have to admit that it made me feel better about myself. What some Universities do, is that they make it mandatory for American students to take another language class. I think that is such a good idea because they can also know how hard it is for us. At the end of the event I won a Kindle touch. I was so happy. I can now buy books online for cheaper and it’s more convenient.

Ten more days and then we are done. On May 5 we have our graduation ceremony. I’ve never been to a graduation event at JMU. I have so many friends graduating. It’s sad to see them leave, but as all the Alumni, they said they will come visit JMU at least once a semester…”Once a duke you never turn back”

In order to make it look organized, I prepared my presentation trifold simply, just some pictures and some basic information of mine; something about the past, present and my goal in the future. I think an attention-catching trifold is essential, but more focus should be put on my speech and communication with audiences.

With everything ready, I started my day by going to a class, which is two hours ahead of the presentation. Then I hurried back to warren hall, where we would have presentation, with all my classmates from east campus. The presentation started at 1:30pm. At first, without any ideas who would come, I was a little bit nervous. But then time flied. Friends came and supported me; other International Study Center students, mostly new students, visited; and, of course, some professors came to grade our presentations. The whole presentation went very well. I presented my portfolio to professors and staff from Study Group as well as did some chatting with friends who I had not seen for quite a while. Also, I got to know some new friends and professors. It was a great experience.

After that, I hurried to an economic exam. Yes, this is college life, busy but fulfilled. Cannot believe my freshman year is getting over. Even though I cannot wait to go back home for summer vacation, I do not want to get through my freshman year. I can see myself missing it already……

As I always wanted a dog since I was little, last weekend me and my friends we decided to go to the Puppy farm in Gap view Kennels, 25 min away from James Madison University. I drove the new car I got from the auction to go there. As I am not very used to driving in the US, at first I struggled to get on the highway with all those cars speeding at 65 miles per hour! It was tough but now I got it.

Once at the Puppy farm, I was amazed. I had never seen that many dogs in one place. The dogs from this puppy farm are golden retrievers. There were also horses, friendly turkeys (because you can pet them!), donkeys and mules. Petting those little puppies made me want to buy one but when the owner told us their price, I suddenly changed my mind.
Last weekend my ASO (African Students Organization) crew also organized a little trip to Washington DC. It was so much fun. We stayed there for two nights. A member of the African Student Organization (ASO) hosted us at her house, a really big house. We visited the African Museum. As there is a lot of traffic in DC we used the metro to move. On Saturday we all went to the night club together. It was such a great moment and we are planning to do it again. One advantage of being in an organization or a fraternity is that where ever you go if there is someone from you organization or fraternity, that person can provide you a host. One can get lot of connection.
I have been planning ahead my schedule for next semester. Last week I had an interview for a tutor job on campus. I want to be a chemistry tutor at the helping center and a couple of days later, I received an email offering me that job position. At first I did not believe it, I thought it was an April fool. I was so happy because this will look so good on my Resume for med school. My next goal is to get an internship at a hospital or a volunteer job.

The registrations for spring semester classes also started now. For the moment I am only planning to take organ chemistry one, cellular biology, medical Spanish, theater class and statistics in math. I am also registering to take summer classes here at James Madison University. My first time taking summer classes, I heard it’s quite boring because there are not many people and the course goes really fast. Going back home is not quite sure for me now because in my country, Mali, there is a political crisis.

This weekend, I also explored the city of Harrisonburg with my friends. I thought the population was majorly elderly but I was wrong. Being a JMU student allows me to take the bus for free everywhere in Harrisonburg.

On Friday night, I went to a farewell party for Riho, who is now in Study Group as an one year exchange student from Japan. Spending almost a whole year with her in JMU, I found it so sad that I will not see her next school year in Harrisonburg. She is such a nice friend. She is always polite, generous and thoughtful. We all love her so much. I remember that she was one of the first friends that I met when I was picked up from the hotel by International Study Center staff. And I am so glad that I was assigned into the 2 semesters program with her. With the same schedule, we always have lunches and dinners together, which is so much fun. We always go to D-hall, which is buffet kind of dinning hall that close to most of our classes location. Every time we go to D-hall, the very first thing that we check is whether it has cheesecake or not. Both me and Riho are very obsessed of cheesecake! So our diet plans are always ruined by cheesecakes. Besides that, we also share lots of our experiences. We talked about things from school to life back home. We even planed trips to visit each others in the future. I, just like my other classmates, love Riho.

Before the party, we took some videos individually and secretly, then combined them into one video. On the party, we showed it to Riho and she could not help crying! It is such a touchy moment when all of us hugged together and said something from our heart. Most of us have tears in eyes, trying so hard not letting them out. It is always sad to be apart. But it is amazing that I get to know such a great person and grow with her! … I miss Riho already……

Last weekend I had the honor to host my cousin from University of Maryland college park. He stayed here for three days as they were on spring break and I made him explore our beautiful campus. He loved it and it made me even prouder of being here. First he admitted that our campus is more beautiful and newer than theirs. Secondly he admitted that our people are friendlier than in Washington DC. He was shocked when he saw me have conversation with some random people. He said that in his university people are suspicious and always on their guard as their campus is not as safe as ours. Finally the moment that he was open-mouthed at is when I brought him to our dining buffet, our undisputable E-Hall!  He was spoiled for choice and even thought of transferring here to JMU. That’s when I thought of our quote “once you turn a duke you never go back.”

Later on my cousin gave me a ride to the Pennsylvania auto auction “Mason- Dixon.” I bid on a car there and I got it for so cheap. I was so happy because I finally got a ride now. How it works at the auction here is that before they start biding you can go check the car and try it in the parking lot, then during the bidding time a crowd of people surrounds the car and only one person get to leave with it. It was such a great experience for me, my first time ever to bid. At that auction, the cars price usually range from a thousand to 25 000 but you can get a nice one for less than 3000. They are so well organized and have a really nice manager Miss Judy.
The weather is getting back to normal now, end of the crazy cold weather where you have to tighten your fist to walk to class. Now people lay on the quad to get tan and outdoor activities have restarted.

After watching her bibliography movie “Pray the Devil Back to hell”, I am so impressed how brave and motivated she is. She said at first, she got angry, then she followed her passion and did it selflessly. It seems to be some simple steps of achieving goals. But it actually is so hard to finish.

I got mad of myself sometimes, but never did anything to it. I set up some rules and schedules for myself and sticked it on the wall in my dorm, but they just become some other decorating part of the wallpaper. Also, Leymah mentioned that selfless was the keyword to be a leader. She put her fellows first, actually she called them her “family”. It is definitely one of the the greatest but hardest personalities. And she said that the different between she and Charles Taylor was either being selfless to work with the fellows or being selfish to lead them toward for your own benefits.

I know it is extremely hard to do so, but Leymah has been doing great job on that! It is so amazing of her to accomplish all those so well. And I do believe that she has come along with a lot of difficulties that I could never image, so I have no reasons not to work through some hardness and make some changes. I am so glad that I attend her speech. It is such an inspiration that she gave. Thanks to the Office of International Programs at James Madison University for bringing up such a great program.

I have very bad toothache on my left-side gum since last week. Sometimes, I could not even fully open my mouth. As I remember, I do not have these kind of toothache before. So I am quite worry about what exactly is going on with me. So I schedule an appointment with the doctor of James Madison University Health Center on Monday. Finally, I figure out that it is my coming-out wisdom tooth that causes an infection, which has been bringing me pain not only on my gum but also my throat. I thought I would get some medicine instantly and my pain would be released, but I did not; I got a prescription instead. I got confused. In my home country, if I am sick and I go to the hospital. I get in line to see the doctor first, then I can get the prescription from the doctor before I head to the medicine department, which is within the hospital. But in here, the doctor pointed me to get some medicine in pharmacy with her prescription, which is totally different from what I have experienced before. Then as directed by the doctor, I went to CVS convenience store and got some medicine there.

For me personally, I prefer how it works in my home country. Maybe it is because I am accustomed to it, but I think it is more convenience. Because I will not see a doctor if it is not very serious problem. And I would like to have pills as soon as possible after that, instead of heading to other places, especially I have no car, which is very important in a college town like Harrisonburg.

After an approximately six hours flight, I got to Los Angeles at around 7pm. When I first stepped out of the airport, I immediately felt the summer. I had been waiting for summer for so long. It was so cold in James Madison University, Harrisonburg and here in Los Angeles, I welcomed my summer, 2012, which was extremely excited.

This trip, I came to visit my friend, Ariel, who I met and got close to when I was in American high school. I was so looking forward to see her. She knows me so well that she brought me to karaoke the night I landed in LA. The Asian karaoke is totally different from that of American. It is for a group of people, who stay in a private room, to sing, which means we will not sing in front of strangers. It was the best welcome I have ever had. I enjoyed it so much. Ariel is such a attentive person that she brought me to the best shopping place in town, since I once complained about how bad shopping life was in Harrisonburg. We spent the whole night in the shopping mall. And I brought so many things, from shirts to socks. Perhaps it was Saturday night, it was so crowed that sometimes it was hard to get serviced. In here, I feel much more that I am in America, because there are all different kinds of people. I could even hear people walk by speaking Chinese, which is so different from my college.

On Sunday, I pretty much stayed at my friend’s apartment. We went to a Japanese supermarket for some food after eating sushi. On the way there, we went to a little store for bubble tea. It is flavored milk tea with some black bubbles. Bubble tea is very popular among asian teenagers. The only time I had it since college was during the Lantern Festival Dinner, which was hosted by Chinese Students and Scholars Association. And this time is the best ever! It tastes the same as that back home. That night, Ariel cooked some really good authentic Chinese food. She was not good at cooking at all. Once she even burned a hamburger while microwaving it. But now, she is like a whole different person. I suddenly realize that sometimes we need to give ourselves some push to discover our potential. She did not find out she was such a good cook until she lived alone in an apartment. Hopefully, I will do good in my apartment life next school year.

Today, I visited University of California, Los Angeles. It is such a huge school. By just walking by the campus, I did not have a chance to know it better. But I am sure it is an entirely different experience to be a student in UCLA.

Now, still I am in California. I do not have my trip plan fully, because I want to relax from school work and enjoy this spring break. And it is perfect to do so in this warm, comfy weather.

Usually during breaks, in the United States, students work in order to make some money but for spring break it is a different story. Spring break is said to be one of the least stressful break. During spring break our professors usually don’t give us homework and compared to Thanksgiving break, after spring break we have 6 more weeks of class whereas after Thanksgiving break we directly have the finals. For spring break, students have fun, they de-stress and take advantage of college life.

During this break spending time with my friends in Maryland and family allowed me to change my ideas. A friend of mine who works at a restaurant brought me to his work. Just looking at the hard work he has to do every day, I took a lesson from it: appreciate studies more and obtain a degree. I realized that what he was doing is not something I want to do in my life and also realize the opportunity I have to be a student at James Madison University. What I want is have a respectable work and help people. That’s why I chose the path of medicine.

This break I also had to make a decision concerning my summer break. In summer we have three months and a half of break and I had planned to go to Mali. But as I am already a sophomore, I also have to think of building a nice resume for medical school. So I have to do internships and volunteer jobs during summer break. Most internships during summer break are three months internships. There are few internships that are eight weeks. So I am in the dilemma of choosing either my internship or go back to my country to see my family and friends. I miss those days, when I was kid and the “hardest decision was to pick what color crayon you want.”

In my premed organization AMSA (American medical student association) we are organizing a trip to John Hopkins Hospital. John Hopkins University in Baltimore is one of the most famous institutions for medicine studies. At JMU, we do not have a med school yet, hopefully in the future we will because JMU is getting bigger and bigger every year. Why I didn’t go there for Undergraduate school it’s because the tuitions are really high but after all I like being at JMU. In the future, John Hopkins will be one of my choices for med school.

When I was walking on campus I saw something that caught my attention. There was a board displaying 10 reasons to come to JMU. So I thought I’d write my own list of 10 reasons why James Madison University is so great!

• People are so friendly and welcoming.
• Urec (our gym) is here to keep us in shape while entertaining us.
• The view on the quad is fantastic and on sunny days people lay there to tan.
• Help centers are here to help us understand lectures and help us with homework.
• Teachers are so friendly and make the class interesting. Even the most boring classes become interesting.
• We are one of the best in the Food; JMU dining is ranked number 5!
• There is at least one student organization that you fit in.
• The school’s story is interesting; apparently there is a secret tunnel that goes everywhere on campus.
• Academically it is serious and the diploma is valid in many places.
• It is the place to come for an academic and social success.

This week parents also came with their child for the CHOICE day. It’s when high school students come to visit the University. It gives them an idea of what it is really like and if it answers their expectations. From what I have seen, both parents and children were impressed when they were visiting JMU’s campus, especially when they saw our dining halls.

Talking about organization, last week in ASO (African student organization) we had our show: Taste of Africa. It was a big show and we had a big audience. In the theater part, I was playing the role of a soldier and for the fashion show I modeled with traditional clothes from Mali. On the pictures we can have an idea of how do Malian clothes look like. After the show, we ate typical dishes from Africa such as peanut butter sauce, couscous etc… Days after our show, the Vietnamese students also had their show. It was interesting and we learned a lot about their history. Lots of my friends from the International Study Center were performing there.

We already completed half of the semester and we will be having our spring break next week. Spring break is a short break just like Thanksgiving break: it’s only one week. As the weather is not bad during spring break, students usually go to Florida or North Carolina by Car pools. They all gather in one car and drive for ten hours taking turn in driving. Time passes so fast here. What I started doing in order to be more successful is to have a to-do list. Every day when I do something I check it from the list. I believe it’s a great way to be productive and it always feels good to know that we successfully accomplished something.