Closing Entry - It's been great being an ambassador!
With the end of the semester nearing, and with my time at the University of Minnesota coming to an end next December, I can not help but reflect back on the entire experience that I have had here. What an amazing journey it has been; filled with lots of laughter, and countless opportunities.
When I first got here in September of 2004, I was terrified. I spent my first two nights in my apartment completely alone. My parents had to leave the day after we arrived, and my 3 roommates were not set to move in for a couple days, so it was me and a big empty apartment. What was most terrifying during those days, was this constant worry that I may have made a mistake in deciding to come to the University of Minnesota. From what I know, that will be a fear no matter where you decide to go to university. Two weeks later, after a very long, but great day, I remember having it just suddenly occur to me, that I was exactly where I should be. I felt lucky to have decided to come to the University of Minnesota. That feeling has never really left.
The experience of studying in another country can be scary though, that I know for sure. There are so many questions at the beginning, and so many concerns. I think the scariest part is just the uncertainty - there are no guarantees until you get here and try it. You can't know for sure what the experience is going to be like for you. There is no guarantee that you will love where ever it is you choose to go to school. All you can count on, is there being a lot of questions.
I have had a lot of friends of mine looking into coming to school in the U.S. and I will tell you now what I have always told them....
You really can't know until you try. Do your research before hand, do everything you can to get a feel for what that University might be like - but know that, for the most part, you just can't know for sure until you try. The most important thing in choosing a university to attend is that you go into it with a positive attitude, and you remember the things that are important to you. Take care of your school work, find ways of getting involved with other things that interest you, from club sports teams to student groups. There are a million opportunities like this offered at the University of Minnesota, as well as other schools - it is up to you to make the most of them. Be prepared for it to be difficult at times, particularly at first. Remember though, that this would most likely be the case no matter where you attended school.
Alright, I realize I have probably written far too much, but it is my last entry and I wanted to pass along as much "wisdom" as I possibly could. Please feel free to contact me all throughout the summer and even in September when you could potentially be arriving on campus. Please email me if there is anything you think I could help you with.
Best of luck,
Bobbi Ross
ross0434@umn.edu