Introduction
The first week of the fall semester can be felt and described as a new fresh start for all incoming students. Whether they are from the state of North Carolina, other states, or abroad, each freshman looks forward to adapting into a more meaningful and responsible lifestyle.
By focusing on the perspective of international students, we will deliver how they feel after settling into their new home in Asheville.
For my story, my name is Maxence and I am an exchange student based in the Université Catholique de l’Ouest in Niort, France. Never in my life did I expect Asheville to be my first destination in the United States, let alone heard of such a place. I do feel grateful and satisfied for having this opportunity to spend a semester in UNC Asheville.
I can affirm that I am already enjoying myself there, though this is only the beginning. From new acquaintances, to joining new activities, there is just so much to benefit from this campus. In terms of climate, I did feel a slight difference in warmth and humidity, which seem to be increased in Asheville compared to home. Kind of like a greenhouse. Turns out that North Carolina is indeed known for its subtropical warm and humid climate. France, on the other hand, is more temperate and slightly less humid. Unlike the United States, it does not have that many natural disasters for people to worry about, with the exception of drought, wildfires and heatwaves during the summer, especially in recent years due to climate change.
What struck me most though was the ease of making new friends, at least in my own eyes. I particularly noticed how quickly it took me to socialize and hang out, even during my first days on campus. Whereas in my home country, I felt like more time is needed to truly break the ice with others, at least from my experience.
I believed that Americans were more open to strangers, considering the diverse makeup of the country. I also would like to note that interrupting and jumping into others’ conversations seems to be more acceptable in America than in Europe. Or perhaps it seems that the local students were simply more curious about my foreign identity, as I noticed some of them actually learned French at some point in school.
Other students
Apart from my example, there were others exchange students, mostly from Western Europe (Germany and Ireland) and East Asia (Korea and Japan). They too had to adapt into their new life – and happened to like it as well. Each took different flight routes from their own starting point, of which all took a long time nonetheless, to reach Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta – and finally Asheville Regional Airport.
There are currently seven exchange students, from various countries and walks of life, studying different courses. This goes to show that UNC Asheville students all come from different backgrounds, yet remain on the same page by sharing some struggles and goals.
It is noteworthy that the exchange students do meet each other on various occasions, whether it be for lunch, walking around downtown, or simply to attend a meeting at the Study Abroad Office, at the right from the entry of Ramsey Library.
Thanks to the competence and patience of the Study Abroad supervisors, Laura Dobson and Doug(las) Rhein, the exchange students actually managed to enter Asheville with ease and comfort. Not only that, but every exchange student I talked to said they felt comfortable enough to stay on campus and break the ice with others – and satisfied enough to keep going for the rest of their time in UNC Asheville.
Not to mention international athletic students, who as the name of their status suggest, actually stay for a longer period of time to practice their sport on campus and beyond. They make up a larger number than the exchange students, around 40 to 60 depending on the time. They also appear to be coming from various regions, considering the quantity.
Although I did not document and talk to every single one of them myself, I had the chance to meet some, from regions such as East Asia, Europe and even Africa. It may be likely that some others also hail from Latin America, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Oceania.
UNC Asheville is truly a diverse place after all.
Finally, there are also some UNCA students who got the chance to study outside of Asheville, and abroad. Likewise, they too travelled to other parts of the world, following different paths. Unsurprisingly, the most popular destinations would be somewhere in Europe and East Asia, where these regions appear to be more modern, safer, and somewhat more attractive to internationals. Perhaps these very regions may offer better and more opportunities for students, businessmen and whatnot, to study and work abroad. Considering their economies, investments, plans for students and expats, as well as their relatively positive relationship with the United States.
