They may have traveled to three different continents, but the three student speakers at Global Perspectives all agreed that openness is a requirement for international travel.
Held in the Foster Auditorium on Thursday afternoon, Global Perspectives -- a panel discussion hosted by the University Libraries Diversity Committee -- allowed three students to share their experiences about studying abroad, highlighting both the challenges and achievements.
The speakers all spoke about the culture shock that comes with living in a foreign country and growing accustomed to a new way of life.
Wes Brogden had never traveled outside of the country until he spent the last spring semester in Australia. He spoke about the importance of being friendly from the start of the journey and embracing the unfamiliar culture by getting involved, as he did by joining the school's rugby team.
"It was me by myself in a new country," Brogden (senior-chemistry) said. "I looked at it as if I was a freshman all over again.
He also talked about making the adjustment from the structured American style of learning to handling classwork more independently in Australia, where he and his peers had only two hours of class per week. He stressed the importance of finding a balance between being responsible in regard to schoolwork while still enjoying the new surroundings.
"The beach was right there. 'You're only here once,' " Brogden said. "I can't tell you how many times I heard that."
The audience members -- about 30 -- were also given the opportunity to view the United States from a foreigner's perspective when Farhana Masid, an international student from Bangladesh, shared her experiences about becoming a Penn State student.
When she first arrived at the school, the new environment was overwhelming. But the people she met during orientation helped her in the adjustment process, she said.
"All I knew was there is East Halls and Findlay Commons. Everything we did together," Masid (senior-electrical engineering) said. "It was like a family."
Now more than a year into her time at Penn State, Masid spoke about how her vision of the American family has changed -- she had previously viewed many films where the characters appeared to be confrontational. But now, she said, it's clear families here are very similar to her family in her hometown of Dhaka, even if she still gets homesick at times -- three times per day, in fact.
"I feel homesick whenever I eat," Masid joked.
Alhough not many students were in attendance at the International Education Week event, Caitlin Sondej, who is considering studying abroad, said the panel discussion was interesting and informative.
"It encouraged me more to definitely consider studying abroad. It made it less scary," Sondej (junior-international communications) said. "More people should have come."
