#nwc2015

Being put outside of your comfort zone is a scary thing, but I have realized now that really it is just an opportunity to try new things.

The first few days in the United States of America was is fascinating and mind-blowing. Everything seems fresh, there is a lot of new people and everything is incredible. This is happening to you because you are new in a new place with new people and a different culture. After a few weeks everything becomes mind-numbing because American people are not like the people of Pakistan. The social compositions and cultural backgrounds are different. So, people become) tedious for me and I start being uninteresting for them as well. I think this is a very big challenge for a lot of international students because they really do not find friends to hang out with. The social life in American colleges is bit different. It depends on the size of college, location, and student population. You need to make smart decisions regarding your social life on campus. American students drink alcohol and smoke socially, but you need to know your limits and values. I found clubs and sports as a good source for socialization in American colleges. I am interested in outdoor activities like climbing, caving, hiking, camping, river rifting, and zip-lining. I joined an outdoor adventure club. I found people with the same interests in this club and I made a lot of new friends. Now I have built a community of nice people on campus and I go to hang out with them. Meeting new people every day and keeping my mind open helped me to know more about American culture.

Also one of my favorite things being an exchange student in United States is how you get to be part of a community that opens doors for you to meet people from all over the world. All of a sudden you have people from what seems like every country in the world or close to it.

Finally few of my experiences in NWC in last month: