Welcome to my very first blog. In this blog post I will explain to you who I am, what this blog is about, how my trip from the Netherlands to America has gone and why I have chosen Southern Utah University.
So, my name is Derya Kelnebioglu. I am 24 years old and studying Communication at Fontys University of Applied Sciences. I come from the city Eindhoven (Netherlands) that is also called the City of the Lights. In this blog post and the coming posts I will share my school experiences, do's - don'ts and travel experiences with you. In addition, I will upload a video every two weeks on YouTube and post the link here on the blog in which various content is displayed.
The dream of every European
It has always been a dream to study abroad in America!
Since my freshman year of my school in the Netherlands, my dream has been to study abroad. When I was considering my options, I saw the opportunity to follow this dream. Going to The United States of America for six months. Sounds awesome right? I know it is…
In the beginning, I considered all my options and in my opinion, this was the way that I had to go. I see it as an opportunity to improve my language and study skills. Besides this, I see it as an opportunity to improve myself as a person. This experience also gives me a chance to get to know myself a little better. It will be an experience that will show me how well I perform in an environment which I am not familiar in. It will give me an in-depth view on how the system of another country works. I personally (and the people close to me) find studying abroad really fitting for me.
Experiences with other international students
For the last couple of years, I have had contact with other students that went abroad. In the duration of this contact I saw that the students had a good experience, besides this they all have improved exponentially. Which is exactly what I am looking for.
The journey
It was a very long and tiring journey with many ups-and-downs.
First of all, let me say that this is my very first time that I was on such a long flight. This was a nerve-racking process for me, but luckily, I was not alone. Together with six other Dutch students, we agreed to go together. This gave me a lot of reassurance.
In fact, it took a total of 24 hours to arrive in Cedar City, Utah. From Amsterdam to London, then a layover of four hours and then a flight from London to Las Vegas. There was the moment. Finally arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada. A group of international ambassadors waiting for you to welcome you. What a warm welcome that was! It instantly felt good and you immediately got to know new people. People that I have become very good friends with.
We then finally got on the bus to go from Las Vegas to Cedar City. You are broken, tired and secretly already homesick. You think ''what the hell did I do'', but then there is a group of students waiting for you to help you through this process. These students help you orientate the environment and ensure that you make a good start. Consider, for example, arranging your classes and paperwork (believe me you're not ready yet if you're here).
All in all, it was a long and tiring journey with many ups-and-downs.
Get Inspired
Are you curious about my first week in America? View then my video below.
In my second blog, I will tell about my trip to Las Vegas. The city of gambling and partying.
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