Celebration of Flags Day
By Felix Baum
Felix Baum, Sophomore, Finance major accelerated BS/MBA program, University of Indianapolis
         I first came to the United States in 2007 for one academic year as a high school exchange student, and then returned home to finish high school in Germany. Last year I returned to the United States to attend University of Indianapolis to get a great education in small-sized classes.
         First of all, I want to share a story about my first day in the United States. As I mentioned, I was an exchange student and I attended a school about 20 minutes south of Indianapolis. I arrived in the evening and was anxious to see my host family for the first time. I felt confident that my English skills were good enough to understand most things, but I was proven wrong. I got off the plane and there they were, holding up a sign saying: Welcome to America Felix! I gave them a big German hug and said hello, and after that I did not understand much of what they said. They were anxious to take me to a place called "Subway" for dinner. Public transportation is well developed in Germany, especially in large cities like Hamburg where I live. I heard the word subway and thought that we would take a train ride to somewhere, but after we went into a car I assumed I must have misunderstood something again. I had never been to a Subway before so I had no idea what to get. We went through the drive-through, so I had no chance to see pictures of anything that was on the menu. The employee named what they offered, so I randomly said yes or no to things like lettuce, cucumbers or banana peppers. When I got my sandwich it was a complete surprise, and the first of many adjustments I would have to make.
         One question you might be curious about is "Why do we as international students come all the way from our homes to the United States to attend college?" I can say it is definitely not for a Subway sandwich… One motivation is that it will give us a competitive advantage later on in life. Not many students are willing to put forth the effort to travel to a foreign country and immerse themselves in a different culture and language. Study abroad sets us apart from those who find it easier to study at home. The most obvious advantage is that we will become bilingual--we will master a second language. Most companies today are not local anymore; they operate internationally, so they require most of their employees to at least speak a second language.
         We are developing our cultural intelligence by learning to adjust to a totally different way of life. I did not realize how much German and American cultures differ until I got here. I find it ironic that in America, it is considered quite normal for a teenager to go out with his dad and shoot a gun, while in Germany that would be unacceptable. In Germany though, it is normal for a teenager to have a beer in a restaurant with his parents, yet it is unacceptable in the United States. There are many more examples of cultural differences from personal space to punctuality to hospitality. These differences are what make each culture interesting and unique.
         The reasons why we chose University of Indianapolis vary from student to student. Our Chinese students have the NIT partnership program; some others come for the top ranked Physical Therapy program, others for sports or scholarship. One reason we all have in common is the personal attention each student gets, not only from professors but, as international students, from the International Division too. From personal experience I can say that they are always listening and trying their hardest to help with any issue an international student might experience--thank you.
         One problem I encountered myself is that I always found myself being judgmental about whether a certain habit here in the United States was better or worse than back home in Germany. I noticed many differences in everyday life. For example, in Germany it would be considered disrespectful to just say bye and leave, you have to shake hands with each other. In my head I was thinking: "Is that situation handled better here or in Germany?" This went on for a couple months until I finally came to the realization that it is impossible to judge what is better or worse. Every culture is just different--not superior, but also not inferior to the culture here.
         Another big problem we experience as international students is that family and close friends remain at home. This might not be an issue from day to day, but we get reminded of this at holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas when most American students go home to visit their families. We can't since time and miles make it unaffordable to fly back home for a couple of days. Please make the effort to get to know one of our international students, and I am sure he or she would be very happy to be invited to experience some American holiday traditions.
         Today we all celebrate each single country that is represented by one or more students here at UIndy. I believe this celebration helps us to feel more accepted, and enables us to establish our own identity on campus. From what I've seen so far in my classes, I do feel that most of us international students are well accepted, which proves the adage that Indiana is known for its "Hoosier hospitality."
         University of Indianapolis provides many opportunities for students to study a semester or even a year abroad. I can only urge you to take advantage of one of those opportunities. It might not be an easy choice, and the experience will be challenging, but it will definitely pay off in the end. Your whole perspective on life will change, and you can't learn that by staying in the same country and eating the same Subway sandwich for your entire life.